WWW.IRCF.ORG/REPTILESANDAMPHIBIANSJOURNALTABLE OF CONTENTS IRCF REPTILES IRCF& AMPHIBIANS REPTILES • VOL &15, AMPHIBIANS NO 4 • DEC 2008 • 19(1):60–63189 • MARCH 2012 IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS CONSERVATION AND NATURAL HISTORY TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCED SPECIES FEATURE ARTICLES . Chasing Bullsnakes (Pituophis catenifer sayi) in Wisconsin: On the Road to Understanding the Ecology and Conservation of the Midwest’s Giant Serpent ...................... Joshua M. Kapfer 190 The Lake. The Shared History Champlain of Treeboas (Corallus grenadensis) and Humans Frontier on Grenada: as a Portal for A Hypothetical Excursion ............................................................................................................................Robert W. Henderson 198 AccidentallyRESEARCH ARTICLES Introduced Asian Geckos . The Texas Horned Lizard in Central and Western Texas ....................... Emily Henry, Jason Brewer, Krista Mougey, and Gad Perry 204 1 2 . The Knight Anole (Anolis equestris) in AaronFlorida M. Bauer and Barry W. Baker .............................................Brian J. Camposano, Kenneth L. Krysko, Kevin M. Enge, Ellen M. Donlan, and Michael Granatosky 212 1 DepartmentCONSERVATION of Biology, Villanova University,ALERT 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, Pennsylvania 19085-1699, USA ([email protected]) 2U.S. National Fish & Wildlife Forensics Laboratory, Morphology Section, 1490 East Main Street, Ashland, Oregon 97520-1310, USA ([email protected]) . World’s Mammals in Crisis ............................................................................................................................................................. 220 . More Than Mammals ...................................................................................................................................................................... 223 lthough most gekkotan. The “Dow lizardJones Index” species of Biodiversity have ........................................................................................................................................... very limited detection. Most discoveries occur at 225 or near their final des- Aareas of endemism,HUSBANDRY a small number of species, includ- tination, when shipments are being unpacked by buyers or ing representatives of. Captive the Caregekkonid of the Central genera Netted Dragon Hemidactylus ......................................................................................................., inspected by customs, border Shannon Plummercontrol, 226 or quarantine officials. Lepidodactylus, GekkoPROFILE, and Gehyra, have broad distributions For example, Gekko monarchus, a tropical Asian species, was that have been achieved,. Kraig in Adler: part, A Lifetime through Promoting human Herpetology agency. ................................................................................................ For found in a factory warehouse Michael L.in Treglia Port 234 Elizabeth, South Africa the most part, such introduced geckos have become natural- (Bauer and Branch 2004) and a specimen of G. hokouensis COMMENTARY ized outside of their .originalThe Turtles rangesHave Been Watchingonly in Me tropical ........................................................................................................................ or sub- was intercepted by U.S. Customs Eric Gangloff and 238 Border Protection per- tropical areas (Lever 2003, Kraus 2009). However, at least sonnel at the Port of Champlain, New York in a shipment one species, the MediterraneanBOOK REVIEW Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus), of plastic liners that originated 35 days earlier in Qingdao, . Threatened Amphibians of the World edited by S.N. Stuart, M. Hoffmann, J.S. Chanson, N.A. Cox, has become established, R.albeit Berridge, in P. veryRamani, circumscribed and B.E. Young .............................................................................................................. pockets, Shandong Province, People’s Robert Republic Powell 243 of China (Bauer and in areas of the United States that experience more severe win- Baker 2008). ters than any place inCONSERVATION their native range RESEARCH (Norden REPORTS: and Norden Summaries of Published Conservation Judging Researchby their Reports establishment ................................. and 245 naturalization around NATURAL HISTORY RESEARCH REPORTS: Summaries of Published Reports on Natural History ................................. 