| Tropical house gecko | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Sauria |
| Family: | Gekkonidae |
| Genus: | Hemidactylus |
| Species: | H. mabouia |
| Binomial name | |
| Hemidactylus mabouia Moreau de Jonnès, 1818 |
|
The Tropical house gecko, Afro-American house gecko or Cosmopolitan house gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia) is a species of house gecko native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is also currently found in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, where it has been inadvertently introduced by humans.[1][2]
This species is mainly nocturnal and can attain a maximum length, from snout to vent, of 12.7 cm (5 in). Its diet is varied, and includes animals such as spiders, scorpions, cockroaches, anoles and other geckos with the most important element being Orthoptera species.
The Tropical house gecko can be found predominantly in urban locations.