also: ほおぐろやもり
common house gecko; Asian house gecko
Refers to the species Hemidactylus frenatus, a small gecko commonly found in and around human dwellings in tropical and subtropical regions.
The common house gecko is nocturnal and moves quickly over walls and ceilings.
In Southeast Asia, Asian house geckos often appear inside houses.
Hiragana spelling, also common.
Kanji spelling is rare and mainly found in scientific or formal contexts; the reading is ホオグロヤモリ.
The name ホオグロヤモリ literally means 'black-cheeked gecko', from 頬 (hō, 'cheek'), 黒 (kuro, 'black'), and 守宮 (yamori, 'gecko'). The derivation is straightforward and descriptive of the species' appearance.