Query: mediterranean gecko

title: AL120METRY, SEXUAL SIZE DIMORPHISM, AND NICE IE PARTITIONING IN TI IF,
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title: Helminth parasites of the Mediterranean gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus (Sauria: Gekkonidae) from Texas, United States with a summary of helminths of this host
abstract: One hundred thirty six Mediterranean geckos, Hemidactylus turcicus, were collected between December 1986 and March 2016 in Hardin (n 7) Harris (n 57) and Tom Green (n 72) counties, Texas, USA. and examined for helminth parasites. Fifty two H. turcicus (38% were infected with at least one helminth species. Found were a trematode, Mesocoelium meggitti, three cestodes, Mesocestoides sp. (tetrathyridia) Oochoristica ameivae and Oochoristica scelopori, and four nematodes, Cosmocercoides variabilis, Oswaldocruzia pipiens, Parapharyngodon cubensis, and larvae of Physaloptera sp. Oochoristica ameivae, O. scelopori, P. cubensis, Physaloptera sp. and Os. pipiens represent new host records for H. turcicus and M. meggitti is reported from Texas for the first time. A summary of the helminth parasites of both native and non native H. turcicus is presented.

title: Clutch Size Variability in an Ostensibly Fix Clutched Lizard: Effects of Insularity on a Mediterranean Gecko
abstract: The island syndrome describes the evolution of slow life history traits in insular environments. Animals are thought to evolve smaller clutches of larger offspring on islands in response to release from predation pressure and interspecific competition, and the resulting increases in population density and intraspecific competition. These forces become more pronounced with diminishing island size, and life histories are thus expected to become slowest on small, isolated islands. We measured clutch sizes in 12 insular populations of Mediodactylus kotschyi, a small gecko from the Cyclades Archipelago, a set of land bridge islands in the Aegean Sea (Greece) We analyse variation in clutch size in relation to island area, island age, maternal body size, the presence of putative competitors and nesting seabirds (which increase resource abundance in the form of marine subsidies) and richness of predators. Clutch size of M. kotschyi decreases with increasing island area, in departure from classic island syndrome predictions, suggesting the evolution of faster life histories on smaller islands. There are no relationships between clutch size and island age, maternal size, the presence of competitors or predator richness. Instead, larger clutches on small islands could simply reflect the beneficial effect of marine subsidies derived from resident seabird colonies. Indeed, populations of M. kotschyi on islands with nesting seabirds have clutch sizes 30.9 larger (1.82 vs. 1.39 eggs) than populations on islands without nesting seabirds. Thus, our data suggest that bottom up effects of marine subsidies may supersede the expression of a simple island syndrome in the Aegean M. kotschyi.

title: SEASONAL VARIATION IN DIET COMPOSITION AND PREY SELECTION IN THE MEDITERRANEAN GECKO TARENTOLA MAURITANICA
abstract: The diet of the gecko Tarentola mauritanica was studied over a two year period at a farming area in central Spain. The overall aims were to investigate the general consensus that nocturnal geckos are opportunistic feeders, and to analyze seasonal changes in prey use and dietary overlap among age and sex classes. T. mauritanica ate a wide range of arthropods, indicating that it forages in several microhabitats. Dietary overlaps were generally high among age and sex classes, both for prey size and type. Seasonal analysis showed significant temporal shifts in diet, which appeared to be largely due to changes in prey size selection. We suggest that these results are concordant with an energy optimization foraging strategy, and that such a strategy may be facilitated in this nocturnal species because of low predation risk during activity.

title: Geographic distribution of the nonnative Mediterranean gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus) in Oklahoma
abstract: Recent studies have identified an expanding range of Hemidactylus turcicus in southwestern Oklahoma. In 2015, researchers added nine additional Oklahoma county records to the known range of H. turcicus. Due to this new distribution, we conducted a statewide survey of Oklahoma for H. turcicus activity. We successfully identified 16 new county records for H. turcicus and 20 Oklahoma counties without H. turcicus activity.

