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Hemidactylus turcicus

Linnaeus, 1758

Mediterranean Gecko

G5Secure Found in 21 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100087
Element CodeARACD03020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassReptilia
OrderSquamata
FamilyGekkonidae
GenusHemidactylus
Concept Reference
Schwartz, A., and R. W. Henderson. 1988. West Indian amphibians and reptiles: a check-list. Milwaukee Pub. Mus., Contrib. Biological Geology No. 74:1-264.
Conservation Status
Review Date2005-05-06
Change Date1996-10-23
Edition Date2005-05-06
Range Extent Comments
Distribution in Old World: circum-Mediterranean, Africa, Minorca Island, Socotra Island, Canary Islands.

Introduced in New World: Florida Keys to northern Florida (Herpetol. Rev. 21:96, 32:193, 276, 33:322; Townsend et al., 2002, Herpetol. Rev. 33:75; Krysko et al. 2005) (may be declining in southern Florida; see Meshaka et al. 1994, Herpetol. Rev. 25:81-81); New Orleans, Louisiana; Augusta and Lowndes County, Georgia; Charleston County, South Carolina (Eason and McMillan 2000); Baltimore, Maryland (Norden and Norden 1991); Blacksburg, Virginia (Knight 1993); Eufala, Alabama; several counties in Arkansas (Paulissen and Buchanan 1990, White and Tumlison 1999; Manning and Briggler, 2003, Herpetol. Rev. 34:384; Trauth et al. 2004; Sheehy, 2004, Herpetol. Rev. 35:287); St. Louis, Missouri (Bufalino, 2004, Herpetol. Rev. 35:188); Oklahoma (Lardie 2001); Texas (more than 70 counties; McAllister, Baldwin, 2004, Herpetol. Rev. 35:287-288; Lodrigue and Russell-Lodrigue, 2005, Herpetol. Rev. 36:79) south to Yucatan Peninsula, including Chihuahua and Durango (Herpetol. Rev. 32:276); Las Cruces and Truth or Consequences, New Mexico (Painter et al. 1992, Sias and Humphrey 2002); Arizona (including Phoenix-Tempe); several areas in southern California (Laudenslayer et al. 1991; Beaman et al., 2005, Herpetol. Rev. 36:79); Las Vegas, Nevada (Saethre and Medica, 1993, Herpetol. Rev. 24:154-155); Panama; Cuba (Schwartz and Henderson 1991; Herp Rev. 21:40).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

In New World, usually on or in occupied buildings, on walls and ceilings (in old cemetery in Key West); also under palm leaves, tree bark crevices, and rocky outcrops.

Nest sites include dirt piles, beneath boards, rotten tree stumps, rock crevices, trash piles, and building eaves.

Ecology

Density at Edinburg, Texas, was estimated at 544-2210/ha (Selcer 1986). At Port of Galveston, Texas, apparently has been displaced in some areas through competitive interactions with the recently introduced lizard CYRTOPODION SCABRUM (Klawinski et al. 1994).

