First reptile of the season!

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Tonia Graves
Posts: 212
Joined: December 8th, 2011, 2:40 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ

First reptile of the season!

Post by Tonia Graves »

Okay, so I know I haven't been that active on the site...but I am lurking in my free time. To make up for it I thought I'd share my first reptile find of the season. I found this immature Mediterranean Gecko out in my garden and coaxed it out for a couple of pics. I know it's an invasive species, but enjoy anyway!

Image
R000152 - Mediterranean Gecko by Tonia Graves, on Flickr

Image
R000151 - Mediterranean Gecko by Tonia Graves, on Flickr
mikemike
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Re: First reptile of the season!

Post by mikemike »

It's something! Great shots, too!
VICtort
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Joined: July 2nd, 2010, 6:48 pm
Location: AZ.

Re: First reptile of the season!

Post by VICtort »

welcome aboard! Very sharp photos, and maybe if they are not displacing a native species, they aren't so bad...? Someone can always use them for a food source...

We hope to see more of your finds from the great state of Arizona.

Vic
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Kevin Price
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Re: First reptile of the season!

Post by Kevin Price »

Very nice images.
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Tonia Graves
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Joined: December 8th, 2011, 2:40 pm
Location: Tucson, AZ

Re: First reptile of the season!

Post by Tonia Graves »

Thanks everyone!
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Correcamino
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Re: First reptile of the season!

Post by Correcamino »

As far as I know they are not displacing anything or competing (much anyway) with any other species. The only thing they seem to co-exist with are Tree lizards, and being tree lizards are diurnal and the geckos are nocturnal, and therefore seem to have slightly differing prey items, they don't seem to step on each others toes. I routinely see them on the same buildings, they just have different foraging times. From what I have read (correct me if anyone knows differently) that even in their native countries they do not seem to have any native wild habitat, instead they seem to have evolved symbiotically with man, being found on habitations and other man made structures and feeding primarily on roaches and moths.

I remember seeing my first one in Tucson in 1973. It ran out of a pile of discarded U.S. army ammo boxes and stuff I was cleaning out of a yard. Nobody I knew had a clue as to what kind of gecko it was. With the limited info/lack of foreign field guides back then, it took me a while to figure it out.
I never saw anymore until about 1979 when they started appearing on the buildings at the Ghost Ranch lodge, and later other buildings on the west end. I used to live in a house that had a roach problem. My buddies brother had them all over the inside of his house at night. His wife wanted them gone (silly woman) so I took all I could catch and released them into my house. Roach problem solved :P
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