The Mediterranean house gecko is the most widespread non-native lizard in North America, a small, warty gecko that hunts insects around porch lights at night. Native to the Mediterranean region, it hitchhiked to the U.S. in cargo and plants and is now established across much of the South. It is also called the Turkish gecko.
Appearance
- Appearance
- Adults are 4–5 in (10–13 cm) long. Pale white, pink, or tan with brown blotches, warty skin, big lidless eyes with vertical pupils, and wide sticky . The tail usually has dark bands, which are bolder in young geckos.
- Voice
- Makes high-pitched squeaks and clicks; males click to attract females.
Look-alikes
The Mediterranean house gecko has a rounded snout, a bumpy back, and a dark-banded tail; the common house gecko has a longer snout, is pinkish to grayish, and usually has a creamy-white belly.
Why they get mixed upBoth are pale, non-native house geckos that hang around lights in the southern U.S.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Buildings and walls
- Towns and cities
- Range
- Native around the Mediterranean, North Africa, and the Middle East. In the U.S. it is established across much of the South and is common in Texas suburbs and cities, for example. Farther north there are scattered records, such as in Indiana and other Midwestern sites.
- Preferred conditions
- Lives almost entirely on and around buildings in towns and cities. In colder northern states it survives only where heated buildings get it through the winter.
- Seasons
In the US
Breeding Apr–Aug
Behavior
- Diet
- Moths, cockroaches, crickets, spiders, and other small invertebrates.
- Activity
- Strictly nocturnal. In warm months it gathers near outdoor lights and windows to catch insects, and it may come indoors in winter.
Life cycle
- Breeding season
- Breeds from spring through summer; eggs are laid roughly mid-May to August.
- Nest
- Eggs are tucked into cracks, under bark, or in other sheltered spots.
- Clutch size
- Usually 2 eggs, laid several times a season
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction
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