Hemidactylus

Hemidactylus (from Ancient Greek ἡμι- (hēmi-), meaning 'half', and δάκτυλος (dáktulos), meaning 'finger') is a genus of the common gecko family, Gekkonidae. It has 199 described species, newfound ones being described every few years. These geckos are found in all the tropical regions of the world, extending into the subtropical parts of Africa and Europe. They excel in colonizing oceanic islands by rafting on flotsam, and are for example found across most of Polynesia. In some archipelagoes, cryptic species complexes are found. Geckos like to live in and out of houses. They have been introduced to many areas around the world. This species is closely related to the genus Gehyra, which belongs to the same family in Gekkonidae. The species are typically known as house geckos, due to their readiness to adapt to and coexist with humans, and can be easily encountered in human habitations.