Reptiles · Squamata · Phyllodactylidae

Boettger's Wall Gecko

Tarentola boettgeri

Least Concern

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

Boettger's wall gecko is a gecko endemic to the Canaries, present on Gran Canaria, El Hierro and La Palma depending on the subspecies. It is nocturnal and is often seen hunting insects under street lights and on the walls of houses. It is one of the species worst affected by the invasive California kingsnake on Gran Canaria.

Weight

6 kg – 15 kg

Size

7 cm – 9 cm

Lifespan

8 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

DesertMountainIslandsInsectivore Nocturnal Solitary Reptile Desert Mountain Islands

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Fun facts

It is one of the three main victims of the invasive California kingsnake on Gran Canaria: along with the giant lizard and the Gran Canaria skink, it has suffered declines of more than ninety per cent in the areas that snake has colonised.
Its toes have microscopic adhesive lamellae that let it walk across ceilings and glass without any sticky substance, using molecular forces between the setae and the surface.
Each Canary island has its own gecko species or subspecies, a pattern of island diversification repeated in several groups of the archipelago's fauna.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Malpaís badlands, stone walls, ravines and buildings of Gran Canaria and the western islands
Size at birth: About 2.5 cm of body on hatching
Sexual maturity: 12 months
Gestation / incubation: 70 days of incubation
Litter / clutch size: 2 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarentola_boettgeri