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The Mediterranean Gecko, Hemidactylus Turcicus, in Southern Texas Author(S): Kyle W

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The Mediterranean Gecko, Hemidactylus Turcicus, in Southern Texas Author(S): Kyle W Life History of a Successful Colonizer: The Mediterranean Gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus, in Southern Texas Author(s): Kyle W. Selcer Source: Copeia, Vol. 1986, No. 4 (Dec. 23, 1986), pp. 956-962 Published by: American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1445292 . Accessed: 31/07/2014 14:46 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Copeia. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 158.135.136.72 on Thu, 31 Jul 2014 14:46:11 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Copeia, 1986(4), pp. 956-962 Life History of a Successful Colonizer: the Mediterranean Gecko, Hemidactylusturcicus, in Southern Texas KYLE W. SELCER A southern Texas population of the introduced lizard Hemidactylusturcicus, was examined for life history characteristics of a colonizer. Density estimates were high, ranging from 544-2210 lizards per ha. The population was early maturing (8.6 months) with low fecundity (1-3 clutches of two eggs/yr) and high survivorship for a small lizard (55% annual turnover, three or more year life- span). Survivorship was similar between adults and juveniles, but small juveniles (<30 mm) had significantly lower survivorship than large juveniles (30-43 mm). The Mediterranean gecko's success in southern Texas appears to result from low predation pressure, little interspecific competition and a life history which maximizes survival at all ages. This gecko's ability to disperse may be enhanced by its calcareous shelled eggs serving as propagules of new colonies. EWONTIN (1965) suggested that coloniz- of this gecko. Rose and Barbour (1968) studied L ing species should have a life history which a New Orleans population and provided infor- maximizes reproductive output through early mation on habitat and activity, movement, food maturity and high fecundity. However, because and feeding habits and reproduction. Other re- the costs of early maturity and high fecundity ports on the ecology ofH. turcicusin the United are levied against somatic growth and longevity, States are largely anecdotal. colonizers would be expected to have small bod- ies and short as well et life-spans (Hairston al., MATERIALS AND METHODS 1970; MacArthur and Wilson, 1967; Pianka, 1970). A population of H. turcicus was studied from The purpose of this study was to determine May 1981 through Aug. 1982 on the campus the life history of a colonizing lizard, the Med- of Pan American University at Edinburg, Hi- iterranean gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus) in a dalgo County, Texas. The area has a subtrop- population from southern Texas. The Medi- ical climate with long hot summers and short terranean gecko was introduced to the United mild winters. The temperature often exceeds States less than a century ago, but has become 38 C in summer and rarely drops below 0 C in well established throughout the Gulf coastal winter. states (Conant, 1975). The first report of H. Man-made structures served as the primary turcicusin Texas was from Brownsville (Conant, study areas. Mark-recapture techniques were 1955). Davis (1974) reported that the gecko's utilized on two study areas: a large brick build- range in Texas consisted of many well estab- ing and four portable metal buildings. The brick lished populations found south of a line from building was irregular in shape, measuring 6 m Del Rio through San Antonio to Austin and in height and having a perimeter of 120.7 m Houston, Texas. However, the gecko has con- for a total surface area of 724 m2. The metal tinued to expand its range farther north to in- buildings measured 4 m in height, 20 m in length clude Fort Worth (Gary Ferguson, pers. com.) and 11 m in width for a total surface area of and west to include Big Bend National Park 248 m2 each (992 m2 total). The distance be- (Easterla, 1978) and El Paso (JerryJohnson, pers. tween metal buildings ranged from 4-6 m. com.). Recent reports from Georgia and Ala- Buildings were divided into 6.1 m sections with bama indicate that H. turcicus continues to col- chalk lines that served as reference points for onize elsewhere as well (Bechtel, 1983; Dundee, measuring locations. 1984). Surveys of the study areas were conducted in Despite the broad range of H. turcicus in the all months except Jan. and March. Each study United States, little is known of the life history area was surveyed by walking around the build- ? 