Schlegel's Japanese gecko

Schlegel's Japanese gecko (Gekko japonicus), also known as yamori in Japanese, is a species of gecko.

Schlegel's Japanese gecko
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Gekkota
Family:	Gekkonidae
Genus:	Gekko
Species:	G. japonicus
Binomial name
Gekko japonicus (Schlegel, 1836)
Synonyms
Platydactylus japonicus Platydactylus jamori Platydactylus yamori Hemidactylus nanus

Taxonomy

G. japonicus was classified by Hermann Schlegel in 1836. The specific epithet, japonicus, is Modern Latin for Japan.

Distribution

Gekko japonicus occurs across the main islands of Japan, ranging from northern Honshu in the north and east to Kyushu in the south and west. It can also be found in eastern China and in South Korea.^[1]

Schlegel's Japanese gecko climbing on a wall in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Ecology

Like other species of gecko, individuals of G. japonicus primarily eat insects. The species is capable of autotomy, and will separate its tail from its body to escape predators. While this process avoids bleeding, as blood vessels at the base of the tail close to prevent blood loss, the gecko does lose a supply of fat tissue, which it can use during periods where food is scarce.^[2]

Japanese culture

In Japanese culture, seeing a gecko on one's home is associated with good luck. The animal's name, yamori, translates to home-protector.