Mediterranean House Gecko
Mediterranean House GeckoMediterranean House GeckoMediterranean House GeckoMediterranean House Gecko

Mediterranean House Gecko

Hemidactylus turcicus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
10–20% · With luck
overall probability at Joshua Tree National Park
169 Verified records at Joshua Tree National Park
August Best month highest sighting rate
🌙 Nocturnal When it's active during nighttime hours (6pm–6am)

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 Joshua Tree National Park, based on 169 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Joshua Tree National Park

Rough-tailed Gecko
LC

Rough-tailed Gecko

🌙 Nocturnal Reptile

Cyrtopodion scabrum

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
5–10
Feb
10–20
Mar
10–20
Apr
10–20
May
10–20
Jun
30–40
Jul
30–40
Aug
30–40
Sep
20–30
Oct
10–20
Nov
10–20
Dec

🌙 When They're Spotted

Most active during nighttime hours (6pm–6am) · across all parks (global)

🌙Nocturnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

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
20–30%
2 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
3 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
4 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
5 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
10–20%
6 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
5–10%
7 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
8 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
9 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
10 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
11 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
12 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
13 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Mediterranean House Gecko in Joshua Tree National Park?

About 18% of wildlife watchers report a Mediterranean House Gecko sighting in Joshua Tree National Park, based on 169 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Mediterranean House Gecko in Joshua Tree National Park?

August has the highest sighting rate for Mediterranean House Gecko in Joshua Tree National Park in our monthly data.

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