Reproduction

Texas: eggs laid May-early September; clutch size 2; some females produce more than one clutch/year; sexually mature within 1 year (Selcer 1986).
Terrestrial Habitats
Bare rock/talus/screeSuburban/orchardUrban/edificarian
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesNNA
ProvinceRankNative
ArkansasSNANo
MississippiSNANo
AlabamaSNANo
VirginiaSNANo
CaliforniaSNANo
OklahomaSNANo
LouisianaSNANo
NevadaSNANo
TexasSNANo
MarylandSNANo
ArizonaSNANo
KentuckySNANo
FloridaSNANo
South CarolinaSNANo
New MexicoSNANo
GeorgiaSNANo
Roadless Areas (21)
Arizona (5)
AreaForestAcres
Catalina St. Pk. Roadless AreaCoronado National Forest951
Cdo WsaCoronado National Forest1,955
Cherry CreekTonto National Forest11,371
Oracle RoadlessCoronado National Forest22,365
PinalenoCoronado National Forest130,920
Arkansas (2)
AreaForestAcres
Dismal CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest9,160
Little BlakelyOuachita National Forest3,342
California (7)
AreaForestAcres
CajonSan Bernardino National Forest7,548
Crystal CreekSan Bernardino National Forest6,783
LaddCleveland National Forest5,300
Magic MountainAngeles National Forest15,542
Mill PeakSan Bernardino National Forest7,884
Pyramid Peak BSan Bernardino National Forest7,194
San DimasAngeles National Forest7,160
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
New Mexico (2)
AreaForestAcres
Ortega PeakLincoln National Forest11,545
West Face Sacramento MountainsLincoln National Forest41,176
South Dakota (1)
AreaForestAcres
Indian CreekBuffalo Gap National Grassland24,666
Texas (2)
AreaForestAcres
Big CreekNational Forests in Texas1,447
Little Lake CreekNational Forests in Texas596
Utah (1)
AreaForestAcres
CottonwoodDixie National Forest6,754
References (21)
  1. Ashton, R. E., Jr., and P. S. Ashton. 1985. Handbook of reptiles and amphibians of Florida. Part two. Lizards, turtles & crocodilians. Windward Pub., Inc., Miami. 191 pp.
  2. Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 719 pp.
  3. Conant, R., and J. T. Collins. 1998. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians: eastern and central North America. Third edition, expanded. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 616 pp.
  4. Eason, G. W., Jr., and D. R. McMillan. 2000. Geographic distribution. HEMIDACTYLUS TURCICUS. Herpetological Review 31:53.
  5. Frankenberg, E. 1984. Interactions between two species of colonizing house geckos, HEMIDACTYLUS TURCICUS and HEMIDACTYLUS GARNOTII. J. Herpetol. 18:1-7.
  6. Klawinski, P. D., et al. 1994. Comparison of dietary overlap between allopatric and sympatric geckos. J. Herpetol. 28:225-230.
  7. Knight, C. M. 1993. A northern range extension of HEMIDACTYLUS TURCICUS in the United States. Dactylus 2(2):49-50.
  8. Krysko, K. L., K. M. Enge, J. H. Townsend, E. M. Langan, S. A. Johnson, and T. S. Campbell. 2005. New county records of amphibians and reptiles from Florida. Herpetological Review 36:85-87.
  9. Lardie, R. L. 2001. Geographic distribution. Hemidactylus turcicus. Herpetological Review 32:119.
  10. Laudenslayer et al. 1991. California Fish and Game 77(3):109-141.[full citation not available]
  11. McCoy, C. J. 1970. Hemidactylus turcicus. Cat. Am. Amph. Rep. 87.1-87.2.
  12. Norden, A. W., and B. B. Norden. 1991. The Mediterranean gecko (HEMIDACTYLUS TURCICUS) in Baltimore, Maryland. Maryland Nat. 33(3-4) [1989]:57-58.
  13. Painter, C. W., P. W. Hyder, and G. Swinford. 1992. Three species new to the herpetofauna of New Mexico. Herpetol. Review 23:62.
  14. Paulissen, M. A., and T. M. Buchanan. 1990. Geographic distribution. HEMIDACTYLUS TURCICUS. Herpetological Review 21:22.
  15. Schwartz, A., and R. W. Henderson. 1988. West Indian amphibians and reptiles: a check-list. Milwaukee Pub. Mus., Contrib. Biological Geology No. 74:1-264.
  16. Schwartz, A., and R. W. Henderson. 1991. Amphibians and Reptiles of the West Indies: Descriptions, Distributions, and Natural History. University of Florida Press, Gainesville, Florida. xvi + 720 pp.
  17. Selcer, K. W. 1986. Life history of a successful colonizer: the Mediterranean gecko, HEMIDACTYLUS TURCICUS, in southern Texas. Copeia 1986:956-962.
  18. Sias, D. S., and P. E. Humphrey. 2002. Geographic distribution: Hemidactylus turcicus. Herpetological Review 33:66.
  19. Stebbins, R. C. 2003. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
  20. Trauth, S. E., H. W. Robison, and M. V. Plummer. 2004. The amphibians and reptiles of Arkansas. University of Arkansas Press.
  21. White, G., and R. Tumlison. 1999. Geographic distribution. HEMIDACTYLUS TURCICUS. Herpetological Review 30:110.