Opportunistic feeding by house-dwelling geckos: does this make them more successful invaders?

Abstract

Various species of ‘house’ gecko are found in and around buildings, where they can be observed feeding opportunistically on the insects attracted to artificial lights. Most of the species are considered strict insectivores. Nevertheless, there have been several recently published observations of ‘house’ geckos feeding on non-insect food. In order to assess how common this behaviour is among geckos worldwide, we offered an online questionnaire to ecologists and herpetologists. Of the 74 observations received, most reported Hemidactylus frenatus, H. platyurus and Gehyra mutilata feeding on rice, bread, fruits, vegetables, dog food or chocolate cream, taken from tables, plates, and garbage bins. This opportunistic feeding behaviour is much more common than previously thought and is perpetrated by species considered to be highly invasive, possibly contributing to their success as invaders.