Mediterranean House Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus) lives in warm rocky areas across Southern Europe, North Africa, Southwest Asia, Southeastern United States. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
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Fascinating facts about the Mediterranean House Gecko
At 2 a.m., Mediterranean house geckos hit their activity peak, making them fully nocturnal hunters. A study in Portugal found H. turcicus to be totally nocturnal, with its highest activity around 02:00. This midnight surge lets them exploit insects drawn to streetlights.
These geckos stay under 15 cm long. Typical lengths of adult Mediterranean house geckos range from 10-13 cm with the tail included. The maximum length of a gecko can be up to 15 cm. In 30 days, juvenile tails regenerated up to 85%. Adult males could regenerate up to 60%, and females up to 40% of their tails in 30 days.
Klawinski (1991) found the mean size of home range of Mediterranean geckos was slightly more than 4 m^2, and there was no difference among adult males, adult females, and juveniles. Klawinski also reported maximum linear movements of 18 meters, and that distance was pretty rare.
Females lay an average of two eggs per clutch but can store sperm for months. The breeding season is typically from April to August each year and eggs are laid mid-May to August in an average clutch size of two. Female house geckos experience delayed fertilization and can store sperm in a funnel-shaped organ called the infundibulum for up to five months.
Unlike many reptiles, this gecko tolerates pesticides and thrives in human homes, turning houses into safe havens. In many parts of the world, the range of H. turcicus is increasing, and unlike many other reptiles, it appears to be highly resistant to pesticides. Reliance on human habitation has thus contributed to the species' proliferation, similar to rodents. By nesting in walls, attics and baseboards, they avoid predators and exploit the constant warmth and food of our buildings.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
RangeSouthern Europe, North Africa, Southwest Asia, Southeastern United States
HabitatWarm rocky areas
DietInsects and spiders
About the Mediterranean House Gecko
In the warm, golden light of a Mediterranean evening, the house gecko emerges, its slender form darting with stealthy precision across sun-baked walls and crumbling stone. With eyes like shining onyx, it navigates the intricacies of its urban realm, a tiny, unobtrusive monarch of the night, as it pursues the insects that dance in the fading light. As it moves, its delicate feet barely whisper against the rough textures, a master of understated elegance in a world of human hustle and bustle.
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