The Mediterranean House Gecko, as its name suggests is a species of house Gecko that is common throughout much of the Mediterranean region of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
This species is a rare example of a reptile who seems to benefit and thrive from humans as they often rely on places affected by humans for food and shelter.
These lizards can be referred to by a couple of other common names including the Turkish Gecko and the Moon Lizard, as they are active at night.
While these lizards are native to countries around the Mediterranean, they have been introduced to many parts of the United States and are thriving there.
Mediterranean House Gecko Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The Mediterranean House Gecko belongs to a family of lizards called Gekkonidae. This is a group of lizards that fall under the Infraorder Gekkota, meaning they are a sub-group of Geckos.
The Gekkonidae family of geckos are referred to as common geckos and they are the largest group of geckos in the world.
There are around 65 recognised genera and approximately 1,000 different species that fall under this family, making it one of the largest families of reptiles in the world.
Some of the other species in this family include the Madagascar Giant Day Gecko and the Gold Dust Day Gecko.
Genus
The genus that the Mediterranean House Gecko belongs to is called Hemidactylus. This is a large genus of Geckos with over 100 different recognised species.
The species in this genus can be found in tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world.
The species in this genus are commonly referred to as House Geckos because they take advantage of human habitation and will often enter people’s homes in search of shelter and food.
These lizards have become accustomed to urban areas and can often be seen in built up areas such as parks, roads, on the walls of buildings and so on.
Some of the other lizards in this genus include the Giant Leaf-Toed Gecko, the White-Striped Viper Gecko and the Asian House Gecko.
Species
The scientific name for the Mediterranean House Gecko is Hemidactylus turcicus and there are currently no recognised sub-species.
This species was first discovered in 1758 by a Swedish taxonomist named Carl Linnaeus.
Linnaeus is credited for formalising binomial nomenclature which is the modern system of naming organisms. He has described a large number of reptiles including the Yellow Footed Tortoise, the Common Slow Worm, the Green Ameiva, the Eastern Copperhead, the Northern Water Snake and the Banded Water Snake.He also described the Ringneck Snake, the Blunthead Three Snake, the Rainbow Lizard, the Greek Tortoise, the Surinam Horned Frog, the Desert Horned Viper and the Nile Monitor.
Mediterranean House Gecko Description
The Mediterranean House Gecko is typically light brown or sandy yellow in color but this can vary quite a lot.
Some of these geckos can be white in color and they can even have a pinkish coloration on occasion.
While the background color is light, it is usually overlaid with a large number of darker spots. These spots are usually dark brown in color.
The tail is usually overlaid with this dark coloration usually in the form of dark and light bands but it can sometimes present as dark spots also.
They have a distinctive dark line on either side of their head. This usually runs from the lizard’s nostril, through the eyes and back behind the lizard’s ear.
They have large bulging eyes on the side of their head. The eyes have vertical pupils with no eyelids.
They are a relatively small species of lizard that has a snout to vent length of 5-6cm. Including their long tail, these lizards can grow to a total length of 10-15cm.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Mediterranean House Gecko is common throughout much of the Mediterranean region of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
These lizards have also been introduced and thrive in other places such as the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Canary Islands.
In Europe, they can be found as far West as Southern Portugal and Spain. Their range extends right across the Mediterranean Coastline to the Arabian Peninsula.
Their range extends through countries such as France, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey.
In the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean House Gecko can be found in countries such as Syria, Jordan and Israel.
Their range extends down into Northern Africa where they can be found in countries such as Egypt, Libya, Algeria and Morocco.
These lizards are common in both rural and urban areas and are great at adapting and thriving in different habitats.
In more rural areas, these lizards can be found
Mediterranean House Gecko Behaviour
The Mediterranean House Gecko is a nocturnal species of lizard, meaning they are mainly active at night and sleep during the day.
These lizards can be territorial and a male will often show aggression if another male lizard enters its territory.
Aggressive behaviour can range from intimidating gestures such as squeaking, ‘facing off’ push-ups, back arches and snapping their jaws.
This behaviour is an attempt to assert dominance but of this isn’t enough, the gecko can resort to chasing or fighting off the intruder.
The Mediterranean House Gecko is an opportunistic eater and will feed on a variety of different kinds of food.
These lizards will eat insects, isopods and small crustaceans. They will also eat a variety of spiders and arthropods.
