Hokou Gecko

About the Hokou Gecko

Gekko hokouensis, also known as the Hokou gecko or Kwangsi gecko, is a species of gecko. G. hokouensis is a small, nocturnal, arboreal, insectivorous gecko with reproduction occurring largely in the summertime. This species can be distinguished by subtle differences in body color and pattern as well as by the numbers and shape of some scales. Generally, G. hokouensis is colored with shades of brown, grey, or tan and has distinct, darker cross-bands on its back and tail. Its back and limbs are covered with small, granular scales intermixed with small, subconical tubercles that are larger and more numerous along the upper sides of the back. A key diagnostic feature is the presence of a large, undivided tubercular scale located on each side of the base of the tail. Additionally, as an adult, this species has a snout-vent length of roughly 60 mm.

The species was first described by the American herpetologist Clifford H. Pope in 1928 as Gekko japonicus subsp. hokouensis. G. hokouensis belongs to the subgenus Japonigecko, and was reclassified as a distinct species in 1982. The species is currently defined morphologically and may include genetically divergent populations. There... Wikipedia →