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Mediterranean Gecko Care
Origin: This gecko comes from the area surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. It is a very adaptable gecko and has come
on plants in Europe to parts of the U.S. and can occupy a variety of habitats including deserts, suburban and rural areas,
and even places with very extreme seasons. They also are often found in or around homes. This means you may healthily keep
them in a variety of set-ups.
Enclosure: As I mentioned earlier these geckos may be kept in many different ways. My experience is that they often
enjoy cool (80f on the cooler end and up to 90f on the warmer end) and humid areas such as clinging to the underside of objects
on the ground such as a large flat piece of bark propped up off the ground in the day and at night they come out on warm walls
or windows to search for prey. To keep the enclosure warm use an under tank heating pad as a heat source and NEVER use hot
rocks or rock heaters as they can cause serious burns or even the death of the gecko contrary to some labels.
As far as the size of the enclosure goes a ten gallon aquarium is well suited for a group of one male and up too 3 females.
Use paper towels, newspaper, or washed playground sand as a substrate. Be sure to NEVER house males together as they will
fight to the death. Females rarely become very territorial as long as they are not over crowded. Sexing geckos will be explained
in the breeding section.
Diet: These are small geckos of 3" to 4" at adult size, so small insect prey is needed. This may be the downfall
to keeping them as many do not like bugs. Prey may include crickets, mealworms (if the geckos are adults), grasshoppers,
fruit flies (fed to baby geckos babies because of their small size), and other non-poisonous bugs collected from areas without
pesticides. When fed captive bred bugs or bugs from the pet store you need to use a vitamin and calcium powder coatings on
the insect prey twice weekly for adults and 3 times a week for babies. Use the vitamin powder frequently less than the calcium
powder. The size of prey can be up to half the size of the geckos head.
Breeding: This species has no defined breeding season, and do not need a period of cycling to get them to reproduce as
long as the temperatures are between 78 and 85 and there is plenty of food provided, although a cycle has been known to induce
slow breeders. The eggs are laid on the ground and covered just barely or occasionally not at all and are only about 3/8
of an inch in diameter. These incubate at approximately 78 to 85. They take approximately 35-50 days depending on temp. They
carry two eggs a clutch, 3-4 clutches a year.
Sexing is done with the gecko in a clear plastic container or restraining it with your fingers. Look near the ventral
area and in mature or nearly mature males you will see two bulges at the very base of the tail and pre-anal pores in a v shape
just above the vent. Females lack the bulges and have very faint pores. Males are also smaller than females but this is an
inconsistent method.
Conclusion: In conclusion, I believe that these geckos have great potential as a pet rather than a feeder gecko and if
captive breeding is established we my come out with amazing morphs as with what happened with the leopard and crested geckos.
We should try the new and keep the old favorites along with the reptile trade and produce a new wave of these newcomers to
the herptile world.
Author: Mason Moreland
You may use this information without my consent ONLY if for educational or non-profit purposes, otherwise contact me and
ask for permission before using this or any pictures, articles, ect.
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