Species group · Reptiles

House Geckos

WAnimals has 3 species of house gecko, spread across 2 families (Gekkonidae, Phyllodactylidae).

3 species
2 families
128 countries
93 parks
Weight
1 g – 7 g
Length
7 cm – 15 cm
Lifespan
5 – 8 years

Ranges calculated from the entries that record the figure, not from all 3.

All 3 species of house geckos on WAnimals

Each one has its own full entry. This group does not replace them: it brings them together.

Conservation status

3 Least Concern

No species documented in this group is genuinely at risk according to the IUCN, with the data available today.

See the global conservation status

Where they live

Recorded in 128 countries. The ones with the most species in the group:

Where to see them

Did you know…

  • It is one of the most effective invasive species in the world among reptiles: it travels in containers and cargo, and wherever it arrives it displaces the native geckos through direct competition and aggression, a pattern documented on dozens of islands and in dozens of cities.

    From Common House Gecko

  • Its call is unmistakable: a series of dry clicks given at night from the walls, which has earned it onomatopoeic names in several Asian languages.

    From Common House Gecko

  • It can establish a population from a single accidentally transported egg, because the females store sperm for months and can lay several times after a single mating.

    From Common House Gecko

  • In many Mediterranean cultures it is taboo to harm it, because it keeps household insects down.

    From Turkish Gecko

  • It was introduced accidentally to Florida in 1915, probably as an escaped pet.

    From Turkish Gecko

  • Strictly nocturnal, it hunts around artificial lights.

    From Turkish Gecko

  • Its granular skin, studded with prominent tubercles, gives it an armoured look that recalls a small crocodile — hence its Catalan nickname, dragó.

    From Common House Gecko

  • It eats night-flying insects drawn to artificial light, along with spiders and other small invertebrates.

    From Common House Gecko

Ecosystems

See every species group · Explore the species one by one