SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 20 (3/4) Wien, 30. Jänner 2008 SHORT NOTE 175 First record of Tarentola Canaries and Cape Verde), Cuba and the Ba- mauritanica (LINNAEUS, 1758) hamas (HARRIS et al. 2004b). The Moorish Gecko Tarentola mauri- on Porto Santo Island tanica is widespread in North Africa from Mediterranean to Sahara, Iberian Peninsula, Madeira is a relatively large volcanic the Mediterranean coast of France and Italy island (circa 770 km2) lying about 700 km and isolated populations in Greece, Israel, from the western coast of Africa and about and many Mediterranean islands (ARNOLD 900 km from the southwestern coast of et al. 1978; ANDRADA 1985; ESCRIVA 1987; Europe (Portugal) (from 32º37’52’’N to 32º MARTÍNEZ-RICA 1997a, 1997b; MATEO 1997). 52’08’’N, and from 16º39’19’’W to 17º15’ Due to its anthropophilic behavior and adap- 54’’W; PEREIRA 1989). The subaerial part tive capacity, the species spread in Europe of the island is about 4.6 – 5.2 million years and was introduced to some distant places old (GELDMACHER et al. 2000; PRADA & such as North and South America and some SERRALHEIRO 2000). Porto Santo is a small places in Africa (MARTINEZ-RICA 1997b), as island (circa 41 km2) located 38 km north- well as some islands like the Canaries (MAR- east from Madeira (from 33º07’35’’N to 33º TINEZ-RICA 1997b). 59’40’’N, and from 16º24’35’’W to 16º16’ According to HARRIS et al. (2004b), a 35’’W; PEREIRA 1989) and the oldest island single mitochondrial (mtDNA) haplotype of the Archipelago, aged about 14 million was found among the individuals from years (GELDMACHER et al. 2000). The sea Portugal, Spain, Italy, Tunisia, Menorca, depth between the two islands is greater Crete and Madeira, suggesting that T. mau- than 2000 m, indicating that they have never ritanica may be introduced across Europe. been joined. The native herpetofauna is very However, HARRIS et al. (2004a), with addi- depauperate, probably due to the great geo- tional sampling found that at least some graphical isolation of these islands from any Iberian populations appeared to be different, continental source populations. and thus, possibly native. Lacerta dugesii MILNE-EDWARDS, 1829 One individual was captured in Fun- is the sole extant flightless vertebrate ende- chal (Rua Imperatriz Dona Amélia), two in mic to Madeira. Introduced Hemidactylus Garajau, one in Porto Santo and one in the mabouia (MOREAU DE JONNÉS, 1818) was Algarve (mainland Portugal). All, except first reported in Funchal (Madeira island) the Porto Santo individual, are vouchers almost five years ago (JESUS et al. 2002). housed in the collection at the University of Since then several observations were made Madeira (collection codes: 361 for the indi- in the Funchal area. vidual from Algarve, 363 and 367 for the Tarentola mauritanica (LINNAEUS, two individuals from Garajau, and 400 for 1758) is also a recent introduction and was the Funchal specimen). The individual from first reported to Madeira almost 15 years ago Porto Santo was observed and photographed (BÁEZ & BISCOITO 1993). The first data of its in the field, and the tip of the tail was occurrence referred only to a small locality, clipped and subject to DNA analysis, and Garajau, 7 km east of Funchal. Since this re- then the gecko was released. Morphologic- port, the species has been observed in sever- al analysis indicates that these five geckos al places as far as 20 km from its initial loca- captured in these islands were T. mauritani- tion. This species was unknown to Porto ca mauritanica (Figs. 1-2). Santo Island until now. We captured one indi- Genomic DNA was extracted follow- vidual and further surveying revealed many ing standard phenol-chloroform protocols. more individuals on this island. This leads us For each individual 12S rRNA fragments to believe that a larger population exists. were amplified by PCR using the primers The genus Tarentola (Reptilia, Gekko- according to KOCHER et al. (1989) and con- nidae) contains about 22 species that are ditions described in HARRIS et al. (1998). very similar in their external morphology. For one individual from Porto Santo and These species occur in North Africa, coastal one from Funchal 16S rRNA fragments regions of Mediterranean Sea, Macaro- were amplified by PCR using primers ac- nesian archipelagos (Madeira, Selvagens, cording to SIMON et al. (1990). 