Honors College Theses

Publication Date

2025

Major

Biology (B.S.B.)

Release Option

Restricted to Georgia Southern

Faculty Mentor

Lance McBrayer

Abstract

The Mediterranean Gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus, is a nocturnal, synanthropic lizard that has become a relatively recent focus for researchers. This species lives in close proximity to people, yet how they may react to human disturbances, including those caused by researchers, is poorly understood. I established two transects on each of eight buildings at Georgia Southern University that were confirmed to harbor H. turcicus. Buildings were divided into three groups of varying survey intervals (1 survey per 2 weeks, 1 survey per week, & 2 surveys per week). From 14 May to 14 August 2025 surveys of gecko abundance were conducted along the exterior walls of each building. Also, three relevant environmental factors were collected during each survey. My results showed that gecko abundance was significantly lower in the one survey per week test group, while the other two groups were not significantly different from each other. This shows that survey interval does have an impact on H. turcicus, though the exact impact is still unclear. Further research is necessary to determine whether habituation is a factor. Additional findings showed that increased humidity resulted in more geckos sighted, and that increased wall surface temperature resulted in a reduction of structural zeros, meaning lizards were more likely to be visible. Both findings are consistent with previous research on small ectotherm physiology.

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