Tarentola – Wall geckos

The wall geckos are a fascinating and diverse reptile found across the Mediterranean, North Africa, Macaronesia (such as the Canary and Cape Verde Islands), and even parts of the Americas through introductions. These geckos have earned the common name wall gecko because they often inhabit walls, ruins, and human-made structures—as well as natural rock faces—in warm-climate regions. Their body shape is typically robust yet flattened, with a broad head, strong limbs, and toes adapted for climbing vertical surfaces. Their skin is marked with bumpy tubercles or spines, giving many species a rough, “armoured” look rather than the smooth skin we often associate with geckos.

Wall geckos display remarkable ecological flexibility. Some species—such as Tarentola mauritanica (the Moorish or common wall gecko)—are highly synanthropic, meaning they live comfortably near humans: on house walls, in city lights, at the edge of villages, scavenging insects drawn to lamps. Others are more restricted, inhabiting arid rocky plains or remote islands. Most are largely nocturnal or crepuscular, emerging at dusk to hunt insects and spiders, using their toe pads (and in some cases spinose feet) to cling to vertical surfaces or crawl under rocky ledges. In daylight, they often shelter in crevices, under stones, or behind loose bark. Reproductively, many Tarentola species lay one or two eggs per clutch, and the young are miniature versions of the adults—ready to climb walls and explore from an early age.

What makes this genus especially unique is its wide radiation and evolutionary history. Genetic studies have shown that Tarentola diversified millions of years ago, with major lineages forming in North Africa and the Mediterranean during the Miocene epoch. These geckos dispersed across islands and continents, giving rise to many species adapted to specific local conditions—rocky desert, humid coastal forests, human-modified habitats, even remote volcanic archipelagos. Their morphology has remained relatively conservative (similar “wall-gecko” body plan), but their genetics reveal deep splits and hidden diversity. In short: while they may look familiar, each regional population often has its own evolutionary story.