Have you seen a gecko like this on the wall of your French home?

Residents in west and south-west France may spot a new scaly friend on their homes, as a Mediterranean lizard is progressively settling further north in the country. 

The Tarente de Maurétanie (Common Wall gecko or Moorish gecko) is a harmless brown or beige-coloured lizard originally from North Africa, and it can be up to 15 cm long. 

Usually found in the Mediterranean basin – southern coast of France, Iberian peninsula, parts of Italy and Slovenia, Egypt and North Africa, with colonies now in the US and South America – the Moorish Gecko is nocturnal and often sits on house walls to hunt insects. 

In recent months, however, these lizards have been moving further north. They were first seen in the urban areas of Bordeaux in 2022, with sightings reported in Toulouse, Lyon, Grenoble and Tours. 

They can now be seen scuttling across walls in the Maine-et-Loire department, including Saumur and Doué-en-Anjou. 

Climate change is considered a factor in the geckos’ movement north, as more areas of France now offer a suitable climate for them to lay their eggs underground. 

The geckos, not ones to travel far by themselves, have probably been brought to new areas through the transportation of goods, particularly plants being moved between properties and garden centres.

It is one of the few species of lizard whose numbers are said to be on the rise.

Harmless creatures eat pests

Geckos are completely harmless to humans and are unlikely to enter a home, preferring to stay outside on walls where they can hunt spiders and other insects, usually near a light source such as an outside light on a building or a street lamp.

In particular, they eat flies and mosquitoes, so they may help to prevent bites from both Culex and Tiger mosquitoes that could be breeding near your property. 

However, they are also known to eat small frogs and other animals.

Geckos have been a protected species in France since the 1970s, and killing, capturing, destroying, or transporting them or their eggs is a crime. 

If you do see a gecko, the best thing to do is leave it alone as it will not cause you any harm. 

However, you may wish to take a photo and note the location, as several local wildlife and preservation societies are interested in tracking the development of the animal as it spreads north.

In Bordeaux, the Cistude Nature organisation is asking people to register a gecko sighting either via its website or by sending photos of the animals to 𝐠𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐨@𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞.𝐨𝐫𝐠. 

If you see one elsewhere you can contact the local branch of the Société Herpétologique de France, who may be interested in the sighting.

Have you already seen one of the lizards? If so, send us a photo at feedback@connexionfrance.com