Gehyra mutilata
(Wiegmann, 1834)
GEE-rah — myoo-til-AY-tah
SSAR 9th Edition Comments:
Native to southern Asia through the Pacific islands. It was introduced in California (Shaw, 1946, Herpetologica 3: 125–126; Kraus, 2009, Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. SpringerVerlag, Heidelberg, Germany), Florida (Meshaka et al., 2004, The Exotic Amphibians and Reptiles of Florida. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida), and is established in Hawai’i (Hunsaker and Breese, 1967, Pacific Science 21: 423–428; Kraus, 2009, op. cit.). The date of publication of the name Hemidactylus mutilatus (=Gehyra mutilata) is sometimes given as 1835 (e.g., Kluge, 1991, Smithsonian Herpetological Information Service (85): 1–35) presumably based on the idea that the species was first described by Wiegmann in Nova Acta Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino-Carolinae Naturae Curiosorum the date of which is either 1834 or 1835; however, the first valid use of the name is in Wiegmann (1834, Herpetologica Mexicana; see Bauer and Adler, 2001, Archives of Natural History, 28: 313–326 for a discussion of the dates of the relevant publications).
(Krysko, Kenneth and Travis W. Taggart. 2025. Established Exotic Species. Pages 64-87 in Kirsten E. Nicholson (Editor), Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, 9th Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Lawrence, Kansas. 87 pp.)
Errata/Changes: Page 77: The (Kraus, 2009) reference should be "Kraus, 2009, Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands". — (06/11/2025)
Range maps are based on curated specimens and provided gratis by CNAH.
(Created by Travis W. Taggart; Version: 2025.03.31.14.33.18)
Download GeoJSON polygon range file: - 1.15 MB
Province/State Distribution:
United States: Hawaii
Taxonomic Etymology:
A widespread gecko Named for the apparent absence or reduction of digits.
Gehyra — Etymology uncertain; possibly coined arbitrarily by John Edward Gray when he established the genus. Some speculate it may derive from a local name or modified Latin.
mutilata — From Latin mutilatus, “mutilated” or “maimed.” Refers to the gecko’s reduced claws or digits, particularly the appearance of having fewer than five toes in some individuals or developmental stages.
First instance(s) of published English names:
No historic English names have been assigned to this taxon yet.
Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles
The Reptile Database
GenBank
USGS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database
Selected References:
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1834
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Wiegmann, Arend Friedrich August. Beiträge zur Zoologie, gesammelt auf einer Reise um die Erde, von Dr. F. J. F. Meyen, M. d. A. d. N.. Siebente Abhandlung. Amphibien. [Contributions to zoology, collected on a trip around the world, by Dr. F. J. F. Meyen, M. d. A. d. N.. Seventh treatise. Amphibians.] Nova acta physico-medica Academiae Caesareae Leopoldino-Carolinae Naturae Curiosorum [ New physico-medical proceedings of the Academia Caesarea Leopoldino-Carolina Naturae Curiosorum] 17(1):183-268
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1967
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Hunsaker, Don, II, and Paul Breese. Herpetofauna of the Hawaiian Islands. Pacific Science 21(July):423-428
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2009
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Kraus, Fred. Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. 563pp.
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