Identify This Reptile for Me?

Holly R
by Holly R
Can anyone identify this reptile for me? He looks like an albino lizard or something. We have LOTS of them living on our porch in the summertime. They seem to be nocturnal and can usually be seen vertically climbing the outside of our front door windows at night as well as around the ceiling of our porch. We discovered these little guys in the first place last summer when we found several babies (maybe 1 inch long) running through various parts of our house over a few weeks (eek!). I didn't know what they were but would just see a streak of something running by... I wasn't too happy about that with a newborn in the house at the time!!
I showed a photo of one of last year's babies that we managed to catch to my pest control guy and he seemed to think it was someone's pet that had gotten loose. However, if that's the case, then the pet has bred because I've seen up to 4 at a time at once before.
This little guy got into my house tonight when I opened the deck door and he came in through the hinge-side opening. We finally caught him and I took this photo. I have others if that would help. Oh and he dropped his tail as soon as we got him inside the container.
  15 answers
  • Valerie Valerie on Jun 21, 2013
    I also have these little lizards at my home. I have a small wall plaque near my front door, made out of ceramic, that has a small 'lip' on the inside and did not sit flush with the wall. I now have several families of these geckos living behind the plaque. They are nocturnal, and generally come out as the sun goes down, only to retreat again just before sunrise. They eat mosquitos and similar insects so are great to have around! If you release this little guy close to where you found him, you could probably see where he goes and establish where his home is. (In fact, I think this is a female, the males have tiny little 'horns' at the back of their faces).
  • Megan Bears Megan Bears on Jun 21, 2013
    It looks like a gecko! I'm not sure though, sorry! I know geckos do shed their tails as a protective, survival thing, but I think a lot of lizards do that!
  • Megan Bears Megan Bears on Jun 21, 2013
    I was curious so I googled it. I think it's a "Mediterranean house gecko". They're cute little guys! But I imagine that would be pretty annoying having them run around your house! http://www.outdooralabama.com/watchable-wildlife/what/Reptiles/Lizards/mhg.cfm http://www.californiaherps.com/lizards/pages/h.turcicus.html http://nationalgeographic-jeevanus-shot.blogspot.com/search/label/Indian%20Gecko
  • Bar_john Bar_john on Jun 21, 2013
    In Jamaica, we call them "croakers" they do croak at nights... yes they are noctural, there skin is very thin/ transparent almost. They come out at nights for the flies and moths, etc.by the lights on verandas and around and inside the house. In the days they hide behind your wall paintings etc, curtains and furniture against the walls.. Almost every woman in Jamaica hates them,...I hate them.....especially when I am lying bed and look up and see one...
  • Bar_john Bar_john on Jun 21, 2013
    @Megan, they are not cute....especially when they believe they are "man a yard" not even the pest control people can get rid of them unless they see them to spray them... ughhhh.. i hate them...
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Jun 21, 2013
    Those Geico guys are going to be upset you kidnapped their mascot.
  • Holly R Holly R on Jun 21, 2013
    Haha... if he were green, my daughter might make me keep him to hear his British accent! :) She loves the Geico Gecko! Thank you everyone, that is exactly what it is! I feel better knowing a little more about them now. I am THRILLED to hear that they eat mosquitos... must be why they decided to camp out around my house! haha. However, I would still prefer to keep them out of my house... ;-)
  • KMS Woodworks KMS Woodworks on Jun 22, 2013
    When I was on a field trip to Puerto Rico in Grad school, one of the guys caught one and had it "bite" the end of his earlobe. The thing hung on for quite a while as a "living earring"...too bad we never got a pic of it.
  • Sharon Sharon on Jun 22, 2013
    yeah,looks like a gecko... we had just chameleon lizards at home...Ha-ha,we did that as kids ,one on each ear sometimes... oh,those were the days... didn't hear us saying "I'm BORED",either,or you'd be put to work quick!... oh,he will grow a new tail,btw...now you just gotta find where they are coming in and see can you stop them...
  • Vicki Vicki on Jun 23, 2013
    cool! I do have anola lizards and love to watch them on my deck. I welcome them because they eat bugs.
  • Pajunka Pajunka on Jun 23, 2013
    (SIgh) I wish I had a gecko.(sad face, trembling lip). They just wouldn't survive our -40 F winters here on the Prairies. Wait! Maybe I could knit them tiny hats, scarves and boots? Could you send some geckos to Saskatchewan, Canada Bar_John of fabulous Jamaica? Cheers HomeTalk Girls!
  • PAULA LOVELL PAULA LOVELL on Jun 23, 2013
    Yes, it's a gecko. They little treads on their toes and can climb walls and ceilings. The big ones make clicking noises. Like all lizards, they are good pest control.
  • Carol B Carol B on Jun 23, 2013
    I have them all over and enjoy watching them on the window at night eating the bugs that land on the screen. They skin is sort of transparent and you can see their organ shapes. Once one ate a lightning bug as he was sitting on the screen, I watched for the longest time while he sat there, stomach blinking from the inside with the eaten lightening bug. They are some sort of gecko. When they get in the house they can scare me when they scoot across the floor quickly & unexpectedly. Unfortunately sometimes they get squished in a door or other place.
  • Rachael Smith Escobar Rachael Smith Escobar on Mar 02, 2015
    Leopard gecko. They are so cute. My daughter has one. They eat crickets and bugs.