Hemidactylus frenatus Duméril & Bibron, 1836

Figueroa, Alex, Low, Martyn E. Y. & Lim, Kelvin K. P., 2023, Singapore’s herpetofauna: updated and annotated checklist, history, conservation, and distribution, Zootaxa 5287 (1), pp. 1-378 : 112-113

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5287.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:78E23714-8973-4755-BC94-0A751D7D2B37

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7967828

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/88502B73-FFF5-B806-FF6B-432478EC088E

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Hemidactylus frenatus Duméril & Bibron, 1836
status

 

Hemidactylus frenatus Duméril & Bibron, 1836 View in CoL — Native.

Hemidactylus frenatus A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1836: 366–368 . Syntypes (10): MNHN-RA 0023, 2300, 2312, 2312A–C, 2313, 2313A, 2314, 5135 and 5135A, according to Brygoo (1991: 63). Type locality: “l’Afrique austral … l’archipel des grandes Indes … du Cap … Madagascar … l’île-de-France … de Ceylan … d’Amboine … de Java et de Timor … îles Mariannes … du Bengale” [= Southern Africa ... the Greater Indies archipelago ... Cape Town, South Africa... Madagascar... the north-central France... Sri Lanka... Kota Ambon, Molucca, Indonesia... Java and Timor, Indonesia... Mariana Islands... Bengladesh]; later restricted to “ Java ”, Indonesia by Loveridge (1947: 127).

Spiny-tailed House Gecko

( Figure 13G View FIGURE 13 ; Sentosa)

Singapore records.

Hemidactylus frenatus View in CoL — Cantor, 1847a: 630.— Cantor, 1847c: 1068, 1075.— Ģnther, 1864: 108.— Flower, 1896: 865.— Flower, 1899: 628.—Ridley, 1899: 206.—Hanitsch, 1908: 41.—Sworder, 1924a: 20 (Pulau Ayer Merbau; Pulau Senang).—Sworder, 1925a: 64.—D.S. Johnson, 1964: 25.— Chuang, 1973: 4.—L.M. Chou, 1975: 135.—F.L.K. Lim, 1984: 18.—N. Koh, 1986: 1–2.—L.M. et al., Chou 1988: 349.—K.K.P. Lim & L.M. Chou, 1990: 55.— Denzer & Manthey, 1991: 315.—D.S. Johnson, 1992: 35.—K.K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 1992: 117, 150.—L.M. Chou et al., 1994: 105.—R. Subaraj, 1995: 35 (Pulau Ubin).—R.C.H. Teo & Rajathurai, 1997: 391.— Manthey & Grossmann, 1997: 235.—Chan-ard et al., 1999: 25, 127.— Gill et al., 2001: 354.—B.P.L. Goh et al., 2002: 59.— Karns et al., 2002: 488 (Pasir Ris Park Mangroves).—K.P. Lim & F.L.K. Lim, 2002: 150.— Anonymous, 2003: 92 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).—K.K.P. Lim & N.T.-L. Lim, 2006: 107 (Batu Koyok [Pulau Tekong]).—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2008: 81, 160.—T.M. Leong & Foo, 2009: 315, 316.— M.F.C. Ng, 2009: 59, 109 (Semakau Landfill [PS]).— Das, 2010: 221.—M.A.H. Chua, 2011: 281 (Semakau Landfill [PS]).—L.L. Grismer, 2011b: 485, 488.—P.K.L. Ng et al., 2011: 323.—N. Baker & K.P. Lim, 2012: 81, 160.— Ang et al., 2012: 54 (Hort Park).—M.F.C. Ng, 2012: 146 (Semakau Landfill [PS]).—H.H. Tan & K.K.P. Lim, 2012: 360 (Gardens by the Bay).—Chan-ard et al., 2015: 66.—R. Subaraj, 2015: 25, 32, 38, 52, 54, 56 (Mandai Range Forest; Night Safari; Singapore Zoo; Stephen Lee Woods [= RPN]; Ulu Sembawang Forest; Upper Seletar Peninsula [= USNF]).—S. Subaraj, 2015: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (Mandai Range Forest; Night Safari; Project Western Boundary [= MBP]; Singapore Zoo; Stephen Lee Woods [= RPN]; Upper Seletar Peninsula [= USNF]).—K.K.P. Lim et al., 2016: 177 (Pulau Tekong).— Morgany, 2018b: 136 (Labrador Park).—Will, 2018a: 9 (Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve).—H.C. Ho et al., 2019: 124, 125 (Alexandra Woodlands; Clementi Forest).—H.T.W. Tan et al., 2019: 133 (Kent Ridge Park; National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus).—S.H. Tan & Chapman, 2019: 67 (Margaret Drive).—R.C.H. Teo & Thomas, 2019: 158, 180 (Bukit Timah Nature Reserve).—Allain & Goodman, 2020: 217, 218 ( Singapore Botanic Gardens [Rain Forest]).— Cross, 2020a: 2, 4 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020b: 2 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020c: 1 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020d: 2 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020e: 1, 2 (Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Cross, 2020h: 5.— Cross, 2020n: 5, 7 (Changi; Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).—K.K.P. Lim, 2020: 6 (Changi; Sime Road Camp [= SICC]).— Janssen & Sy, 2022: 95, 160.

