Help ID please!

[dinomom]

I just found a neonate lizard in my indoor gym (no action to outside doors).

I swear it must be a gecko; it is pink, with leopard spotting, and a striped tail. Eyes are large and black and must be nocturnal.

I am in Socal, we only have western fence lizards around here and the tiny babies look just like the parents so it is definitely not that.

When transferring it to a critter keeper it dropped its tail

Naturally I don't have fruit flies around but will get tomorrow.

I hope someone recognizes what it is!

 

[BleuSaphir]

House gecko

 

[MissSkittles]

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/34435-Hemidactylus-turcicus
Aka: house gecko. They are cute. I love watching the few that live on my house.

 

[dinomom]

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/34435-Hemidactylus-turcicus
Aka: house gecko. They are cute. I love watching the few that live on my house.

Well, appropriate name since he was IN my house lol.

 

[MissSkittles]

Well, appropriate name since he was IN my house lol.

Are you keeping or releasing?

 

[dinomom]

Are you keeping or releasing?

Keeping for now. He is only about the length of a quarter (minus tail) and can't be more than a few days at most from hatching.

I don't know how long he was without food/water and he is very vulnerable due to size so I hope I can get him to live and build him up. He is quite active today so I hope once I can get out and get fruit flies that he will start pounding them. As an experiment yesterday I offered some crested gecko food on a stick and he licked quite a bit of it. Probably not a normal food for him but he might have been after the moisture and I felt better that he got something. Also gave him the smallest 1/4" silkworm I had and he "tasted"/investigated it with tongue but it was still too large for him.

The ID may be off-he cannot or will not climb walls of enclosure and the pattern is different.

There are some CA ground dwelling geckoes, the Western Banded and San Diego banded, not supposed to be anywhere near where I live but he got here somehow!

 

[Umbra]

House geckos are awesome! Make sure you let it go on the outside of your house (as long as you don't spray for pests) and he will do a great job of keeping the local bug population in check. If you let them go back in the house, they will control the bug population in your home, especially mosquitos, fruit flies, and ants, which is a godsend for where I live! They usually find their way back out as well, they are pretty smart for how tiny their brain is lol.

 

[Umbra]

Keeping for now. He is only about the length of a quarter (minus tail) and can't be more than a few days at most from hatching.

I don't know how long he was without food/water and he is very vulnerable due to size so I hope I can get him to live and build him up. He is quite active today so I hope once I can get out and get fruit flies that he will start pounding them. As an experiment yesterday I offered some crested gecko food on a stick and he licked quite a bit of it. Probably not a normal food for him but he might have been after the moisture and I felt better that he got something. Also gave him the smallest 1/4" silkworm I had and he "tasted"/investigated it with tongue but it was still too large for him.

The ID may be off-he cannot or will not climb walls of enclosure and the pattern is different.

There are some CA ground dwelling geckoes, the Western Banded and San Diego banded, not supposed to be anywhere near where I live but he got here somehow!

Its likely the Tropical House Gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia), but I have seen similar colorations on the Mediterranean House gecko (H. turcicus). The wikipedia pic is an adult, but the lil babes look just like your picture. Hope this helps!

 

[Sherbertsmysunshine]

There is a million house geckos in my storm shelter… sometimes they will get into the house and I find them hiding under the dishwasher. They’re bite doesn’t hurt that bad… but it’s not fun when they surprise you by eating your leg lol

 

[dinomom]

Its likely the Tropical House Gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia), but I have seen similar colorations on the Mediterranean House gecko (H. turcicus). The wikipedia pic is an adult, but the lil babes look just like your picture. Hope this helps!

We'll see how he looks when he grows! Still it is weird that he does not climb.

 

[Umbra]

We'll see how he looks when he grows! Still it is weird that he does not climb.

He could be shy lol, they are also a little bit derpy when they're young, so it could be that as well. if he is in a glass enclosure, he may not be getting enough grip to climb. I have also heard that the babies reside on forest floors or low levels of foliage, as that's what their camouflage is close to, but I can't find anything to confirm this. Can't wait to see lil man all grown up! When he gets bigger, he will chirp sometimes its so cute!