1986 by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists This content downloaded from 158.135.136.72 on Thu, 31 Jul 2014 14:46:11 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions SELCER-COLONIZING GECKO 957 ing until the entire surface was covered. Surveys indirectly as the length of the reproductive sea- were conducted at all hours from dusk to dawn, son divided by the length of time required to but were concentrated from 2200-0200 h. produce a clutch. Lizards were captured by hand and perma- Information on sex ratios was also obtained nently marked by toe-clipping (Tinkle, 1967). from the biweekly collections. x2-tests were used Upon each capture, the following data were re- to determine if the observed sex ratios differed corded: date, time of day, location, body weight significantly from 1:1. to 0.1 g using a Pesola spring scale, snout-vent Growth rates were determined for lizards on length (SVL) in mm, sex and reproductive con- the mark-recapture areas which were captured dition of females. Sex was determined by ex- on two or more occasions at least 30 d apart. amining individuals for the presence or absence Growth rate for an individual was estimated as of pre-anal pores, which are found only in males. the change in SVL between captures divided by Sex of juveniles could not be determined in the the time span separating the capture dates. field. Reproductive condition of females was de- Minimum size at sexual maturity was deter- termined by "candling" individuals using a mined from the smallest individual of each sex flashlight. Oviductal eggs and larger yolked fol- which was reproductively active. Age at sexual licles (>4 mm) can be seen through the body maturity was estimated from measurements of wall due to the lack of a black peritoneum in lizards marked as juveniles and later recaptured this species. Lizards were processed at the site as adults. A growth line was drawn for each of capture and no individual was held captive individual with months on the abcissa and SVL for more than 30 min. on the ordinate. A horizontal line was drawn at Biweekly collections of lizards were made from the minimum size at sexual maturity (44 mm). buildings not used in the mark-recapture study. The date that sexual maturity was achieved was An attempt was made to collect 15 adults of estimated as the day corresponding to the point each sex on each sampling date. Lizards were of intersection of the growth line and the min- collected by hand, placed in plastic bags and imum size at sexual maturity line. Date at hatch- frozen until processed. Upon processing, body ing was extrapolated for each individual using weight was taken in mg on a Mettler P 163 the mean size at hatching (24 mm) and the balance, SVL and tail length were measured to growth rate for hatchlings (6 mm/month). Giv- the nearest mm and sex was determined. Liz- en the date at sexual maturity and the date at ards were necropsied and reproductive condi- hatching, the age at sexual maturity was cal- tion was noted. In females, the number of yolked culated. follicles (> 10 mg), oviductal eggs and corpora Population size was estimated from mark-re- lutea were recorded. Yolked follicles and ovi- capture data using a weighted Lincoln-Peterson ductal eggs were removed and weighed in mg. method (Begon, 1979) and a minimum numbers In males, the right testis was removed and method. Minimum number estimates were cal- weighed in mg. Sperm smears were prepared culated as the number of lizards known to be by crushing a section of ductus deferens on a alive at each survey date. Density was estimated slide. Slides were then checked for the presence as the population size divided by the surface of spermatozoa. area of the study area. Most information on reproductive parame- Throughout the study, notes were taken on ters came from the biweekly collections. Males activity, behavior, nesting, potential predators were considered reproductively active if they and potential competitors. Statistical methods contained sperm in the ductus deferens. Fe- not otherwise specified are those of Sokal and males were considered reproductively active if Rohlf (1981). Means, where given, are accom- they contained yolked follicles or oviductal eggs. panied by ? 2 standard errors. Probabilities of Clutch size was determined from counts of less than 0.05 were considered significant. yolked follicles, oviductal eggs and corpora lu- tea. Yolked follicles and oviductal eggs found RESULTS simultaneously in the same individual was taken as evidence of multiple clutches. There were Sex ratios and reproduction.--Table 1 shows the insufficient recaptures of reproductively active number of males and females collected in each females to determine clutch frequency directly.
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