Hokou Gecko

Hokou Gecko (Gekko hokouensis) is a small gecko generally patterned in brown, grey or tan with darker cross-bands on the back and tail. Its granular dorsal scales are mixed with larger subconical tubercles, and a large undivided tubercular scale occurs on each side of the tail base; adults reach roughly 60 mm snout-to-vent length. Identification should use the full combination of documented structure, pattern and locality because closely related island forms may overlap in general appearance (Wikipedia, general species account; Reptile Database).

It is a nocturnal, arboreal insect-eater distributed through parts of eastern China, Taiwan and southern Japan, including several Ryukyu and Kyushu island groups. Reproduction occurs mainly in summer and the species lays eggs. In southern Japan it sometimes hybridises with Yakushima Gecko, creating mosaic contact zones between the two species. The description stays within species-level information available from the opened accounts; traits not documented there are omitted rather than transferred from related lizards (Wikipedia, general species account; Reptile Database).