hemidactylus turcicus
229546653
The first confirmed records of the Mediterranean house geckos, Hemidactylus turcicus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Here we provide the first confirmed records of Hemidactylus turcicus (Linnaeus, 1758) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although this species was for a long time considered common in Bosnia and Herzegovina and it is included in the species list of the country, clear evaluation of the available scientific literature revealed the species presence in the country was never provided. Therefore, the aim of the note is the confirmation of H. turcicus presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Goran Sukalo Dejan Dmitrovic Sonja Nikolic Ivana Marinovic Matovic Rastko Ajtic L Tomovic
229652406
First record of predation of Hemidactylus turcicus by Argiope bruennichi (Arachnida: Araneidae)
Se reporta un primer caso de depredacion de un juvenil de Hemidactylus turcicus por parte de la arana tigre Argiope bruennichi, asi como se incrementa el conocimiento de la distribucion conocida de H. turcicus en la isla de Mallorca con una nueva cuadricula UTM 10x10 km.
Enrique Pantoja Samuel Pinya Fernandez
223556803
Acroeimeria lineri (McAllister, Upton, Freed, 1988) Paperna and Landsberg, 1989 in Mediterranean Geckos (Hemidactylus turcicus) Oocyst Morphometrics, Endogenous Developmental Stages, and Molecular Sequencing Support its Placement into Acroeimeria.
Between June 2016 and June 2019, we surveyed 62 Mediterranean geckos, Hemidactylus turcicus, from Abu Rawash, Giza, Egypt, for the presence of endoparasites. In June 2016, we found 3 individuals to be infected with Eimeria lineri. We studied the morphology and inner structures of its sporulated oocysts, and the locations of its intestinal endogenous stages. We also extracted genomic DNA from these sporulated oocysts and successfully sequenced a 632 bp fragment of the 18S rRNA gene. Phylogenetic analyses using this partial sequence allowed us to support previous studies that assigned E. lineri to the genus Acroeimeria. Our consensus sequence was used to query similar 18S rDNA sequences from GenBank, and 14 sequences were selected. The phylogenetic analysis inferred by maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods gave similar results, as both separated the sequences into 2 clades: (1) a monophyletic group of Goussia species (from fish) and (2) a strongly supported clade that separated 4 Choleoeimeria species from a polyphyletic group of species that clustered A. lineri with 3 other Acroeimeria species and 3 Eimeria species from lizards, including Eimeria tiliquae from Tiliqua rugosa (Gray, 1825) Eimeria tokayae from Gecko gecko (L. 1758) and Eimeria eutropidis from Eutropis macularia (Blyth, 1853) Our study supports the placement of E. lineri into the Acroeimeria and contributes additional life history information toward understanding the evolutionary origin of the Eimeria like species that have sporocysts without Stieda bodies in their oocysts and that infect saurian reptiles. We also support the concept that several traits (morphological, endogenous, and gene sequences) are both necessary and important for authors to include when making generic reassignments within the eimeriid coccidia.
The Journal of parasitology
Abdel-Azeem S Abdel-Baki Heba M Abdel-Haleem Donald W Duszynski Saleh Al-Quraishy Lamjed Mansour
225795483
First record of Turkish Gecko Hemidactylus turcicus (Linnaeus, 1758) populations for Piedmont, Italy (Sauria Gekkonidae)
This work reports the first occurrence of Hemidactylus turcicus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Sauria Gekkonidae) populations in Piedmont (Italy) one in the city of Turin and the other in Valle Talloria, Cuneo Province. They represent two new northern mainland sites for the species, which likely arrived in these areas by indirect anthropic transport.
Matteo Riccardo Di Nicola Daniele Raimondi Roberto Ghiglia Thomas Zabbia
224984949
Novel Records of Hemidactylus turcicus (L. 1758) (Squamata: Gekkonidae) at the Turkish Black Sea Coast, with Notes on Its Morphology
The locality records of the Turkish gecko Hemidactylus turcicus whose inhabited locations from Black Sea coast of Turkey was not clearly specified in the literature were provided in the present study. The lizards were caught from three provinces (Zonguldak, Sinop, and Trabzon) The pholidolial and morphometric characters and color pattern features of the specimens were found similar to the specimens of H. turcicus reported in the literature.
