Mediterranean thin-toed gecko The Mediterranean thin-toed gecko (Mediodactylus danilewskii) is a small gecko found on Gavdos. The local population belongs to the subspecies Mediodactylus danilewskii kalypsae, associated with this isolated island south of Crete.
Its total length is usually around 10 centimetres, including the tail. Its inconspicuous appearance and small size make it easy to overlook.
Older sources refer to it as Mediodactylus kotschyi kalypsae. Genetic studies that separated the Mediodactylus kotschyi complex into distinct species assigned the Gavdos population to Mediodactylus danilewskii. It is therefore taxonomically distinct from the Cretan bent-toed gecko (Mediodactylus bartoni), despite their similar appearance.
The species is not endemic to Gavdos, as it also occurs in parts of the Black Sea region and Asia Minor. Its presence on Gavdos nevertheless represents a distinctive feature of the island’s reptile fauna.
