Wildlifeof India
Bark Gecko
Geckos
Photo: Achintha de Zoysa · CC BY 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Hemidactylus leschenaultii
Basic stats
Habitat
Forest, from sea level to 1,000m; often inside homes
Range
Southern India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Oman
Size
Head and body about 8.1cm; tail about 8.3cm
The bark gecko, known on Wikipedia as Leschenault's leaf-toed gecko, is native to South Asia and parts of West Asia and is often found inside homes. Its scientific name commemorates the French botanist Jean Baptiste Leschenault de la Tour. The forehead is concave with prominent brow ridges in full-grown animals, the ear opening is rather large and oval, and the digits are free and strongly dilated. It is grey above with darker markings (Wikipedia, general species account).
From snout to vent it measures about 8.1 cm, with a tail of about 8.3 cm. Its preferred natural habitat is forest, from sea level to 1,000 m. The Reptile Database lists a wide Indian range, including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha and the Andaman Islands.
Quick answers
- What habitat does the Bark Gecko live in?
- Forest, from sea level to 1,000m; often inside homes
- Where is the Bark Gecko found?
- Southern India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Oman
- How big is the Bark Gecko?
- Head and body about 8.1cm; tail about 8.3cm