[Reptiluvr]

Can someone give me a key to the differences between mabouia and garnotii. I also just picked up at PetCo (had to get fruit flies) a H. sp. that was in with some frenatus. I can't tell what it is yet but it's not frenatus. It could be mabouia but there's no pattern on it and it just looks minutely different. My camera is broken (figures) so I'll try to get pics some time.

[Reptiluvr]

OK, I compared this new guy to two of my H. mabouia. Unlike mabouia there are No raised tubercles on the dorsum. Also in mabouia the tail has raised scales kind of spike-like in whorls (circles) around the circumference of the tail but this guy has just two rows on the dorsal side. It's only about 3" and so I dont' know if it's at adult size or not.
I'll upload pics later.

[EmeraldExotics]

Here are a few photos that show exactly how different these species really are from each other and how easy it is to identify garnotii by their yellow bellies. There is variability in the coloration of either species and they do lighten and darken considerably, but notice the differences between their patterns and their tails.

Hemidactylus mabouia:


Hemidactylus garnotii:



Hope this helps!

[yuri]

H. mabouia profile
http://www.geckoweb.org/profile/hemidactylus-mabouia

H. garnotii profile
http://www.geckoweb.org/profile/hemidactylus-garnotii

Text key for Eastern US geckos
http://www.geckoweb.org/pdfs/eastern_us.pdf

Originally Posted by Reptiluvr

Can someone give me a key to the differences between mabouia and garnotii. I also just picked up at PetCo (had to get fruit flies) a H. sp. that was in with some frenatus. I can't tell what it is yet but it's not frenatus. It could be mabouia but there's no pattern on it and it just looks minutely different. My camera is broken (figures) so I'll try to get pics some time.

[Reptiluvr]

Whole Body - note no enlarged tubercles. Also none of the typical white spots I have seen associated with H. garnotii



Tail detail


Ventral view - yellowish coloration and overlapping scales

Is this gecko above Hemidactylus garnotii?


Is this H. frenatus (as they were sold)? I thought he might be H. platycephalus but I had a hard time finding pics online.

[danscantle]

I can't tell from your photo, but if every scale on the toe is divided then you have garnotii, otherwise it is frenatus - now a very common species throughout Florida.

The other animal is question is H. platyurus, formerly Cosymbotus.

[Reptiluvr]

The scales are awfully hard to see but they do not look like they're split. They are all small overlapping scales. I must assume that this is H. frenatus.

I've actually yet to find H. garnotii and H. frenatus in Florida. H. garnotii and all other introduced Hemidactylus are being quickly outnumbered by H. mabouia and garnotii remain in only the three most southern counties. H. frenatus is reported but kind of sporadically through the state.