Abstract
Lepidodactylus lugubris is a parthenogenetic gecko which has been increasingly expanding its range during the last century. This invasive species has been reported from multiple tropical and subtropical countries in five continents, most of which were colonized in recent times. In order to understand how the realized niche of the species was affected by this dramatic geographic range expansion, we reconstructed the history of the geographic range expansion. We built models of the realized niche of the species at different points in time during the invasion process. This was achieved through the implementation of modern hypervolume construction methods, based on the Hutchinson’s niche concept. The models were then compared to detect possible realized climatic niche expansion over time. Furthermore, we investigated possible pathways used by the species to spread. A progressive expansion of the realized niche was identified. As the species spread into new areas, we observed a tendency to colonize regions with warmer temperatures and higher precipitation rates. Finally, we found evidence for cargo shipping being the major pathway through which the species expands its range. Further studies on this topic should aim to investigate the role of biological interactions, and how they shape the distribution of L. lugubris on a global scale. A deeper understanding of this kind of processes will help us tackle the issue of invasive species, which has become a major challenge in conservation biology.
Highlights
Biological invasions represent a phenomenon that has been growing rapidly during the last centuries
We found that L. lugubris is tending to increase its population and extending its geographic range in areas which present a warmer climate and with an increased precipitation
The geographic range expansion is reflected in a realized niche expansion in environmental space
Summary
Biological invasions represent a phenomenon that has been growing rapidly during the last centuries. Geographic range expansion and realized niche expansion in the invasive Mourning Gecko. The genus Lepidodactylus currently comprises 34 species of geckos native to Southeast Asia and the Pacific [3]. The majority of them are excellent trans-oceanic dispersers [4], but the most successful colonizer of the genus is undoubtedly the Mourning gecko Lepidodactylus lugubris [5]. Clone 2NA seems to be a more efficient colonizer because of divergent ecological traits, which might be linked to the thermal biology, temporal and geographic distribution of the lineage [8]. Evidence for a geographic predominance of a specific clone lineage based on genotype and physiological traits is still lacking
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