Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am in Miami Florida right now and found a gecko in my hotel by the elevator. I am surprised I actually saw it because besides being almost see through it's about the size of my finger nail including the tail. I am pretty knowledgable with animals especially lizards because I have 3 Bearded Dragons and used to work in a pet store, but I would really like to know what kind of gecko this one is. It's a tan see through color with little brown stripe arrows along it's body and it tail. If anyone has heard of this kind please let me know. Also I'm assuming it's really young because it is so ridiculously small but I could be wrong. I am going to let it go outside where it won't get stepped on but I would like some suggestions so this little one doesn't die. Thank you!!

-Harley

From the description it sounds like a Tropical House Gecko, which are well established all over south Florida, although if it's really as small as your fingernail it's either freakishly small or you have really big fingernails. Below is a photo of an adult, although they are often much darker. They max out at around 5 inches. Reef geckos are only about half that size as adults, so it's conceivable that a hatchling would be as small as you suggest, but apart from being brown with dark speckles, not striped, they are extremely shy and more likely to be found on the ground under debris rather than around a hotel.

Besides, as you've already let it go, I don't see what more you can do, unless you want to buy a couple hundred pinhead crix and turn them loose where the gecko is.

Thank you so much for the response! That picture looks exactly like the one I found but honestly it was soooo small. I actually have very small hands so I'm telling you it was small. What do you think....I have to fly home tomorrow and I don't think it would have survived the flight (with me not my bags) otherwise I would have considered taking it home and caring for it. I get crickets all the time for my other lizards. But I figured it would be unfair to take it away from it's home and environment that it's used to. I hope letting it go was the right thing to do. It was just so small I hope it will survive on it's own Anyway, thanks again and maybe I'll go by where I left the little guy and see if he's still there. By the way here's a pic of my girl at home...

The baby in the pic I posted was hanging out on some denim...its total length was 1 1/3 of an inch at the time of the photo. It probably would live through a trip to Hawaii. Secret tip: you could put it a tiny matchbox (w/o the matches). If you do find it, or another...it would eat 1/8" crickets.

I wouldn't consider it unfair for you to take that gecko home with you as long as you're prepared to provide a habitat for it. Beardies aren't native to the U.S. and you keep them, right? Besides, H. mabouia are not native to Florida at all anyway. They're hardy little guys, and as italvital posted below, it should be able to endure a plane trip without problems, except that I would put him in a very small deli cup lined with damp paper towel and try to keep him warm, maybe in an inside jacket pocket. Just be careful when you sit down!

Hope you have a pleasant flight home. Nice looking beardie, by the way.

Chris

It sounds like it is an African house gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia). From the size, it probably just hatched. The photos are of a hatchling (left) and an adult (right). The babies change their shades of brown and the pattern's contrast often. Ashton

The photos fit differently before I posted, but the better resolution pic on the bottm is the adult...

Possibly a Mediterranean Gecko(Hemidactylus turcicus).
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Geckos
1.1.0 Gecko gekko(Geico and Gekko)
1.1.0 Eublepharis macularius(male Blizzard and Hi-yellow female)
2.0.0 Hemitheconyx caudicinctus(striped and banded phase)
1.0.0 Tarentola mauritanica(light phase)
1.0.0 Hemidactylus turcicus
Other Lizards
0.1.0 Basiliscus basiliscus
1.0.0 Physignathus cocincinus
0.1.0 Anolis carolinensis
1.0.0 Chamaeleo calyptratus
1.0.0 Iguana iguana(Rex)
Boidae
1.0.0 Python regius
0.0.1 Boa constrictor imperator
Turtle
0.1.0 Chrysemys picta

C