Ulises Flores
19/10/2019

Greetings dear readers.

Affectionate thanks for your interest in knowing ecological aspects to improve our relationship with biodiversity in our environment.

𝙴𝚙𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚒𝚜 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚌𝚎𝚜𝚜

After several days without seeing my friend Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus), I found him very comfortable on top of a green and padded grass foliage, absorbing humidity to optimize his process of change of epidermis (change of skin) which is a natural process of renewal of its outer protective layer and is related to its growth and biological stage called ecdysis.

In this sense, juvenile individuals experience this process with more frequency and continuity in contrast to adult specimens. In this sense, I share a brief photographic description alluding to this noble reptile, appreciated by some and frowned upon by others.

𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚎𝚌𝚍𝚢𝚜𝚒𝚜

When Hemidactylus frenatus are in the process of skin detachment, the layer to be abandoned presents particular physiological characteristics, for example it adopts a whitish and greyish tonality in some cases.

The scales become weak and tear like patches as the animal crawls across biological or inorganic barriers such as cracks, walls, and crevices in irregular surfaces...

Similarly, the first tears of the layer to be replaced occur in the head, upper and lower extremities, since they are areas of constant mobility and rubbing.

Its triangular and flattened head, prominent eyes and sticky legs allow it to skillfully move easily on smooth and vertical surfaces. This small lizard fulfills its natural process of ecdysis with normality.

𝙴𝚗𝚎𝚖𝚢 𝚒𝚗𝚟𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢?

Several studies with well documented results warn about the impact of H. frenatus on some subspecies of native saurians; it is believed that they have managed to gain ground and expel native creatures to the extreme of extinction. This environmental cost has an ecological counterpart with social benefits, apparently the territoriality of H. frenatus has brought great benefits to human beings, since these invaders include in their permanent diet some insects and vectors such as mosquitoes of the genus Aedes, Anopheles or others signaled to cause damage to human health.

𝐹𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

Accordingly, this invader can be seen as a threat to certain native lizards because of its eating habits as a host agent of parasites and pathogens harmful to vulnerable species and subspecies; however, it is recognized as a potential biological controller of vectors and agents aggressive to human health.

Be aware of and responsible for promoting ecological relationships in line with health aspects that ensure your salugenic well-being. Although Hemidactylus frenatus are harmless and free of biotoxins, I do not recommend their manipulation or direct physical contact with the species.

𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬

Reptile scale link
Global invasive species database – Hemidactylus frenatus link

𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬

All photographs were taken with the mobile camera system Iphone 6 in the garden of the author's residence. The area of influence corresponds to a tropical climate and an average temperature of 28 °C.

Photoshop cs6 software was used to resize the photographs and place the author signature.