COMMON GECKO: CHARACTERISTICS, REPRODUCTION, FEEDING - BIOLOGY - 2025

The common gecko (Tarentola mauritanica) is a gecko of the Phyllodactylidae family of the order Squamata. The species was described by Linnaeus in 1758 with specimens from Mauritania.

It is the most common gecko in the Mediterranean region. The continental populations present in Europe appear to be expanding northwards as a consequence of global climate change.

Tarentola mauritanica in thermoregulation activity (Dorsal view) By user B. Schoenmakers at observed.org, a global biodiversity recording project.

The activity of T. mauritanica is mainly nocturnal, in a similar way to other species of geckos and geckos. On the other hand, a certain degree of daytime activity is also attributed to them as they tend to sunbathe during the early hours of the morning.

The species can occupy rocky habitats, rock walls, steep areas, relatively humid forested areas, scrublands, arid areas and deserts, and a great variety of human constructions such as ruins, houses, buildings, among others.

Being ectothermic animals, they can be observed sunning themselves during the day and become active during twilight and much of the night, when they feed and carry out their courtship and reproduction activities.

It can actively change its body coloration in response to a number of environmental characteristics not associated with thermoregulation, but rather as an anti-predatory and camouflage characteristic. In addition, they tend to be dark during the day and light at night.

General characteristics

Light coloration of Tarentola mauritanica (side view) By Konstantinos Kalaentzis

This species of gecko can have a snout-vent length of up to 86 mm in the largest specimens and a length to the tip of the tail that can reach 190 mm. In this sense, the tail can represent more than 50% of the total length.

Males tend to have greater body development than females, which is more evident in the development of the head and the diameter of the eye. These differences come into play in courtship activities and in those that involve fighting for territory as a result of sexual selection.

In its dorsal region it has a large number of bands of bulging granulations or smooth tubercles. They have a dorsoventrally flattened body plan. The head is separated from the body by a clearly differentiated neck and the eyes have a vertical pupil.

The fingers are laterally widened, dorsoventrally compressed, and have 12 rows of undivided adhesive lamellae. The nails are evident in at least two of the fingers in the males and in all in the case of the females.

Its dorsal coloration is grayish brown with a set of 5 transverse bands of irregular dark coloration. Ventrally it is cream colored.

Distribution

The species has a wide distribution range that covers a large part of the countries that border the western Mediterranean region, occupying from habitats at sea level up to 2300 meters of elevation, this constituting its upper limit.

Its distribution in continental Europe includes Portugal, southern Spain, the coastal areas of Italy, France and Slovenia, the northern coast of Croatia, Greece and Albania. In the North African region, it is widely distributed in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and the Western Sahara.

It is also present on most of the Mediterranean islands, where it was probably introduced in the past, especially those located to the north.

It is currently found on the island of Corsica (France), Crete (belonging to Greece), Sardinia, Sicily, Pantellaria and Lampedusa (Italy) and as introduced in most of the Balearic Islands and Tenerife (Spain) and Madeira (Portugal).

On the other hand, like other species of geckos, it has been introduced by human activity in other countries far from its native area such as Chile, Uruguay and the United States in which there are already viable and growing and expanding populations.

State of conservation

This species does not present important threats because it has a wide distribution range and its populations are notably favored by the presence of man.

In addition to this, the species is capable of surviving in a wide range of conditions and habitats, so its estimated population is very high and its growth trend is stable, being classified by the IUCN under the category of "Least Concern" (LC).

In general, due to their wide distribution, there is very low probability that their numbers will decline critically in the face of any threat or modification of the habitat. Their populations are favored by increasing urbanization.

Some populations in Egypt are under increased pressure due to their illegal trade as pets, increased removal of individuals from their habitats, and environmental degradation.

Taxonomy

Reproduction

This species emits very striking vocalizations that imply a complex communication system between individuals both in territoriality activities and in courtship in the reproductive season.

The reproductive period involves the spring season and early summer. Males often attract females through their songs. Once there is an interested female, the male bites her in the abdominal area to retain her and stimulate and guarantee copulation.

Females generally lay one to two eggs, under rocks, in crevices or fissures in rocks, and also in holes in trees. Those places with ideal conditions usually host dozens of females and more than 50 eggs.

During the breeding season a healthy female can lay up to three clutches. The eggs hatch for around 40 days, however the incubation period varies depending on the temperature conditions. After the eggs hatch, the juveniles can measure between 40 and 60 mm in total length.

Feeding

Common gecko in its natural habitat By David Perez

In nature, the availability of prey in the habitats occupied by this predator (generally desert areas) is usually low. In these cases, this species employs active search strategies for food resources, including various invertebrates, mainly arthropods.

When they inhabit human constructions, they are usually observed perched around light sources, such as bulbs, on the lookout for insects that are attracted by them, a strategy known as "sit and wait." In this way the establishment of their populations are favored by the presence of man.

Their diet consists mainly of invertebrates. It is capable of consuming a great variety of arthropods, including Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, various arachnids, Hymenoptera (mainly ants), Homoptera, Hemiptera, among other groups of insects.

In natural habitats, spiders, as well as larvae of various lepidopterans and beetles of the Carabidae family and other coleopterans such as those of the Curculionidae family are usually the most frequent prey and the best represented in terms of biomass in the diet.

In habitats related to man, the prey are frequently flying insects such as Lepidoptera, Diptera, Neuroptera and Hymenoptera (Formicidae) representing on average more than 35% of the diet.

Additional behaviors

In several cases, individuals of this species have been reported feeding on juvenile individuals of the same species. Similarly, it captures juveniles of other species such as lizards of the genus Podarcis (P. hispanica and P lilfordi) and other geckos such as Hemidactylus turcicus.

Generally, each specimen has a foraging territory. Said territory is protected at various levels that include exhibition postures and aggressive attacks and special vocalizations to dislodge the invaders. Although they are usually tolerant of each other, most of the year during the breeding season the males are more aggressive towards each other.

Many male individuals can be seen with injuries to the maxillary arches, back of the head, and forelimbs due to fighting for territory.

To avoid predation, they generally flee from their predators to their shelters or remain immobile, relying on their cryptic coloration with the environment. When captured, it can emit capture vocalizations that can confuse the predator and be released to flee.

They can also release their tail by autotomy when captured by a predator, however, when it is regenerated it is shorter and its scales are smoother.

References

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