Apparently, the Geckos Are Moving In

A unique Gecko family has come to Chatsworth.  And it looks as though they plan to settle down and stay.

No, not the Geico Geckos, or even the Gordon Geckos.  Rather, our first-time visitors are the Mediterranean House Geckos.

And if not for  Will and Reese Bernstein's recent discovery at a friend's house in Chatsworth, these four-legged settlers, with the scientific name Hemidactylus turcicus, would have arrived unnoticed, according to Robert Espinoza, herpetologist at the California State University, Northridge, and research associate at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum.

The fact that these lizards are not native to the area is not so unusual, he said, but the find is a first.

"Lots of things get introduced to our area on a regular basis, but they don't establish themselves as populations," he added.  "It's not an easy thing to do."

The Natural History Museum launched its community science project, the Lost Lizards of Los Angeles (LLOLA) survey, last spring.  After attending the museum's lizard hunt held in both Exposition and Hancock parks, the Bernsteins continued to look for lizards and submit their results from the Valley.

The father and son initially believed their submission to be a Western Banded Gecko, but Espinoza determined that it is actually of the Mediterranean House Gecko variety, never before seen in Los Angeles County.  And further investigation revealed more.

"We found 10 more Thursday night, in a three-block radius," Espinoza said.  "We found all kinds—males, females and juveniles."

The Mediterranean House Gecko has been found in a wide range of locations, Espinoza said.  They are common in the desert climes of the southwest as well as the eastern seaboard.  They are typically found on porches near warm lights and other heat sources.  The variety of climates where they have been found brings to mind many questions, he said.

"Are they adaptable, temperature-wise, or does the porch-light area buffer them from broader temperatures?" he asked.  "Light attracts bugs, so there is no need for these geckos to forage," he said.  "There is not much competition when there is so much food around."

Espinoza has been interested in reptiles since he was five-years-old, and this discovery nurtures his fascination with reptiles.  "It's pretty neat to me that they are here," he said.