CIBED - - House Gecko

Hemidactylus frenatus House Gecko Moko ^AK

f.GEKKONIDAE Geckos

Hemidactylus frenatus House Gecko Moko ^AK

f.GEKKONIDAE Geckos

Cook Islands Status Summary

Show Notes

Intl. NamesHouse Gecko ^EN

Local NamesNo Name^RR Moko^AK Ngālala^TNs Ngārara^TNw

Pacific NamesNo Content

Sci. NamesHemidactylus frenatus (accepted name) , Hemidactylus javanicus

High Tax. Eng.k.Animals, p.Vertebrates, o.Snakes and Lizards, so.Lizards, f.Geckos - Lizard

High Tax. Latink.ANIMALIA, p.CHORDATA, sp.GNATHOSTOMATA, spc.TETRAPODA, c.REPTILIA, o.Squamata, so.Lacertilia, f.GEKKONIDAE

Natl. PresencePresent

Sth. PresenceRR⁺⁺⁺⁺MG^-AT^-MK^-MT^-AK⁺PL^-MN?TK?

Nth. PresenceTN⁺⁺MH^-RK^-PK^-NS^-SW?

VouchersNo Content

Local OriginIntroduced; Recent; Naturalised

Global RangeNative: se.Asia; Introduced: circumtropical, including Australia - Oceania;

HabitatLand; Lowlands, Coastal

ThreatenedNo Content

InvasivenessInvasive; Domestic; by out-competing animals

BiosecurityNo Content

Medical StatusNo Content

Harmful StatusNo Content

UsesNo Content

IdentificationCOLOUR dark brown with pale blotches to uniformly pale grey. VOICE a series of loud discrete chirps (~7), or a low gurgling call.

Multimedia & Other Resources

Photographs: 9
Video: 0
Audio: 0
Documents: 0
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5BC004_Hemid-fren_

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Adult on log

Fox Gecko Rt. vs House Gecko Lt.

Juvenile with regenerated tail

Adult (second image)

Mating

with large Cocao Moth

with large moth

Adult with regenerated tail

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Vernacular Names

English and International Names

House Gecko ^EN

Pacific Names

No Pacific Names

Local Names

No Name^RR Moko^AK Ngālala^TNs Ngārara^TNw

National Name: Moko ^AK

Island	Status	Main name
National name	AK	Moko
Rarotonga	++++	P,nN
Mangaia	-	A,nN
Ātiu	-	A,nN
Ma‘uke	-	A,nN
Miti‘āro	-	A,nN
Aitutaki	+	Moko
Palmerston	-	A,nN
Tongareva-write	++	Ngārara
Tongareva-speak	++	Ngālala
Manihiki	-	A,nN
Rakahanga	-	A,nN
Pukapuka	-	A,nN
Nassau	-	A,nN

National Distribution & Vouchers

National Presence:

Present

Oceanic

Absent

islands: [ , {label: 'Rarotonga', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 404.5, left: 210.5, labelLeft: 222, labelTop: 404} , {label: 'Mangaia', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 427.5, left: 261.5, labelLeft: 274, labelTop: 426} , {label: 'Ātiu', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 372.5, left: 261.5, labelLeft: 244, labelTop: 382} , {label: 'Ma‘uke', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 374.5, left: 282.5, labelLeft: 284, labelTop: 385} , {label: 'Miti‘āro', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 358.5, left: 274.5, labelLeft: 283, labelTop: 351} , {label: 'Aitutaki', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 334.5, left: 210.5, labelLeft: 209, labelTop: 321} , {label: 'Palmerston', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 309.5, left: 112.5, labelLeft: 124, labelTop: 309} , {label: 'Manuae', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 346.5, left: 234.5, labelLeft: 244, labelTop: 338} , {label: 'Takūtea', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 362.5, left: 254.5, labelLeft: 211, labelTop: 363} , {label: 'Tongareva', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 32.5, left: 260.5, labelLeft: 205, labelTop: 31} , {label: 'Manihiki', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 80.5, left: 175.5, labelLeft: 187, labelTop: 80} , {label: 'Rakahanga', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 63.5, left: 173.5, labelLeft: 186, labelTop: 63} , {label: 'Pukapuka', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 88.5, left: 33.5, labelLeft: 45, labelTop: 88} , {label: 'Nassau', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 108.5, left: 46.5, labelLeft: 59, labelTop: 108} , {label: 'Suwarrow', stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#fff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 162.5, left: 115.5, labelLeft: 127, labelTop: 162} ] , legend: [{label: 'Not Assessed', top: 235, stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#ffffff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: 'Present', top: 250, stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: '? Present', top: 265, stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GWR', tris: '#ACACAC', trif: '#ffffff'}, {label: 'Absent', top: 280, stroke: '#C00000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: '? Absent', top: 295, stroke: '#C00000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RWR', tris: '#c0c0c0', trif: '#ffffff'}, {label: 'Intercepted', top: 312, stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RDR', tris: '#000000', trif: '#000000'}, {label: 'Extirpated/Extinct', top: 331, stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'RGR', tris: '#660000', trif: '#CC0000'} ]

