# Moorish Gecko

*Tarentola mauritanica*

Their specialized toe pads use microscopic hairs called setae to exploit van der Waals forces, allowing them to walk effortlessly upside down on smooth glass.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Reptilia › Squamata › Phyllodactylidae › Tarentola
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** urban
- **Habitat:** Rocky cliffs, stone ruins, scrublands, and urban walls or buildings.
- **Diet:** Insects, spiders, moths, and other small invertebrates.
- **Range:** Southern Europe, North Africa, Balearic Islands, Introduced populations in North America, Introduced populations in South America
- **Size:** 10-15 cm in length including the tail
- **Lifespan:** 5-8 years in the wild, up to 15 years in captivity
- **Active:** nocturnal
- **Threats:** Pesticide use reducing prey abundance, predation by domestic cats, and habitat destruction in natural rocky areas.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless and beneficial insect hunter. Observe from a distance; do not try to catch them, as they may drop their tails (autotomy) under stress. If handled, they may pinch with a tiny, non-venomous bite. If bitten, simply wash the area with soap and water.

## About

Tarentola mauritanica is a species of gecko (Gekkonidae) native to the western Mediterranean area of Northwestern Africa and Europe and widely introduced to America and Asia. It is commonly observed on walls in urban environments, mainly in warm coastal areas. However, it can be found further inland, especially in Spain. A robust species, up to 150 millimetres long, its tubercules are enlarged and give the species a spiny armoured appearance.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/386d3444-5971-4cbe-8600-57e1de86f02b
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/33602
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarentola mauritanica
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/388821930/medium.jpeg (Diego González Dopico, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.