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

Hemidactylus frenatus Duméril & Bibron, 1836 — 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 ; Sentosa)

Singapore records.

Hemidactylus frenatus — 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 ) 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.

Figures

FIGURE 13. A) Gekko horsfieldii, B) Gekko hulk, C) Gekko kuhli, D) Gekko monarchus, E) Hemidactylus brookii, F) Hemidactylus craspedotus, G) Hemidactylus frenatus, and H) Hemidactylus platyurus. Photographs by: Evan S.H. Quah [A], Francis L.K. Lim [B], Kelvin K.P. Lim [C, G], Alex Figueroa [D, H], Joys Tan [E], and Holly Siow [F].