The Caspian gecko (Tenuidactylus caspius) is the only gecko species confirmed in Georgia. When you see a small lizard on a wall it can be confused with the Caucasian agama, but vertical pupils and expanded toes are especially useful for telling it apart. In Georgia, its natural range covers the country’s extreme southeast. One important locality is Samukhi Valley in Dedoplistskaro Municipality, where the species is confirmed. Specimens from Tbilisi have also been studied. Apart from the natural range, separate urban populations of the Caspian gecko are also known. Records exist from towns in eastern Georgia, as well as Kutaisi and Sukhumi. Its presence in cities does not mean that every small lizard seen on a wall in Georgia is a gecko; often it may be the Caucasian agama or another lizard species. The Caspian gecko is harmless to people and does not pose a danger.
Identification
How to identify Caspian Thick-toed Gecko
A small gecko with vertical pupils and expanded toes. In Georgia, when separating it from the Caucasian agama, pay more attention to the eyes, toes, body shape, and setting than to color.
Often confused with
In Georgia’s 2026 checklist, the Caspian gecko is the only member of the family Gekkonidae. The Caucasian agama belongs to another family, Agamidae.
Vertical pupils and expanded toes are among the main clues when identifying a small lizard seen on a wall or rock.
The head and body are relatively flattened, giving it a gecko-like shape. Brownish or sandy color alone is not enough for identification.
The natural range is in Georgia’s extreme southeast. Separate urban populations are also known, so an individual seen in Tbilisi does not mean the species is naturally distributed throughout Georgia.
It is non-venomous and harmless to people. If you are unsure about the identification, take a photo and leave the animal in place.
Gallery
Caspian Thick-toed Gecko in photos
According to the sources, the natural range of the Caspian gecko is limited to Georgia’s extreme southeast. Separate urban populations are also known in some large settlements. When looking for it, keep two different settings in mind: natural habitats around Samukhi Valley and Dedoplistskaro, and buildings, walls, fences, and stone cracks in towns. This does not mean the species is widespread throughout Georgia.
Biology
Diet, behavior, and conservation
Diet
The diet of the Caspian gecko has not been studied separately in Georgia. Therefore this page does not list particular foods as confirmed facts; an exact description of its diet needs additional species-specific sources.
Behavior
The sources used for this profile do not separately describe the Caspian gecko’s active hours or seasonal behavior, so those details are not specified here. If you see a small gecko on a wall, rock, or near a building crack, first look at the pupil and toes and do not pick the animal up. In encounters with people, it is often mistaken for the Caucasian agama or for an unknown dangerous lizard, although it poses no danger to people.
Conservation
The Caspian gecko is a biologically confirmed species in Georgia. This profile does not cite its global IUCN status or a category from Georgia’s national Red List, so no threat status is named here. Separate urban populations should not be treated as an expansion of the species’ natural range.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Caspian Thick-toed Gecko.
Yes. As of the 2026 checklist, the Caspian gecko is a biologically confirmed species in Georgia. Its natural range is in the country’s extreme southeast, and separate urban populations are known from several large settlements.
No. The Caspian gecko is harmless to people and has no venom. If you find one, there is no need to catch it; it is better to leave it where it is.
Confirmed specimens are known from Tbilisi and Samukhi Valley; one record is tied to Samukhi Valley in Dedoplistskaro Municipality. The sources also mention some large settlements in eastern Georgia, Kutaisi, and Sukhumi, but these data do not mean the species occurs across all of Georgia.
The Caucasian agama belongs to the agama family, while the Caspian gecko belongs to the gecko family. Vertical pupils and expanded toes are especially useful for identifying the Caspian gecko; those traits are not characteristic of the Caucasian agama.
Look for vertical pupils, expanded toes, and a relatively flattened, gecko-like body. Color alone is not enough; many small lizards can look similar against walls and stone.
The sources used for this profile do not separately describe the diet of the Caspian gecko (Tenuidactylus caspius) in Georgia, so this page does not treat a list of specific foods as confirmed data.
Leave it where it is and watch from a distance. If you need a photo for identification, take it without touching the animal. There is no need to move or kill it.
References
Sources
References
Sources
- Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 — Annotated checklist of Georgia's amphibians and reptiles
- Iankoshvili & Tarkhnishvili 2021 — Georgian herpetofauna records cited in Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026
- The Reptile Database
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
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