I found this Common House Gecko on the window glass pane of my house. It was foraging for insects at night on the other side of the glass thus showing me its belly. The under surface is beautifully textured and also featured its wonderful sticky foot pads. I used Canon EOS 5D Mark III fitted with Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM. For illumination I used Canon MT-24EX macro twin light flash. Due to usage of flash and low ISO the background has turned out to be pitch dark. Trying to use a flash on a subject residing on a glass is a tricky job as I need to avoid direct reflection of light while illuminating subject properly. With proper positioning of the flash head it is quite possible.
The Common House Gecko, (Hemidactylus frenatus) is a native of southeastern Asia. It is also known as the Pacific house gecko, the Asian house gecko, or simply, the house lizard. Most geckos are nocturnal, hiding during the day and foraging for insects at night. They can be seen climbing walls of houses and other buildings in search of insects attracted to porch lights. They grow to a length of between three to six inches, and live for about five years. These small geckos are non-venomous and harmless to humans. They may bite if distressed, however their bite is gentile and will not pierce skin. Like many geckos, this species can lose its tail when alarmed. Its call or chirp may be described as “tchak tchak tchak” (often sounded three times in sequence).
Geckos are the superheroes of the lizard family. Equipped with sticky toe pads capable of supporting the weight of two humans, they cling to walls and scurry across ceilings with ease. But soaked surfaces and wet feet causes them to lose their grip. To capture them all you need is a hose pipe and a spray gun. Spay a gentle stream of water which will make them loose their grip and fall down. The key to the gecko’s sticking success lies in tiny hairlike structures, called setae, found on the base of its toes. Each of these microscopic bristles can split into hundreds of nano-sized tips called septulae. Septulae create so-called van der Waals interactions between their molecules and the molecules of the surface that a lizard is clinging to. Such interactions are normally weak, but because there are millions of septulae on each of a gecko’s toes, each tiny bristle adds a small grip, which together creates a secure hold. A million setae, which would fit neatly on a coin, could support the weight of a child.
Spread around the world by ships, these geckos are now common in many other countries and considered to be a pest which competes with native geckos for resources. They have also transferred disease-carrying mites to the native species. There is evidence that the Asian house geckos can compete with and perhaps replace locally native gecko species, especially in urban areas. Several superstitions are built around this tiny reptile. Geckos are considered poisonous (they are not) in many parts of the world including India. Gecko falling on the right shoulder of someone is considered good omen, but if it drops on the left shoulder, it is considered a bad omen. In Punjab, it is believed that contact with the urine of gecko will cause Leprosy. In some places in India, it is believed that watching a lizard on the eve of Dhanteras festival is a good omen or a sign of prosperity.