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File:Hemidactylus frenatus mating, ventral view.jpg

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English: Common House Geckos (Hemidactylus frenatus) mating. Ventral view with hemipenis inserted in the cloaca. This long-exposure photograph (2.5 s), taken in soft light (without flash) through a window with a macro lens and a tripod, reveals many details, like the sexual organs and the adhesive lamellae with setae under the feet (allowing traction of the reptile on smooth surfaces). All male squamates have a pair of intromittent organs called hemipenes, inside a sheath in the inner portion of the tail (sometimes producing a bulge), usually held inverted within the body, and everted for reproduction via erectile tissue. Only one of these hemipenis is used during the reproductive intercourse. Reciprocally, females own two hemiclitores. Single organ in the form of a canal, closed by the anal sphincter, the genital opening of female reptiles (the cloaca) allows either the exit of eggs, the evacuation of urine and feces, and reproduction. To adhere and cling to the surface of vertical smooth materials like glass, the geckos have lamellae under their feet, with a lot of setae, kind of bristle- or hair-like structures creating interactions with the support. The total of the micro-forces of each microscopic seta offers a very powerful adhesion. Non-captive, this couple through the glass is totally undomesticated. The geckos of this region of Laos (island of Don Det, Si Phan Don) usually appreciate houses, especially the illuminated transparent walls, where they can easily hunt insects attracted by light. Fearful by nature, they tend to flee the proximity of humans, and their visible mating thus occurs in an exceptional way. The sexual activity is relatively quick, and frequently the female dodges the male which, not very gallantly, bites the neck to immobilize her. In these wild conditions, the visual observation by physical rapprochement is perilous, the installation of a tripod timed, the adjustment of the manual focus delicate given the low light, and the camera settings complex because of the frequent jolts during the sexual act, which may lead to motion blurs. If fertilisation was successful, then the oviparous female will spawn its eggs about four weeks later.
Français : Accouplement de Geckos d'Asie (Hemidactylus frenatus). Vue ventrale avec hémipénis introduit dans la fente cloacale. Cette photographie en pose longue (2,5 s) et lumière douce (sans flash) à travers une fenêtre avec un objectif macro et un trépied, révèle de nombreux détails, notamment les organes sexuels et les setae regroupées en lamelles adhésives sous les pieds (pour permettre la traction du reptile sur des surfaces lisses). Tous les squamates (saurophidiens) mâles possèdent une paire d'hémipénis invaginés (retournés comme les doigts d'un gant) à l'intérieur d'une gaine dans la portion intérieure de la queue (produisant parfois un renflement). Ces organes copulateurs pairs et symétriques sont dévaginés au moment de l'accouplement. La dévagination est accomplie par afflux de sang dû à un tissu érectile analogue à celui du pénis des mammifères. Un seul de ces hémipénis sert lors de l'acte reproducteur. Réciproquement, les femelles squamates possèdent deux hémiclitoris. Organe unique en forme de canal, clos par le sphincter anal, l'orifice génital des reptiles femelles (le cloaque) permet à la fois la sortie des oeufs, l'évacuation des urines et des fèces, et la reproduction. Pour adhérer et se mouvoir sur la surface verticale de matériaux lisses comme le verre d'un carreau, les geckos possèdent des pieds lamellés constitués de setae, poils très denses (plusieurs milliers par mm²) qui se ramifient à leur extrémité en poils extrêmement fins (de l'ordre de 0,2 à 0,5 µm). Ces franges engendrent des interactions avec le support à l'échelle moléculaire, et le total de ces micro-forces offre une adhérence très grande. Non-captif, ce couple à travers la vitre est en totale liberté. Les geckos de cette région du Laos (île de Don Det, Si Phan Don) fréquentent habituellement les maisons, notamment les paroies transparentes éclairées, où ils peuvent aisément chasser les insectes attirés par la lumière. De nature farouche, ils ont tendance à fuir la proximité des humains, et leur accouplement visible se produit donc de manière exceptionnelle. L'activité sexuelle est relativement brève, et il est fréquent que la femelle esquive le mâle qui, non très galamment, lui mord la nuque pour l'immobiliser. Dans ces conditions sauvages, l'observation visuelle par rapprochement physique est périlleuse, l'installation d'un trépied chronométré, la mise au point du focus manuel délicate étant donné le faible éclairage, enfin celle des réglages photographiques complexe à cause des soubresauts fréquents durant l'acte sexuel, susceptibles aussitôt d'entraîner des flous cinétiques. Si la fécondation a abouti, la femelle ovipare pondra ses oeufs environ quatre semaines plus tard.
Date
Source Own work
Author Basile Morin
Camera location13° 59′ 08.42″ N, 105° 54′ 56.83″ E Kartographer map based on OpenStreetMap.View this and other nearby images on: OpenStreetMapinfo

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Captions

Hemidactylus frenatus (Common House Geckos) mating, ventral view with hemipenis inserted in the cloaca, and adhesive lamellae under the feet

13°59'8.423"N, 105°54'56.826"E

12 August 2019

2.5 second

100 millimetre

image/jpeg

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Date/TimeThumbnailDimensionsUserComment
current12:02, 6 November 2019Thumbnail for version as of 12:02, 6 November 20193,353 × 5,030 (5.99 MB)Basile MorinUser created page with UploadWizard

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