Geckos In Texas: What Do They Eat, How Large Do They Get And More!

Geckos are carnivorous species and are found on almost every continent except in cold regions like Antarctica.

A gecko is a reptile that belongs to the infraorder Gekkota. Geckos are small reptiles that look like lizards and whose body size ranges between 0.6-17 in (1.5-43 cm) where the males are larger than females.

Geckos are known for their voices. Normally, geckos communicate by clicking their tongue or by chirping. Sometimes geckos even hiss when it faces any threats.

Geckos are known to make mating calls. An interesting feature about this species is that they don't have eyelids and to clear the dust gathered in their eyes, they use their tongue to lick off the dust. Geckos are a nocturnal species and they stay away from lights.

Geckos, like lizards, can shed their tails to protect themselves from an animal attack. This method, called autotomy, gives them enough time to run away from predators who manage to grasp their tail.

Geckos have padded feet with sticky toe pads which help them to climb ceilings or smooth walls. These reptiles make their home in warm places and can especially be seen in homes or in buildings.

The gecko species feeds upon mosquitoes and other insects. After reading about this species in detail, also check out our answers to can leopard geckos eat fruit and our crested gecko habitat facts.

How To Attract Geckos In Texas

In places like Texas, two types of geckos can be commonly found in homes; common house geckos (Hemidactylus frenatus) and the Mediterranean house gecko. The Mediterranean house gecko is also known as Hemidactylus turcicus. Hemidactylus turcicus are the most common Mediterranean geckos in both urban and suburban areas.

The Hemidactylus frenatus is about 3-6 in (7.6-15.2 cm) long. They have a long tail and are mostly pink and gray in color but they can also be marbled with dark patches on the skin.

In comparison, the Hemidactylus turcicus can be about 4-5 in (10.1-12.7 cm) long and has bumps on the upper side of the body. They have a cylindrical tail with brown stripes. These lizards are normally light in color and have spotted patches that are dark in color.

Geckos can be quite disgusting. They often drop their litter on curtains and are a constant source of irritation.

To catch a gecko, you need to attract it. If you want to attract the gecko population, then you have to build a trap for it by digging a hole in the ground and putting a bucket inside the hole. Keep a sponge inside the bucket and cover it with a fishnet.

Geckos are cold-blooded animals and keeping this in mind, there is another capture method you can try. You can switch on the air conditioner and chill the home.

Geckos can't tolerate cold so they relocate to warmer places in your house and you will find them there. The males do not lay eggs during breeding, but the females lay eggs. The female can lay multiple eggs at a time.

This family of invasive species of geckos have generally light gray skin or almost white skin coloration but may have some darker mottling as well. They prefer to hide in cracks and crevices while breeding. They even store their eggs in such cracks and crevices.

How many Texas banded geckos are there in grasslands?

Resembling a lizard, a Texas banded gecko (Coleonyx brevis) is commonly known as the Texas lizard. They are widely found in Texas, North America. They are small creatures. There are many Texas banded geckos and amongst them, gargoyle geckos and crested geckos are very common.

All Texas banded geckos have a docile nature and a slender body and a tail that is almost equal to the weight of its body. These geckos have bands running all over their body and they are mostly yellow, brown, and golden colored.

It is due to the presence of these bands that they have been given the name Texas banded geckos and also because they are native to Texas.

This range of gecko species has unique qualities. These invasive species of lizards have vertical pupils. These vertical pupils help ambush predators capture their prey and horizontally elongated pupils also help prey animals to avoid their predator.

They are kept as pets in urban areas. Texas banded geckos are often confused with the anole as the anole is able to change its color from green to brown.

The fact is, however, that a green anole and a Texas banded gecko are different species. They are found in the southern region, and the southern United States to be specific. They are cold-blooded so the south and the southern cold regions help them a lot.

What are the geckos that come out at night in north Texas?

Geckos are common house creatures. They are reptiles and are different from lizards, mostly in color and size. Although they contribute to keeping away insects, their waste is a constant source of irritation for house owners.

Texas banded geckos are normally found in Texas, North America. They are native to that particular place and are characterized by their small bodies, big eyes, no eyelids, and different colors.

They are nocturnal animals and mostly come out of their shelters at night, away from lights. You can feel their presence in a quiet room by the click of their tongues. Therefore, it is normal for Texas banded geckos to come out at night in north Texas.

What happens to north Texas geckos in the winter?

Texas banded geckos are cold-blooded animals and are, therefore, found in warm places. They are not found in polar regions.

Geckos are active in the summer. During winters in North Texas geckos mostly hibernate. During this time, they go for hibernation in warm, hidden areas and stay there until the warm season arrives.

During winters they can hibernate under rocks or within logs of wood. They usually try to travel beneath the frost surface line to keep themselves warm. Other common places for hibernation include burrows, rock crevices, cracks, and caves

What do geckos eat in Texas?

Geckos are reptiles and are carnivorous in nature. Geckos in Texas are household animals that are found in almost every house.

Often, you will see them climbing walls or staring at you from a corner of the room. Geckos being carnivorous feed mostly upon mosquitoes or other insects that live within their immediate habitat.

How large do geckos get in Texas?

Geckos in Texas are mainly called Texas banded geckos owing to the presence of different color bands on their body.

Geckos in Texas are usually small creatures. Geckos in Texas are mostly of two types. Hemidactylus frenatus reaches up to 3-6 in (7.6 to 15.2 cm) long. Another gecko found in Texas is the is Mediterranean house gecko. Known as Hemidactylus turcicus, it reaches about 4-5 in (10.1-12.7 cm) long.

How to get rid of geckos in Texas?

The most common way of getting rid of geckos in Texas is to build gecko traps. Even if you build a trap, make sure that you use bait to attract them. The most common method of catching a gecko in Texas is to dig a hole in the ground and put a bucket inside the hole.

Keep a wet sponge inside the bucket and cover it with a fishnet. Make sure the holes of the mesh or net are not too big for the gecko to climb out easily. Keep a bait on the net and check the bucket every few hours.

They are not aggressive as such, but they do bite. Whenever they get upset in their environment, they tend to bite.

They feed on basic insects and pests in their near habitat. If the population of insects and is high due to trees and plants nearby, it is advisable to apply pesticides or use another form of pest control. Pesticides will remove the extreme populations of any uninvited pest in your house.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for geckos in Texas then why not take a look at gecko vs lizard, or gecko facts.