Ufuk Bulbul Halime Koc Engin Zaman
90779169
Ontogeny, But Not Sexual Dimorphism, Drives the Intraspecific Variation of Quadrate Morphology in Hemidactylus turcicus (Squamata: Gekkonidae)
Abstract The functional components of the lizard skull are divided into the chondrocranial braincase, protective dermatocranium, lower jaw, and hyobranchial apparatus. These regions are interconnected and become operational through the quadrate, a bone critical for cranial biomechanics and support of the peripheral auditory system. The quadrate is a complex and variable structure in squamates; however, neither the intraspecific nor interspecific variation of this element has been studied in detail. We investigated the intraspecific variation of quadrate morphology within Hemidactylus turcicus with the use of cleared and double stained specimens and high resolution x ray microcomputed tomography. Our objectives were to quantify quadrate shape and the degree of intraspecific variation within this element with the use of 2 D and 3 D geometric morphometric analyses and investigate if this variation is driven by ontogeny and/or sexual dimorphism. Our results demonstrate that ontogeny, but not sexual shape dimorphism, drives the intraspecific variation of quadrate bone morphology in H. turcicus. We also illustrate the benefit of using 3 D morphometric analyses on complicated morphological structures. This is the first study to quantify the intraspecific variation of a single cranial element within geckos, and it highlights the importance of using increased sample sizes to further characterize the natural variation of skeletal morphology.
Herpetologica
Daniel J Paluh Kurtulus Olgun Aaron M Bauer
90648520
Population Viability of Nonnative Mediterranean House Geckos (Hemidactylus turcicus) at an Urban Site Near the Northern Invasion Front
Abstract Biological invasions are one of the most serious threats to biodiversity conservation. Although success and impacts of many invaders, particularly ectotherms, are likely to be limited by a combination of climatic and demographic factors, human modifications to the environment can facilitate distributional expansion into otherwise low quality landscapes. We assessed factors that might promote or preclude population viability of a nonnative ectotherm, Hemidactylus turcicus (Mediterranean House Gecko) within an urban center at the northern periphery of its known North American range. Mediterranean House Geckos are increasingly apparent in the southeastern United States, but their potential for establishment and spread in more temperate regions is less well known. We gathered data using capture recapture methods and the unique dorsal patterns of individual geckos. Despite a more temperate climate compared to other areas in their introduced range, and refuge temperatures falling below the critical thermal minimum previously documented for other introduced Mediterranean House Gecko populations, geckos survived the winter and reproduced successfully. Cormack Jolly Seber open population models did not provide definitive evidence regarding changes in population size over the study period. The tendency for this introduced species to establish populations primarily within urban centers may suggest that negative impacts associated with this northerly expansion are minor. Nonetheless, a high potential for range expansion suggests a need to assess a potentially growing suite of ecosystem interactions.
