On the origin of South American populations of the common house gecko (Gekkonidae: Hemidactylus frenatus)

By

Torres-Carvajal, Omar

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2015

Original Publication

NeoBiota : advancing research on alien species and biological invasions

Volume

27

Pages

69-79

Subjects

Galapagos , Gekkonidae , Hemidactylus , invasive species , South America

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sophia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.27.5437

 

Abstract

Hemidactylus frenatus is an Asian gecko species that has invaded many tropical regions to become one of the most widespread lizards worldwide. This species has dispersed across the Pacific Ocean to reach Hawaii and subsequently Mexico and other Central American countries. More recently, it has been reported from northwestern South America. Using 12S and cytb mitochondrial DNA sequences I found that South American and Galápagos haplotypes are identical to those from Hawaii and Papua New Guinea, suggesting a common Melanesian origin for both Hawaii and South America. Literature records suggest that H. frenatus arrived in Colombia around the mid-‘90s, dispersed south into Ecuador in less than five years, and arrived in the Galápagos about one decade later.