A gecko is a small lizard that belongs to the scientific family Gekkonidae.
In Jewish food law, the gecko was considered ceremonially unclean. The region of Palestine and Israel has seven different types of gecko species, such as Hemidactylus turcicus and Ptyodactylus hasselquistii. All of these gecko species eat insects. Geckos make a sound that resembles mourning by quickly vibrating their tongues. According to legends, people believed geckos could cause leprosy (a skin disease) by crawling on someone.
Geckos are also called wall lizards. This name comes from their ability to walk on ceilings using suction discs on their toes. However, they often fall into people's homes. Since they were considered ceremonially unclean, their presence was very troublesome for Jewish families (Leviticus 11:31–38).
In Leviticus 11:30, the translators of the King James Version incorrectly identified the gecko as a ferret.