Deep In the Heart of Texas, From the Mediterranean?

We've made it to the land of Blue Bonnets, even if they're not in season until next year! The air is hot, the sun is strong, and the people are welcoming! Last week we spent two days traveling from Michigan to Texas, and we're excited to say that we have arrived and are ready to bring our best! We've only been here a few days and we've already come into possession another species-an invasive species-the Mediterranean House Gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus.

The Mediterranean House Gecko is a small gecko that naturally lives in the Mediterranean region. They are highly adaptable and flourish in regions with climates similar to their native region. They are often found in homes and other human structures, and are voracious consumers of moths and other insects! Originally from southern Europe and northern Africa, they secretly traveled with ancient humans across the old world, reaching far into Asia. In modern times they have expanded to the Caribbean region and the southern United States. They have few predators in their introduced locations and are even considered beneficial by some cultures.

They are a fortunate species to actually have an increasing population, and while some are collected for the pet trade and others are killed by human activity, they are flourishing. Females lay clutched of 1-2 eggs several times a year. While they are relatively harmless, it is important to make sure we do not accidentally introduce species to regions where they may be harmful!