Mediterranean House Gecko
Hemidactylus turcicus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyGekkonidae (Gecònids)
- GenusHemidactylus (House Geckos)
- SpeciesHemidactylus turcicus (Mediterranean House Gecko)
The Mediterranean house gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus) is a species of house gecko native to the Mediterranean region, from which it has spread to many parts of the world including parts of East Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and the Southern and Southeastern United States. It is commonly referred to as the Turkish gecko as represented in its Latin name and also as the moon lizard because it tends to emerge in the evening. A study in Portugal found H. turcicus to be totally nocturnal, with its highest activity around 02:00. It is insectivorous, rarely exceeds 15 cm (5.9 in) in length, has large, lidless eyes with elliptical pupils, and purple or tan-colored skin with black spots, often with stripes on the tail. Its belly or undersides are somewhat translucent. What impact this gecko has on native wildlife in the regions to which it has been introduced is unknown. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Mediterranean House Gecko sighting in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park, based on 129 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
📅 Monthly Probability
🌙 When They're Spotted
Most active during nighttime hours (6pm–6am) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 2 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 8 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Mediterranean House Gecko in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park?
About 14% of wildlife watchers report a Mediterranean House Gecko sighting in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park, based on 129 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Mediterranean House Gecko in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park?
September has the highest sighting rate for Mediterranean House Gecko in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park in our monthly data.