176 SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 20 (3/4) Wien, 30. Jänner 2008 SHORT NOTE Figs. 1-2: Tarentola mauritanica (LINNAEUS, 1758) from Porto Santo Island, Madeira Archipelago. Photos: Miguel SEQUEIRA. Amplified products were sequenced AY828457) from Morocco. All these ani- on an automated sequencer (ABI® 310) in mals belong to a clade that includes individ- both directions. This resulted in unambigu- uals of Portugal, Spain, Italy, Tunisia, Men- ous sequences of 360 base pairs for the 12S orca, Crete, Madeira and Morocco (see HAR- rRNA and 485 base pairs for the 16S rRNA. RIS et al. 2004a), and could be considered as New sequences were deposited on Gen- an introduced lineage in Europe. Bank, accession numbers EU148479 to The absence of variability among EU148485. Madeiran samples and between theses The alignment by eye of sequences samples and one of the European lineages showed them all to be identical. Compari- seems to indicate that the geckos found in son of these sequences to sequences from Madeira and Porto Santo were introduced GenBank, shows they are also identical for individuals probably originating from the both regions to four sequences of T. mauri- same lineage that occurs in most of Europe. tanica mauritanica obtained by HARRIS et Although it is not possible to define the al. (2004a). These sequences belong to the place of origin with these markers, they following individuals (according to HARRIS were likely to come from the Iberian Pen- et al. 2004a): Tm30 (16S - AY828485, 12S - insula. This interpretation is most proba- AY828459), Tm29 (AY828484, AY828459) ble, because it is between the Iberian Tm27 (AY828483, AY828458) from the Peninsula and Madeira that the main mar- Iberian Peninsula and Tm58 (AY828482, itime traffic occurs. SHORT NOTE HERPETOZOA 20 (3/4) Wien, 30. Jänner 2008 SHORT NOTE 177 However, in the study of NOGALES et SCHMICKE, H. (2000): The 40Ar/39Ar age dating of the al. (1998), two individuals from Madeira Madeira Archipelago and hotspot track (eastern North Atlantic).- Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems were sequenced for 12S and they were not [electronic Journal http://www.g-cubed.org/], Washing- identical, differing in 9 sites in Cytochrome ton D.C.; 1: 1999GC000018. HARRIS, D. J. & ARNOLD, b. If this is the case, there is still the possi- E. N. & THOMAS, R. H. (1998): Rapid speciation, mor- bility that not all geckos from Madeira may phological evolution and adaptation to extreme envi- ronments in Sand Lizards (Meroles) as revealed by mito- be introduced, or they were introduced chondrial gene sequences.- Molecular Phylogenetics from different origins. Our data does not and Evolution; San Diego; 10: 37-48. HARRIS, D. J. & support this hypothesis but further sam- BATISTA, V. & CARRETERO, M. A. & FERRAND, N. pling is needed. (2004a): Genetic variation in Tarentola mauritanica (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) across the Strait of Gibraltar With these results it is not possible to derived from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequen- elucidate the origin of the geckos found in ces.- Amphibia-Reptilia, Leiden; 25: 451-459. HARRIS, Porto Santo Island. Two possibilities arise; D. J. & BATISTA, V. & LYMBERAKIS, P. & CARRETERO, one that the origin was continental and the M. A. (2004b): Complex estimates of evolutionary re- lationships in Tarentola mauritanica (Reptilia: Gekko- other that the origin was from Madeira. It is nidae) derived from mitochondrial DNA sequences.- also impossible to say if it was one, two or Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, San Diego; more introduction events in Madeira and 30: 855-859. JESUS, J. & FREITAS, A. & BREHM, A. & Porto Santo. HARRIS, D. J. (2002): An introduced population of He- midactylus mabouia (MOREAU DE JONNÉS, 1818) on Originally referred only to Garajau, Madeira Island.- Herpetozoa, Wien; 15 (3/4): 179-180. the species has since been found in other MARTÍNEZ-RICA, J-P. (1997a): Tarentola mauritanica. areas such as Funchal, São Martinho, Caniço, pp. 214-215. In: GASC, J. P. & CABELA, A. & CRNO- etc., places 10 km or more from the original BRNJA-ISAILOVIC, J. & DÓLMEN, D. & GROSSENBACHER, K. & HAFFNER, P. & LESCURE, J. & MARTENS, H. & locality, suggesting a quick spread of the MARTINEZ-RICA, J. P. & MAURIN, H. & OLIVEIRA, M. E. species. & SOFIANIDOU, T. S. & VEITH, M. & ZUIDERWIJK,A. Only one individual from Porto Santo (eds.): Atlas of amphibians and reptiles in Europe. was analyzed but others were frequently Paris (Societas Europaea Herpetologica and Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle). MARTÍNEZ-RICA, J. P. seen in the last months in the island. (1997b): Tarentola mauritanica LINNAEUS 1758; pp. In just 15 years the species increased 202-204. In: PLEGUEZUELOS, J. M. (ed.): Distribución y their geographic distribution, including the biogeografía de los anfibios y reptiles en España y Por- spreading to another island, and this in- tugal. Granada (Universidad de Granada y asociación Herpetológica Española). MATEO, J. A. (1997): Las crease seems gradual, as in intermediate re- islas e islotes del litoral ibérico; pp. 343-350. In: ports the area of distribution was smaller PLEGUEZUELOS, J. M. (ed.): Distribución y biogeografía (see JESUS et al. 2002). de los anfibios y reptiles en España y Portugal. Grana- The spread of the species is worrisome da (Universidad de Granada y asociación Herpeto- lógica Española). NOGALES, M. & LÓPEZ, M. & from a conservation point of view, because JIMÉNEZ-ASENSIO, J. & LARRUGA, J. M. & HERNÁNDEZ, Porto Santo is a very small and dry island M. & GONZÁLEZ, P. (1998): Evolution and biogeogra- with just one extant native lizard.