Histo-morphological Study of Dorsal Skin of Hemidactylus frenatus (Asian House Gecko) in Iraq

The Asian House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus), one of the most ubiquitous lizards in the world, is characterized by its pantropical distribution and is heavily populated in Iraqi homes. The present study was conducted with the aim of histomorphological examination of the dorsal skin of Hemidactylus farnatus in Iraq.

Ten Hemidactylus frenatus were examined, which were gathered from various parts of the Najaf Province, Iraq. They were fixed by adhesive and were killed by chloroform. The skin was investigated by histological technique and light microscopy.

The epidermis and dermis were examined in vertical sections of the skin. In comparison to the ventral region, the dorsal region's skin was more keratinized and rougher.

In Hemidactylus frenatus, the epidermis is covered in overlapping, flattened scales all over the body. The epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous layer make up the majority of the dorsal skin's three layers. In the basal layer of the epidermis, massive, dendritic black melanophores are observed. The horizontally arranged brownish granule-containing iridophores are adjacent to the basement membrane of the epidermis.