Journal of Herpetology
Jacob L Wessels Evin T Carter Chase L Hively Lindsey E Hayter Benjamin M Fitzpatrick
30271472
A new species of Oochoristica (Cyclophyllidea: Linstowiidae) from non native Mediterranean geckos, Hemidactylus turcicus (Sauria: Gekkonidae) from Texas, USA
A new species of cyclophyllidean tapeworm, Oochoristica harschi sp. nov. is described from 2 of 18 (11% non native Mediterranean geckos (Hemidactylus turcicus) collected in June 2016 from Tom Green County, Texas, USA The new species has few characteristics in common with 17 species of Oochoristica previously described from Nearctic reptiles. Of this group, O. harschi is most similar to O. macallisteri Bursey and Goldberg, 1996 from the side blotched lizard, Uta stansburiana from Arizona and California, USA, in number of testes, 14 20 vs. 12 20. However, O. harschi has oval suckers and a long neck compared to the circular suckers and absent neck in O. macallisteri. On comparison with other species of Oochoristica, it was found O. chinensis Jensen, Schmidt and Kuntz, 1983 from the Sino Japanese realm, O. iguanae Bursey and Goldberg, 1996 from the Neotropical realm, and O. maccoyi Bursey and Goldberg, 1966 from the Panamanian realm were most similar to the new species. However, O. harschi can be differentiated by possessing a much longer neck and a shorter cirrus pouch. It can be further differentiated from O. chinensis by possessing an ovoid vs. an irregular vitellarium, from O. iguanae by having a smaller strobilus (65 vs. 110 mm) as well as an ovoid vs. a triangular vitellarium, and from O. maccoyi by having significantly more proglottids (145 vs. 89) and a longer strobilus (65 vs. 20 mm) The new species is the fifth species of Oochoristica reported from non native H. turcicus and the 18th species described from the Nearctic region.
Acta Parasitologica
Chris T McAllister Charles R Bursey
197568035
Record sizes for the Turkish house gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus, from Aegean islands, Greece
The Turkish house gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus, is a nocturnal and insectivorous gecko (Durrell, 1956; Baha El Din, 2006; Bar Haimovitch, 2012; authors' personal observations) It is a common edificarian house gecko that frequents rocks, boulders and house walls (the Hebrew origin of Proverbs 30:28 is more specific than common English translation in stating that unlike "a lizard" a gecko "is caught by hand, yet inhabits the king's palaces" It is naturally distributed in Southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East (Sindaco Jeremcenko, 2008) Pakistan and India (Sharma, 2005; Khan, 2006) It is widely introduced in the New World, from Panama to the USA (Uetz, 2016) H. turcicus is a relatively small member of its genus (Feldman et al. 2016) The vast literature pertaining to its body size suggests it grows to no more than 61mm in SVL (maximum recorded for males: 60.2 mm, for females: 59.7 mm, Delaugerre, 1984) Our own measurements of 563 live individuals and museum specimens (Table 1; adults and juveniles of both sexes) suggest an overall size range of 1760.1 mm SVL. Mass data are less common for H. turcicus, as they are for lizards in general (Meiri, 2010) Literature data (Huey et al. 1989; Garland, 1994; Irschick et al. 1996; Van Damme Vanhooydonck, 2001) suggest a maximum of 3.6 g. Our measurements (Table 1) suggest an overall mass range of 0.16.5 g) METHODS
Yuval Itescu Rachel Schwarz Michael E Moses Panayiotis Pafilis Shai Meiri
9831469
Redescription and new locality record of Choleoeimeria turcicus from the gallbladder of Hemidactylus turcicus in Egypt, with notes on its endogenous development
Upton et al. J Protozool 35:24 25, 1988 originally described Eimeria turcicus from the gallbladder of the Mediterranean gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus, in the USA. Shortly after establishing the genus Choleoeimeria, Paperna and Landsberg S Afr J Zool 24:345 355, 1989 transferred E. turcicus to this genus, renaming it as Choleoeimeria turcicus. This paper reports the findings of a survey of coccidian parasites of lizards in Egypt, during which tetrasporocystic oocysts were reported from the gallbladder of H. turcicus. Based on the oocysts' morphological and morphometric characteristics and the same host, it can be deduced for the first time that the present species is conspecific with E. turcicus. In the present study, the gallbladder was the sole site for the endogenous development and no endogenous stages were noticed in the intestine. The endogenous stages induce hypertrophy and displacement of the infected cells from the original biliary epithelium to form a prolonged and branching outgrowth. We therefore followed Paperna and Landsberg S Afr J Zool 24:345 355, 1989 and considered the biliary coccidium recorded in this study to be a member of the genus Choleoeimeria. This represents a new locality record for C. turcicus, which was previously known in the USA and Israel.
Parasitology Research
Heba M Abdel-Haleem Saleh Al-Quraishy Abdel-Azeem S Abdel-Baki