Remarks. Undoubtedly the most common gecko and lizard in Singapore, H. frenatus was first reported in Singapore by Cantor (1847a). Flower (1899b) wrote of not having seen H. frenatus in Singapore, but observed it as being as plentiful in Singapore as it was in the Malay Peninsula. Contrarily, Hanitsch (1908) and Sworder (1925a) deemed H. frenatus the most common gecko inhabiting homes. Flower (1899b) also told of seeing numerous individuals on a boat in Thailand and on a steamship between Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, and west Australia, going on to say how easily it is introduced to other countries. After Sworder (1925a), H. frenatus was not reported from Singapore for 39 years ( Table 2 View TABLE 2 ) when Johnson (1964) also described it as the most common gecko in Singapore. Recently published records by Cross (2020n) adds records from Changi and Sime Road Internment Camp dating back to 1944 and 1945 ( Lim 2020). Because H. frenatus is so common, it was not reported in The Pangolin journal, except for records from PU (Subaraj 1995). In fact, H. frenatus is so common in Singapore that Teo & Rajathurai (1997) declared that along with H. platyurus , it is “found in every housing block in Singapore ”.

Occurrence. Ubiquitous. Common.

Singapore conservation status. Least Concern.

Conservation priority. Lowest.

IUCN conservation status. Least Concern [2021].

LKCNHM & NHMUK Museum specimens. Singapore (no locality) : BMNH1956.1 .11.31 (no date) , ZRC.2.2262– ZRC.2.2290 (Mar-1979); Fort Canning : ZRC.2.1199 (29-Jun-1904); Jurong : ZRC.2.1946– ZRC.2.1947 (07-Apr-1980) , ZRC.2.1975 (16-Apr-1980) , ZRC.2.1960– ZRC. 2.1967 (17-Apr-1980), Jurong Campus [ NTU] : ZRC.2.1996– ZRC.2.1998 (09-Apr-1980) , ZRC.2.1976– ZRC.2.1984 (23-Apr-1980) , ZRC.2.2000– ZRC. 2.2002 (Mar-1981); Kent Ridge Campus [ NUS] : ZRC . 2.5636 (Feb-2003); Nantah Campus [ NTU] : ZRC.2.1948– ZRC.2.1953 (07-Apr-1980) , ZRC.2.6262– ZRC.2.6263 (09-Apr-1980); Park Road : BMNH 1962.806 807 (no date); Pulau Ubin : ZRC.2.5187 (24-Jul-2001); RAF Tengah [= Tengah Air base] : BMNH 1983.948 949 (no date); Stamford Road : ZRC.2.1198 (no date), ZRC.2.1196 (4-Feb-1898) , ZRC.2.1197 (10-Jun-1898) .

Additional Singapore museum specimens. Singapore (no locality): BYU, CAS, FMNH, KU, MCZ, NMW, SAMA, UMZC, ZMB, ZMUC; Botanic Gardens: BPBM; Havelock Road: UF; Nanyang University: WAM.

Singapore localities. Alexandra Woodlands—Bukit Timah Nature Reserve—Changi—Clementi Forest—Fort Canning—Gardens by the Bay—Havelock Road—Hort Park—Jurong—Kent Ridge Park—Labrador Park— Mandai Range Forest—Margaret Drive—Nanyang Technological University Jurong Campus—National University of Singapore Kent Ridge Campus—Night Safari—Park Road—Pasir Ris Park Mangroves— Pulau Ayer Merbau—Pulau Semakau—Pulau Senang—Pulau Tekong—Pulau Ubin—Rainforest Park North—Sentosa—Singapore Botanic Gardens—Singapore Island Country Club—Singapore Zoo— Stamford Road—Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve—Tengah Air Base—Ulu Sembawang Forest—Upper Seletar North Forest.

NHMUK

Natural History Museum, London

ZRC

Zoological Reference Collection, National University of Singapore

BYU

Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum

BPBM

Bishop Museum

UF

Florida Museum of Natural History- Zoology, Paleontology and Paleobotany

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Reptilia

Order

Squamata

Family

Gekkonidae

Genus

Hemidactylus

Loc

Hemidactylus frenatus Duméril & Bibron, 1836

Figueroa, Alex, Low, Martyn E. Y. & Lim, Kelvin K. P. 2023
2023
Loc

Hemidactylus frenatus

Gnther, A. C. L. G. 1864: 108
Cantor, T. E. 1847: 630
Cantor, T. E. 1847: 1068
1847
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