247 [1989] 1991, Knight NEWBRIEFS 1993, Bauer ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 2000). the world (Lever 2003, Kraus 2009), 248 certain House Geckos Through the combination EDITORIAL INFORMATION of increasingly ..................................................................................................................................................... rapid move- of the genus Hemidactylus are among 251 the most successful of ment of goods internationallyFOCUS ON CONSERVATION and increased: Aborder Project You inspec Can Support- ...............................................................................................all invasive gecko species. Their colonization 252 of extralimital tions, ever more geckos are both arriving alive and being areas is assumed to have been primarily the result of acci- discovered at temperate ports of entry around the world. In dental introductions through goods transport, although in New Zealand, 189 records of exoticFront amphibian Cover. Shannon and Plummer. reptile someBack cases Cover. reptile Michael Kernimporters or breeders have been impli- interceptions were generated duringTotat the et vellesequeperiod audant1929–2000 mo catedTotat (Meshakaet velleseque audant et al. mo 2004). In the United States, at least (119 in the 1990s alone), of which estibusgeckos inveliquo accounted velique rerchil for 101 fiveestibus species inveliquo ofvelique Hemidactylus rerchil have become established, H. erspienimus, quos accullabo. Ilibus erspienimus, quos accullabo. Ilibus (Gill et al. 2001). Many such stowawaysaut dolor apictotravel invere trans-conti pe dolum - turcicusaut dolor apicto, H. inveremabouia pe dolum, H. garnotii, H. frenatus, and H. (for- nentally by ship in massive containersfugiatis and maionsequat may easily eumque escape merlyfugiatis Cosymbotus maionsequat eumque) platyurus . In southern Florida, all are pres- moditia erere nonsedis ma sectiatur moditia erere nonsedis ma sectia- ma derrovitae voluptam, as quos ent,tur andma derrovitae these voluptam,geckos asinteract not only with the native fauna, accullabo. but with one another, with the dynamics changing over time as newer arrivals become naturalized (Meshaka et al. 1994, 2004; Punzo 2005). While the southern states of the U.S. have long been the recipients of tropical colonizers and are at greatest risk for their establishment, global trade and transport have made it possible for exotic species to use virtually any entry point as a portal into the United States. We here report on two recent records of intercepted Hemidactylus spp. in the northeastern United States. Specimen 1.—A juvenile Hemidactylus (CAS 250102, 40.48 mm SVL) was intercepted alive by an Agriculture Specialist (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) at Highgate Fig. 1. Hemidactylus frenatus, one of the most widely introduced and estab- lished of all gecko species. Specimen from an introduced population in Springs, Vermont on 18 August 2008. It had entered the Nouméa, New Caledonia. Photograph by A.M. Bauer. U.S. via truck from the province of Québec, Canada in a 60 INTRODUCED SPECIES IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • 19(1):60–63 • MARCH 2012 Fig. 2. Hemidactylus bowringii from WaWa Valley, New Taipei County, Taiwan. Although this species does not appear to be invasive, its occurrence on manmade structures makes it a likely candidate for accidental introductions in cargo shipments. Photograph courtesy of Ming-Chung Tu. shipment of lawnmower parts. The shipment originated in into Taiwan and the Ryukyus (McMahan and Zug 2007), Kaohsiung, Taiwan on 18 July 2008 and traveled by ship whereas the recently described H. aquilonius occurs westward via Yantian, China (19 July), Hong Kong (20 July), Osaka, from Yunnan through Burma to Assam, in northeastern India Japan (23 July), and Tokyo (24 July) and arrived in Tacoma, (Purkayastha et al. 2010). Based on the circumstances of its Washington on 1 August 2008. From Tacoma, the shipment translocation, we are confident that the specimen represents traveled to Vancouver, crossing Canada by train to Montréal. H. bowringii. Hatchlings of H. bowringii measure 18.5–19.8 Only three species of Hemidactylus are recorded for mm SVL (Lazell 2002), thus given a transit time of approxi- Taiwan (Ota 1989, 1991; Lue et al. 1999; Shang and Lin mately 30–35 days, the specimen probably hatched from an 2008): H. bowringii, H. stejnegeri, and H. frenatus. Although egg en route, possibly even an egg laid en route, given an similar in general appearance, only H. frenatus possesses dorsal incubation period of approximately one month (Karsen et al. tubercles (Fig. 1), which are clearly evident on the specimen. 1998, Lazell 2002). Specimen 2.—A hatchling Hemidactylus (CAS 250103; Although the severe winters of northern New York State 18.85 mm SVL) was found dead and partly dehydrated by an or Vermont would prevent establishment of these tropical Agriculture Specialist (U.S. Customs and Border Protection)