The natural range of the Mediterranean gecko covers, as the name implies, Mediterranean areas of the Old World, from India through western Asia into the Middle East, and along both the southern and northern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. In those areas its distribution is primarily coastal. The Mediterranean gecko has been widely introduced into the New World, and is established in the Caribbean, Mexico, and much of south Texas, with scattered populations in several southeastern states and some areas of north central Texas. Much of the rapid spread of this species in the New World can be attributed to inadvertent (or in some cases intentional) transportation of eggs or lizards by people. In fact the presence of the Mediterranean gecko on the AC campus is due to an intentional introduction by a former AC student, with the consent of an AC biology professor.

There is a long history of inadvertent or intentional introductions of "exotic" or "alien" species into parts of the world that they did not naturally occupy. Many of these introductions have had dramatic effects on the biota and human societies that occupied the areas where the introductions occurred.  For instance, horses were introduced into North America by Spanish conquistadors, and were soon adopted by any number of Native American societies. Horses provided these societies with mobility, food, and animal power that they did not previously possess. Rabbits and prickly-pear cacti were both introduced into Australia, with disastrous consequences for the native flora and fauna. Polynesians introduced pigs, rats, and dogs into a number of south Pacific archipelagoes. The effect of these introductions is largely unknown because there were no biologists present to observe, but indirect evidence suggests that the effects were dramatic and widespread. Recent evidence supports the long-standing contention that dispersing humans (as an exotic species, and an effectively predaceous one at that) had a dramatic effect on the biota of continents they invaded (e.g. Australia, the Americas). Certainly humans that invaded continents already occupied by other humans had significant (and usually negative) effects on the previous populations, but that is an issue for another course.

Adults of the Mediterranean gecko are about 8 cm long, pale cream colored, with nobbly or warty skin. They do not have any pronounced markings. In contrast, the young (apart from being small) have pink skin and transverse bands of darker and lighter color on the tail. The Mediterranean gecko is almost exclusively nocturnal and insectivorous. It inhabits human dwellings and other buildings, and adults stake out territories around prime feeding areas, especially walls that are well lit at night. They are common on Wynne Chapel around the entries that are well lit.

We have, at this point, come across several critters that are primarily insectivorous. The Mediterranean gecko, the ornate box turtle, the yellow garden spider, Woodhouse's toad, and the collared lizard are all insectivores, and scorpions, tarantulas, and TTBTs all eat insects some or most of the time. What is up with that? I mean, sure insects are crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside, and they are probably nutritious (actually there is no probably about it), but why do so many species concentrate their foraging on insects? There must be something especially tasty about bugs.