title: Movement Patterns and Sociality of the Mediterranean Gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus, in Southwestern Louisiana
abstract: The Mediterranean gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus, is a nonnative lizard that lives on buildings and other artificial structures in the southern United States. Previous studies have shown that geckos rarely move from one building to another and that, when they do, it is usually due to juveniles dispersing to new buildings. Little is known about the movements of geckos on the buildings they occupy or about the degree to which males and females or adults and juveniles associate with each other during their nocturnal activity periods. We used data from a multi year, mark recapture study of a population of Mediterranean geckos on a one story building in southwestern Louisiana to analyze movements of geckos between recaptures and to analyze age and sex of pairs of geckos. The distance moved by adult geckos between recaptures was usually small <5 m) regardless of whether the time between recaptures was <30 days, >30 days within a year, or in succeeding years. There was no difference in patterns of movement between adult males and adult females. Occasionally, adult geckos did make long distance movements of =18 m, but these were often followed by movements back to their starting point. Juvenile geckos generally moved greater distances between recaptures than did adults, perhaps as a means of dispersal to a new area on the building. Juvenile geckos were associated with adult geckos in pairs less frequently than expected whereas the number of same sex and different sex pairs of adults did not differ from expectations if males and females associated randomly. Overall, the results present a picture of juveniles moving long distances, perhaps to escape contacts with adults, but typically remaining in their home areas for months or years once they become adults. Resumen El geco casero del Mediterraneo, Hemidactylus turcicus, es una lagartija no nativa que vive en los edificios y en otras estructuras artificiales en el sur de los Estados Unidos. Estudios previos han mostrado que los gecos raramente se mueven de un edificio al otro, y que cuando lo hacen, usualmente son los juveniles los que se dispersan a nuevos edificios. Poco se sabe sobre los movimientos de los gecos en los edificios que ocupan o sobre el grado en que machos y hembras o adultos y juveniles se asocian entre si durante sus periodos de actividad nocturna. Usamos datos de varios anos de un estudio de marca recaptura de una poblacion de gecos caseros del Mediterraneo en un edificio de un piso en el suroeste de Louisiana para analizar los movimientos de los gecos entre recapturas y analizar la edad y el sexo de pares de gecos. La distancia recorrida por los gecos adultos entre recapturas fue por lo general pequena <5 m) sin importar si el tiempo entre recapturas era <30 dias, >30 dias dentro de un ano o en los anos sucesivos. No hubo diferencia en los patrones de movimiento entre adultos machos y hembras. Ocasionalmente, los gecos adultos hicieron desplazamientos de una distancia larga de =18 m, pero estos fueron frecuentemente seguidos por movimientos de vuelta hacia el punto de partida. Los gecos juveniles por lo general recorrian distancias mas grandes entre recapturas que los adultos, tal vez como un medio de dispersarse hacia una nueva area en el edificio. Los gecos juveniles fueron asociados en pares con los gecos adultos menos frecuentemente de lo esperado, mientras el numero de los pares del mismo sexo y diferente sexo no se diferenciaron en las expectativas si es que los machos y hembras se asociaban al azar. En fin, los resultados presentan una imagen de juveniles desplazandose por largas distancias, quizas para evitar contacto con los adultos, pero tipicamente permaneciendo en sus hogares por meses o anos una vez que se convierten en adultos.

title: A Progressing, Ten Year Long Mark Recapture Study of an Isolated Population of the Mediterranean Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus) in Bedford County, Virginia.

title: Ultrastructural description of spermiogenesis within the Mediterranean Gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus (Squamata: Gekkonidae)
abstract: We studied spermiogenesis in the Mediterranean Gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus, at the electron microscope level and compared to what is known within other Lepidosaurs. In H. turcicus germ cells are connected via cytoplasmic bridges where organelle and cytoplasm sharing is observed. The acrosome develops from merging transport vesicles that arise from the Golgi and subsequently partition into an acrosomal cap containing an acrosomal cortex, acrosomal medulla, perforatorium, and subacrosomal cone. Condensation of DNA occurs in a spiral fashion and elongation is aided by microtubules of the manchette. A nuclear rostrum extends into the subacrosomal cone and is capped by an epinuclear lucent zone. Mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum migrate to the posterior portion of the developing germ cell during the cytoplasmic shift and the flagellum elongates. Mitochondria surround the midpiece as the anlage of the annulus forms. The fibrous sheath begins at mitochondrial tier 3 and continues into the principal piece. Peripheral fibers associated with microtubule doublets 3 and 8 are grossly enlarged. During the final stages of germ cell development spermatids are wrapped with a series of Sertoli cell processes, which exhibit ectoplasmic specializations and differing cytoplasmic consistencies. The results observed here corroborate previous studies, which show the conservative nature of sperm morphology. However, ultrastructural character combinations specific to sperm and spermiogenesis seem to differ among taxa. Further studies into sperm morphology are needed in order to judge the relevance of the ontogenic changes recorded here and to determine their role in future studies on amniote evolution.

title: Urogenital morphology of the Mediterranean gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus

title: A comparison of Mediterranean Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus) populations in two temperate zone urban habitats
abstract: Urban ecosystems represent unique habitats that might be more or less suitable than natural systems for many species. The Mediterranean Gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus is a synanthropic species that has successfully colonized many urban and suburban areas outside its natural range. In the United States, H. turcicus has been found predominantly in southern states on exterior surfaces of buildings. We compared population density, demographics, and extent of dispersal of populations of H. turcicus at two anthropogenic sites in a temperate region of the United States. The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) had higher building density and greater cover by anthropogenic surfaces and the Oklahoma City Zoo (ZOO) had lower building density and greater cover by vegetation. Mark and recapture sampling was conducted at UCO from 2006 to 2007 and during 2008 at ZOO. The sizes of the populations at the two sites were estimated using the Schnabel method and population densities were calculated using those estimates. Age class of captured animals, sex of adults, and gravid status of adult females were determined at both sites. We assumed that greater exterior wall surface area of individual buildings at UCO and greater land cover by anthropogenic surfaces might 1) reduce population density and 2) facilitate dispersal there relative to the ZOO. Population sizes and density in animals per ha of land and building cover and demographics were similar at the two sites. Population density per ha of building exterior wall area was higher at ZOO than at UCO. The higher density of animals on buildings, lower proportion of subadults in the population and lower maximum dispersal distance at ZOO suggest that successful diffusion dispersal might be limited at that site relative to UCO.