THE MOORISH GECKO
Fact File |
| Length: Up to 16cm or so |
| Colour: Brown/grey/white, often with dark banding |
| Range: Many mediterranean countries in Europe and North Africa |
| Food: Mainly insects. |
This little gecko (tarentola mauritanica) prefers warm, dry places to lie in wait for its insect prey. It is therefore often found inside houses and other buildings - should you find one in your apartment, don't chase it away - it eats mosquitoes!
As with many lizard species, this gecko can drop its tail as a defensive measure. The tail wriggles for a few moments, hopefully attracting the attention of the predator and allowing the gecko to make good its escape and grow a new one! This is often a different colour/texture from the original and you can see this has happened to the gecko in the picture above.