Appearance
Male (top) and Female (bottom). Photos by Jonathan Mays.
Also known as the brown-speckled sphaero, the Florida reef gecko is one of the smallest lizards in the United States. Growing to only 2-2.5 inches long, reef geckos have brown or grey coloration with darker individual scales distributed across their body. This coloration works well as camouflage, and combined with their small size, Florida reef geckos are extremely hard to spot. Florida reef geckos have large overlapping scales, and round, sticky digits. The “stick” comes from tiny hairs on their feet called setae, and when pressed against a surface will bind through friction to surfaces.
Behavior
Florida reef geckos are nocturnal which means they are active at night. They are excellent climbers and can be found on trees, rocks and buildings. They feed on insects and spiders using their long, sticky tongues to capture their prey. Males in other regions, such as the Bahamas, are territorial, but interestingly Florida reef geckos have not been documented to exhibit this behavior.
Florida reef geckos are slow to reproduce. Females lay only one egg at a time, which can make up almost a third of their body weight. They will lay several times annually, mostly in communal nest sites, which have been found with over 280 eggs in one nest. These nests are in or under rotting logs, coconut husks and other debris.
Habitat
The Florida reef gecko is the only native gecko east of the Mississippi River in the United States, although many other gecko species exist throughout the Carribbean. The species is primarily found in coastal and mangrove areas in the Florida Keys, but individuals have been documented in Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties along the coastal areas. Florida reef geckos are also known to occasionally enter human-made structures, such as buildings.
Threats
Florida reef geckos face a variety of threats, including:
- Habitat Loss and alteration: Development and urbanization reduces coastal and mangrove habitat where reef geckos live.
- Climate change: Climate change also affects the Florida reef gecko and its habitat, as rising sea levels cause erosion and flooding of their coastal habitats. Rising sea levels are projected to be one of the biggest threats to this species in the future.
- Invasive Species: The introduction of nonnative species, such as the brown anole, ashy anole and green iguana, are also a threat to the Florida reef gecko as they compete for food and habitat.
Conservation and Management
Photos by Jonathan Mays.
In May 2024, the FWC Commissioners approved a recommendation naming the Florida reef gecko as a candidate for State-designated Threatened species listing. The species will remain a candidate species while a Species Action Plan and Species Conservation Measures and Permitting Guidelines are created as part of the process for potential listing in the future. Their limited habitat range faces many threats, and protecting those areas will be important for the long-term survival of the species.
How You Can Help
To protect the Florida reef gecko and its habitat, it is essential for Florida residents to support conservation efforts and limit their impact on the environment. This can include supporting the protection of coastal and mangrove habitats, reducing water pollution, and being mindful of their actions when visiting these areas. Residents can also help by removing nonnative species from their properties, which can prevent the introduction of new threats to the Florida reef gecko and its habitat. Avoiding littering and helping to pick up trash along the coastline can also help.