# Is this a Mediterranean House Gecko?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-mediterranean-house-gecko/669557>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 24, 2013, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-mediterranean-house-gecko/669557 "2013-09-24T01:07:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-mediterranean-house-gecko/669557/1 "2013-09-24T01:07:36Z")

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[Picture.](http://s1133.photobucket.com/user/cwmorrow/media/HouseGecko_zpseb18aebb.jpg.html)  
They hang out on the porch in North Little Rock, the center of Arkansas, catching insects attracted by the porch light. They retreat to a crack in the brick work of a flower bid.

Thanks,

CP

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**Author:** ![LuckyBastid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecae2f/32.png) [@LuckyBastid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LuckyBastid)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-mediterranean-house-gecko/669557/2 "2013-09-24T10:46:44Z")

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From what I’ve been able to find online, I’d say yes. There’s an interesting link below that has some information on how it got here as well as a couple of closeup shots.

[http://www.herpsofarkansas.com/Lizard/HemidactylusTurcicus](http://www.herpsofarkansas.com/Lizard/HemidactylusTurcicus)

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**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-mediterranean-house-gecko/669557/3 "2013-09-24T10:49:22Z")

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I agree with **LuckyBastid** , it’s a Mediterranean gecko. I have caught them in Florida; I had no idea they were as far north as Arkansas.

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-mediterranean-house-gecko/669557/4 "2013-09-24T11:22:40Z")

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Thank you, Gentlemen.  
I released him after Mrs. Plant took his picture. Perhaps we can outfit a terrarium for some of them and get to know them better.

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**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2013, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-mediterranean-house-gecko/669557/5 "2013-09-27T19:21:38Z")

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Yep, that’s a Mediterranean gecko- I have them all over my house in Austin, TX, and my son has a terrarium full of them.

Be careful when you try to grab them- when they’re scared, they shed their tails (which you’ll see wiggling around in your hand for a few minutes). The tails sort of grow back, but never look quite the same.

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-a-mediterranean-house-gecko/669557/6 "2013-09-27T19:26:10Z")

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One of those observed by Mrs. Plant (v.3.0) has a stumpy tail.  
What substrate is in the terrarium? How large is it and how many creatures live inside? Any other particulars are welcome.