Reptiles · Squamata · Gekkonidae

Turkish Gecko

Hemidactylus turcicus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

In many Mediterranean cultures it is taboo to harm it, traditionally valued as a natural check on household insects. It was introduced accidentally to Florida in 1915.

Weight

1 g – 2 g

Size

10 cm – 13 cm

Lifespan

6 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestDesertInsectivore Nocturnal Solitary Reptile Temperate forest Desert

37countries 44parks5same family

Fun facts

In many Mediterranean cultures it is taboo to harm it, because it keeps household insects down.
It was introduced accidentally to Florida in 1915, probably as an escaped pet.
Strictly nocturnal, it hunts around artificial lights.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Walls, buildings and rocky ground around the Mediterranean basin, with introduced populations in the south-eastern United States
Birth weight: A calcified egg of roughly 3 grams
Size at birth: Precocial and wholly independent on hatching, after 6-8 weeks of incubation
Sexual maturity: Within the first year
Gestation / incubation: 6-8 weeks of incubation (40 days according to another source)
Litter / clutch size: 1 to 2 eggs per clutch, with several clutches weeks apart through the season

Sources consulted: PMC (age structure insular population study); BioDB; Animal-pedia; Critter Science; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Animal Diversity Web; ReptileDirect

Where to find it

See its range on the interactive map

Best time: All year round, at dusk, on walls and house fronts along the Mediterranean coast; it is smaller and pinker-skinned than the common wall gecko.