Species

Mediterranean house gecko

Hemidactylus turcicus

A small, pale gecko from overseas that hunts insects around lit windows on warm Georgia nights.

Photo Djibo Zanzot (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)

At a glance

Size: About 10 to 13 cm long including the tail
Habitat: Buildings, walls and outdoor lights in towns
Diet: Moths, flies and other insects drawn to lights
In Georgia: Established in towns, mainly in the south and on the coast; introduced
Voice: Squeaks and clicks
Rabies vector: No

Identification

Key marks: Pale pink to grey, nearly translucent; bumpy skin; large eyes with vertical pupils; wide toe pads
Told apart from: Tropical house gecko, which is larger and darker with a pattern of chevrons
Where to look: On walls near porch lights at night

Behaviour

Mediterranean geckos hide in cracks by day and come out at night to hunt insects drawn to lights. They are among the few lizards that make sounds, chirping and clicking at each other.

Why they matter

They arrived from the Mediterranean with shipping and have spread through much of the southern United States. They eat night-flying insects around buildings and live mostly alongside people, with little effect on native lizards.

Reproduction and lifecycle

Eggs — Usually 2, several clutches a year
Nest — Laid in cracks and crevices, sometimes shared
Incubation — About 6 to 8 weeks
Hatchlings — About 5 cm long
Maturity — Within a year
Lifespan — A few years

Living around people

House geckos are harmless and eat insects around lights.
A gecko indoors can be guided into a cup and set outside by a wall.
Never release pet geckos or other lizards outdoors.

Misconceptions

Geckos are poisonous. They are harmless to people and pets.

Related species

Seasonal activity

When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.

Breeding and active nests by month for this species
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Breeding	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Active nests	Jan: no	Feb: no	Mar: no	Apr: no	May: no	Jun: no	Jul: no	Aug: no	Sep: no	Oct: no	Nov: no	Dec: no
Notes	Sheltering in walls	Sheltering	Out on warm nights	Active	Breeding	Laying	Laying	Hatchlings	Active	Active on warm nights	Sheltering	Sheltering

Where it lives

Recorded in 31 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.

United States

Mexico

If you found one

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