Tropical House Gecko
Tropical House GeckoTropical House GeckoTropical House GeckoTropical House Gecko

Tropical House Gecko

Hemidactylus mabouia

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Addo Elephant National Park
111 Verified sightings at Addo Elephant National Park From 2019 to 2026
2,137 Verified sightings across all 67 parks From 2019 to 2026
March Best month highest sighting rate
🌙 Nocturnal When it's spotted during nighttime hours (6pm–6am)

About the Tropical House Gecko

The tropical house gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia), also called the cosmopolitan house gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is native to sub-Saharan Africa. However, it is also found in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, where it has been inadvertently introduced by humans.

The tropical house gecko has an average total length of 10–12.7 centimetres (3.9–5.0 in) (including tail) and an average mass of 4.6 grams (0.16 oz). Females are on average somewhat larger than males, with the male average snout-to-vent length (SVL) being 51.56 mm (2.030 in) and the female average SVL being 54.47 mm (2.144 in). Normally coloured in black and brown bands, this gecko can slowly change its colour based on its ambient temperature and lighting; its scales vary in colour from dark brown to light grey. The tropical house gecko bears particularly scaly lamellae on the underside of its toes, enabling it to grip onto vertical surfaces.

The diet of H. mabouia is varied, and includes animals such as isopods, centipedes, spiders, scorpions, cockroaches, beetles, moths, flies, mosquitoes, snails, slugs, frogs, anoles, other geckos and blind... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Addo Elephant National Park

Cape Dwarf Gecko
LC

Cape Dwarf Gecko

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Lygodactylus capensis

Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
Spotted Thick-toed Gecko
LC

Spotted Thick-toed Gecko

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Pachydactylus maculatus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Ceres Thicktoe Gecko
LC

Ceres Thicktoe Gecko

☀️🌙 Day & Night Reptile

Pachydactylus mariquensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Essex's Dwarf Leaf-toed Gecko
LC Endemic

Essex's Dwarf Leaf-toed Gecko

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Goggia essexi

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Bibron's Thick-toed Gecko
LC

Bibron's Thick-toed Gecko

🌅 Crepuscular Reptile

Chondrodactylus bibronii

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Main Ridge Forest Reserve 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
~50%
2 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~40%
3 Cordillera Azul National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~40%
4 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~40%
5 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~40%
6 Brownsberg Nature Park 🇸🇷 Suriname
~30%
7 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
8 Gonarezhou National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~30%
9 South Luangwa National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
~30%
10 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~30%
11 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~30%
12 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~30%
13 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
14 Gorongosa National Park 🇲🇿 Mozambique
~30%
15 Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
16 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
17 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
18 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
19 Liwonde National Park 🇲🇼 Malawi
~20%
20 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~20%
21 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
22 Kibale National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
~20%
23 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~20%
24 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~20%
25 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~20%
26 Tsavo East National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
27 Tsavo West National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
28 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
29 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
30 Serengeti National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
~10%
31 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%
32 Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park 🇯🇲 Jamaica
Insufficient data
33 Los Haitises National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
Insufficient data
34 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
Insufficient data
35 Lake Mburo National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
36 Kafue National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
37 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
38 Canaima National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
Insufficient data
39 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
40 Emas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
41 Lake Nakuru National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
42 Ruaha National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
43 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
44 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
45 Hwange National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
46 Lower Zambezi National Park 🇿🇲 Zambia
Insufficient data
47 Murchison Falls National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
48 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
Insufficient data
49 Mikumi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
50 Mana Pools National Park 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
Insufficient data
51 Jaragua National Park 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
Insufficient data
52 Samburu National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
53 Puracé National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
54 Nyungwe National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
55 Akagera National Park 🇷🇼 Rwanda
Insufficient data
56 Queen Elizabeth National Park 🇺🇬 Uganda
Insufficient data
57 Chobe National Park 🇧🇼 Botswana
Insufficient data
58 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
Insufficient data
59 Amboseli National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
Insufficient data
60 Pilanesberg National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
61 Mkomazi National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
62 Ngorongoro Conservation Area 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
63 Virunga National Park 🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo
Insufficient data
64 Tarangire National Park 🇹🇿 Tanzania
Insufficient data
65 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data
66 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data
67 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Tropical House Gecko in Addo Elephant National Park?

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Tropical House Gecko sighting in Addo Elephant National Park, based on 111 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Tropical House Gecko in Addo Elephant National Park?

March has the highest sighting rate for Tropical House Gecko in Addo Elephant National Park in our monthly data.

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