Island	Status
Rarotonga	++++
Mangaia	Absent
Ātiu	Absent
Ma‘uke	Absent
Miti‘āro	Absent
Aitutaki	+
Palmerston	Absent
Manuae
Takūtea
Tongareva	++
Manihiki	Absent
Rakahanga	Absent
Pukapuka	Absent
Nassau	Absent
Suwarrow

Vouchers for:
Hemidactylus frenatus

Cook Islands

Southern

Northern

Oceanic

Rarotonga

Mangaia

Ātiu

Ma‘uke

Miti‘āro

Aitutaki

Palmerston

Manuae

Takūtea

Tongareva

Manihiki

Rakahanga

Pukapuka

Nassau

Suwarrow

Identification

IdentificationCOLOUR dark brown with pale blotches to uniformly pale grey. VOICE a series of loud discrete chirps (~7), or a low gurgling call.

Interest Note

Editors NotesColour and voice from Office specimens GM As its common English name suggests, this species is closely tied to human habitations. It is currently expanding its range in the Yucat n Peninsula, where it is abundant at several localities. These nocturnamore...l lizards often congregate on the walls of buildings near lights to capture their insect prey. During the day specimens have been found beneath surface debris and under loose bark on trees. Hemidactylus frenatus is oviparous, with two eggs produced per clutch. In Java, Church (1962:262) found house geckos reproductively active throughout the year, although other herpetologists have found that there is some suggestion of seasonality in reproductive activity farther to the north (Fukada, 1965:75). Church (1962:262) suggested the possibility of sperm storage in this species, and Murphy-Walker (1993) confirmed it by showing that females in Hawaii stored sperm for up to eight months, and that females isolated from males could produce as many as ten viable clutches. Like many other geckos, these lizards are capable of vocalization. Marcellini (1974) studied acoustic behavior in San Luis Potos¡ and identified three functionally and bioacoustically distinct calls. The multiple chirp call, a gack-gack-gack suggestive of the barking of a small dog, was by far the most frequent. The call was given by both sexes, but most commonly by males and only by animals 45 mm or longer in snout-vent length. The call was usually given in aggressive interactions, and the number of chirps given increased as the air temperature increased. My analyses of recordings from Uxmal, Yucat n, indicate that acoustic energy is spread broadly across the frequency spectrum from about 2,000 to 5,000 Hz, with little harmonic structure

Local Origin and Global Range

Habitat

no data available

Threatened

Invasive/Pest Status

no data available

Biosecurity

Medicinal

no data available

Species Uses

References

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2026) Cook Islands Biodiversity & Ethnobiology Database, Version 2026.04.03 - Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at https://naturalheritage.gov.ck/cibed
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Cook Islands Status Summary

Multimedia & Other Resources

Vernacular Names

English and International Names

Pacific Names

Scientific Names and Taxonomy

Accepted Name

Synonyms

National Distribution & Vouchers

Vouchers for:
Hemidactylus frenatus

Identification

Local Origin and Global Range

Habitat

Threatened

Invasive/Pest Status

Biosecurity

Medicinal

Species Uses

References

Citation Information

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Cook Islands Status Summary

Multimedia & Other Resources

Vernacular Names

Accepted Name

Synonyms

Vouchers for: Hemidactylus frenatus

Citation Information

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Vouchers for:
Hemidactylus frenatus