📰 Memfo1News
Geckos Take Midtown by Storm — One Talks Exclusively to Memfo1News
By Dolly Dunlop | Memfo1News
Memphis, TN — They’ve been spotted on porches, darting across sidewalks, and even clinging to Greenline bike racks: geckos are suddenly everywhere in Midtown.
In what locals are calling the “Great Gecko Boom of 2025,” sightings have spiked along the Greenline trail, sparking everything from neighborhood Facebook debates to Gecko-themed 5K runs.
But in a Memfo1News exclusive, reporter Dolly Dunlop managed to sit down with one of the city’s newest reptilian residents — a gecko who goes by the name Overton.
“I hopped a ride on a produce truck out of South America,” Overton explained, flicking his tail while perched on Dolly’s microphone. “Bananas, papayas, a couple crates of mangoes — I don’t remember exactly. All I know is, I fell asleep somewhere tropical and woke up under the neon glow of Midtown.”
When asked why Memphis, Overton grinned (as much as a gecko can).
“Easy. The Greenline. Endless miles of running, biking, climbing… it’s paradise for someone like me. Back home, you dodge snakes. Here? You dodge joggers. Way better.”
Residents, meanwhile, are divided. Some embrace the new neighbors, with one Cooper-Young café even renaming its patio cocktail the “Gecko Gimlet.” Others worry about what an influx of lizards means for Memphis wildlife.
City officials have yet to weigh in, but Overton is unconcerned.
“Look, I’m not here to cause trouble,” he told Memfo1News. “We geckos just want to run, explore, and be part of the community. If Memphians want us gone, well, good luck catching us.”
As the Midtown gecko phenomenon grows, so does the cultural wave it’s inspiring. Jogging clubs, social media memes, and now, a new civic running group calling itself the Greenline Geckos.
Whether this boom is a fad or the start of a Memphis tradition, one thing’s for sure: Midtown has gone a little greener.