Common name: Mediterranean House Gecko
Scientific name: Hemidactylus turcicus
Family: Gekkonidae

Size:
SVL: about 5–6 cm
Total length: usually 10–15 cm

Identification:
A small, pale house gecko with large lidless eyes, vertical pupils, adhesive toe pads, and a slightly translucent appearance. The body is usually beige, pinkish, or light brown with darker spots or bands, and the tail is often banded. The skin has small raised tubercles, giving it a rough texture.

Habitat:
Stone walls, houses, old buildings, gardens, coastal areas, rocky places, caves, and human settlements. In Lebanon, it is strongly associated with buildings and warm Mediterranean habitats.

Status in Lebanon:
Native and common. Widely present in suitable urban, rural, and coastal habitats. The Reptile Database lists Hemidactylus turcicus from Lebanon.

Diet:
Insectivorous — feeds on moths, flies, mosquitoes, beetles, small cockroaches, spiders, and other small arthropods.

Behavior:
Nocturnal and often seen on walls near lights, where insects gather. It is harmless to humans and useful around houses because it consumes many small insects.

Conservation Status:
Least Concern (LC) — IUCN Red List.