House Gecko

About the House Gecko

Gehyra australis, the Australian house gecko, northern dtella or top-end dtella, is a species of gecko native to northern and eastern Australia. It is also widespread in Indonesia, alongside common house geckos and four-clawed geckos.

Gehyra australis is primarily an arboreal gecko inhabiting woodlands and coastal and riverine forests. It can also occur near human dwellings and gardens. It is oviparous. In 2020, as a result of molecular genetic analysis, three new species were proposed for lineages of the Gehyra australis species complex: G. arnhemica (east Arnhem Land), G. gemina (northern deserts), and G. lauta (gulf, NT–Qld border). Names for the new species were registered in Zoobank. Under this definition, the range of G. australis sensu stricto is limited to the western Top End region of the Northern Territory, from Darwin surrounds to Port Essington, and Gregory National Park To Eva Valley at the edge of the Arnhem Plateau.

Members of the australis species complex are generally arboreal, and tend to be smaller than the rock-dwelling (saxicolous) koira group, though G. lauta is larger-bodied. G. chimera is adapted to an arboreal lifestyle: it had previously... Wikipedia →