Hi. I've been seeing a lot of Mediterranean Geckos posted on the forums lately and was just wondering how far north have they been documented in the U.S. (And what's the rules on posting locality data for introduced/invasive species?) Thanks.

This is what I have so far for California.
If anyone wants to contribute to this map simply let me know if you have a new sighting.

They once had a stronghold on much of the Florida peninsula. They have become almost completely absent from much of Florida from Lake Okeechobee South. Hemidactylus mabouia have become dominant in that zone. Now as far as north of the big lake (or at least Marion County northward) H. turcicus is still well established. They have since moved throughout all of Florida, the southern portions of AL, LA, MS and much of Texas. I know that they have been found in most of Southern and Central Georgia as well as South Carolina almost throughout.
However, the only requirement for them to survive anywhere is a warm place to overwinter. I know someone that finds them in a warehouse in Maryland. This happens in a lot places, I presume.

I think a solid, accuarate distribution map is nearly impossible. Not to mention the difficulty in properly identifying this species, with even some of the more seasoned herpers.

-Jake Scott

I did a research paper on this for my con bio class. They're all the way up the east coast up to Maryland. It's not a contiguous distribution at all, mostly small pockets in urban areas. West to Texas. From what I remember there was a gap from TX until you reach California. They're also in most of the countries of South America, mostly north of like Bolivia. Through much of northern Africa, southern Europe and some places in the Pacific that I don't remember too well. For some reason H. mabouia doesn't do well up north. I kept some outside in Tallahassee for a personal experiment and they didn't make it despite H. turcicus doing fine. After some literature review for that project it seemed H. turcicus was a much more generalist feeder.

They are in New Mexico as well, as far north as Socorro and I've heard of them in storage units in Albuquerque. I believe they are in Arizona as well

Josh

Definitely in Arizona too - I saw a number of them in Phoenix 6 years ago.

2009
Big South Fork National Recreation Area on the Tennessee/Kentucky border; one of a half dozen animals.
Haven't been back to see if the population is still there.


If I was researching the ranges of small geckos, I'd hit the restrooms at night in campgrounds all across the country. Every SE US campground we’ve been in the last 4 years had one or more species of small gecko!
(Of course, you do have to occasionally explain what you are doing after dark, lurking at the showers with a camera! )

I wouldn’t be surprised if RVs driven by Qtips that winter in Florida are the dispersal medium.

They're EVERYWHERE !!!

They used to be established on the University of Arkansas Fort Smith campus, here in Fort Smith Arkansas, but I have no idea if they still are. I love a block away from campus and have yet to see one, BUT I have found one at my work on the other side of town... which escaped me after I had it in hand for IDing, so there is/was at least one recently in Fort Smith.

I saw a bunch in the Florida Panhandle last month as well.

Used to find them infrequently in Deerfield (Broward Co. FL) up to when I left in 2007. Heavily outnumbered by the Indo-pacific gecko H. garnotii.

Add Las Vegas to the list. I've also heard they are in Mesquite, NV and St. George Utah. And Oklahoma. Herpetological Review regularly publishes notes on their distribution.

I found one in Macon, GA, they have been documented in Atlanta, and although they haven't been documented yet in Athens, GA they are supposedly there.

I think I heard a while back there there was a population living on a university campus in Kansas City. I don't think any major city is safe. The do too well around human habitations and can easily overwinter inside of buildings.

Bryan's right about Mesquite NV and St. George UT - we documented H. turcicus spreading N on I-15 from Las Vegas a few years back. More info in Herp Review 37:106. There's another note by Kleopfer et al starting on the same page that reports the northernmost population in the eastern US in Richmond VA.

Kraus 2009 reports established populations of H. turcicus in 19 states.

Keep in mind that H. turcicus and H. frenatus are often misidentified, so some southerly records w/o specimens are questionable. H. frenatus doesn't deal with aridity as well.

They're also established in Kansas City, Kansas, and I wouldn't be surprised if they're in Wichita as well.

If you look on the database map, ( http://www.naherp.com/taxon.php?taxon=1253 ) you can see a record from northern West Virginia (Marshall County).

They aren't everywhere yet, but they are worling on it!

Add St. Charles County MO to the list. As of now only in one medical warehouse that for the last 2 years consistently brings me in adults, Juvies and sometimes eggs to my office at work. I have about a 3 year backlog of records to add to NAFHA Database between work and free time herping.

A theory is that they come in on shipments of lumber... so... anywhere there's a Lowes or Home Depot... The places I've recorded them, here in the Hi desert (Victorville, Hesperia. ect) have all been within a few miles of Home improvement centers... I'll bet that this hold true across the country... jim

My memory is foggy, but I believe the farthest north that has been reported is in S. Dakota where they live in a large warehouse/distribution center. I dont know how I would classify this population since (if I remember the paper correctly) they live indoors almost year round.

On the east coast the northern most reported (published) population is in Baltimore, MD, but I have found them farther north in northeastern MD, and northern Delaware.

Invasive yes, but at least they are cute to look at!

Here is one of the little boogers when I lived in Forrest Co. Mississippi. He was one of about 12 that hung around my porch light at night.

TJ-

A few years back someone published a geographic distribution note in Herp. Rev. for Med. Geckos from South Dakota. Apparently that survive the winter by seeking refuge in heated storage facilities.

-Chris