Mediterranean House Gecko, or more commonly Turkish Gecko as it is represented in its Latin name Hemidactylus turcicus is a species of gecko. They are nocturnal and insectivorous, rarely exceeding six inches in length, have large, lidless eyes with elliptical pupils, and yellow- or tan-colored skin with black spots, often with stripes on the tail. Their bellies or undersides are somewhat translucent. In countries where the species has been introduced, they are not considered invasive due to their habits and small size; they rarely threaten populations of native animals.
Ten Facts about Mediterranean Gecko
- They emit a distinctive, high-pitched call somewhat like a squeak or the chirp of a bird, possibly expressing a territorial message.
- They Like to eat insects, spiders, cockroaches & grasshoppers.
- A study in Portugal found H. turcicus to be totally nocturnal, with the highest activity peak around 2am.
- They like to live in urban areas, buildings, tree crevices.
- Their size Up to 4 - 5 inches (10 - 13 cm) at maturity.
- Breeding occurs March through November in the Galveston-Houston region.
- A novel characteristic of the Mediterranean Gecko is its ability to cast off its tail in defense and regenerate a new one.
- After its tail has been cast off, it will continue to move violently for several minutes until it slows down and stops, thus giving the gecko fair time to escape.
- Eggs are about ¼ inch long and are initially soft-textured, but harden quickly.
- Mediterranean Geckos have a long breeding season of about 4-to-5 months.
