Kotschy's gecko facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kotschy's gecko |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Gekkonidae |
| Genus: | Mediodactylus |
| Species: |
M. kotschyi
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| Binomial name | |
| Mediodactylus kotschyi (Steindachner, 1870)
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Kotschy's gecko (Mediodactylus kotschyi) is a type of gecko. Geckos are small lizards that belong to the Gekkonidae family. This gecko lives in southeastern Europe and the Middle East. It was named after Karl Georg Theodor Kotschy, an Austrian botanist and explorer.
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About Kotschy's Gecko
Kotschy's gecko is a slim lizard. It grows to about 10 centimeters (4 inches) long, including its tail. Female geckos are usually a bit bigger than males.
Physical Features
This gecko has thin legs and a slender tail. You might see small bumps, called tubercles, on its back and tail. Unlike some geckos, it doesn't have sticky pads on its toes. But its toes are long and have a bend in the middle.
Its color can change a lot. It might be yellowish-grey, greyish-brown, dark brown, or even reddish-black. Its back has W-shaped bands that are darker than its main color. Like other geckos, these markings stay the same. However, the gecko's overall shade can look darker when it's cool. It looks paler when it's hot. The underside of its body can be yellowish or orange.
Where Kotschy's Gecko Lives
Kotschy's gecko is mostly found along the coasts of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. It lives in many countries. These include Ukraine (especially the Crimean Peninsula), Bulgaria, Serbia, North Macedonia, Albania, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and Southern Italy (Apulia).
Its Home Environment
This gecko likes places like cliffs and dry, stony areas. It also lives in scrubland, on tree trunks, and on stone walls. You can often find it on the outside and inside walls of buildings. It can live at high places, up to 1,700 meters (about 5,500 feet) high. But it mostly prefers lower areas.
How Kotschy's Gecko Behaves
Kotschy's gecko is mainly active at night. This is called being nocturnal. However, when the weather is cooler, it often comes out during the day too. You might see it in the early morning or late afternoon.
Climbing and Hiding
Even without sticky pads, this gecko climbs very well. But it doesn't spend as much time on high cliffs as other lizards, like wall lizards. It is often found near wall lizards. If it feels scared, it will hide in thick bushes. It might also go into cracks in rocks or cling to the underside of rocky overhangs. It doesn't usually live inside buildings.
Communication
Kotschy's gecko makes a repeated, high-pitched "chick" sound. Males and females might call to each other when they are looking for a mate.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
Female Kotschy's geckos usually lay two eggs. Sometimes they lay just one. They hide their eggs under stones or in a small crack. The eggs take about eleven to eighteen weeks to hatch. When the baby geckos hatch, they are about 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) long. These young geckos become adults in about two years. Kotschy's geckos have been known to live for nine years when cared for by humans.
Conservation Status
The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) lists Kotschy's gecko as a species of "Least Concern". This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing. It lives in a very wide area and is common in many of those places.
Threats and Future Outlook
We don't know if the number of Kotschy's geckos is going up or down. However, it doesn't face any major threats right now. Cutting down forests could be a problem in Israel and Jordan. In those areas, the gecko often lives on tree trunks. Scientists think that Kotschy's gecko might actually be several different species that look very similar. If this is true, some of those individual groups might need more protection.
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 | Ernie Barnes |
