Geckos

The region between the Asian and Australian continental plates (Wallacea) demarcates the transition between two differentiated regional biotas. Despite this striking pattern, some terrestrial lineages have successfully traversed the
marine barriers of Wallacea and subsequently diversified in newly colonized regions. The hypothesis that these dispersals between biogeographic realms are correlated with detectable shifts in evolutionary trajectory has however
rarely been tested. Here, we analyse the evolution of body size in a widespread and exceptionally diverse group of gekkotan lizards (Cyrtodactylus), and show that a clade that has dispersed eastwards and radiated in the Australopapuan region appears to have significantly expanded its body size ‘envelope’ and repeatedly evolved gigantism. This pattern suggests that the biotic composition of the proto-Papuan Archipelago provided a permissive environment in which new colonists were released from evolutionary constraints operating to the west of Wallacea.

Guide to Lizards is an essential directory to more than 300 lizard species, including readily available terrarium choices plus dozens of seldom seen and rare species that are of great interest to hobbyists and travelers alike. Written by an acknowledged expert on lizards, each profile contains information on size, range, habitat, natural history, care, and suitability as a pet. Profiles are color-coded and organized by native region and feature discussion of how to find lizards in their habitat, making this an excellent book for outdoor-loving hobbyists and ecotourists. Full-color photos of species, subspecies, and color variants are complimented by informative sidebars.

ABSTRACT
COCCIDIOSIS IS GECKO
Alagenthirah Nakkeeran1, Alfarisa Nururrozi.2, Slamet Rahardjo3
1,2Coassistant of Small Animal Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine Sciene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Gadjah Mada University
2Lecturer of Department of Internal Medicine Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Gadjah Mada University
On 15th October 2018, an examination on a Leopard Gecko (Female, 1 year old, Mack Snow morph). Based on anamnesis the gecko is very thin and lost its appetite to eat. It had diarhhea and the skin appeared to be flaky and dry. The results of clinical examinations showed results of which we suspect could be Coccidiosis. Laboratory examination showed oocysts of cryptosporidium. It is an early stage infection. The gecko was taken in and treated. We started of by giving it a proper enclosure to live in. All tools and materials involved in the handling of the Gecko was disinfected with chloroxylenol to ensure no traces of the parasite lives. Based on history, the gecko has been loosing weight drastically and its appetite has been decreasing. We decided to give a variation of food to increase its appetite. We used live mealworm as a feed replacement to increase its appetite. Then we administered Caviplex as a form of multivitamin 2 drops, twice a day and then proceeded to give Trimetoprin Sulphate as a medication to Cryptosporidium 2 drops, twice a day. The gecko showed positive reaction to the medication and its appetite has increased. In conclusion, cryptosporidiosis is common in leopard gecko and can be treated with trimetoprim sulphate.

Key word: Gecko, Coccidiosis, Cryptospodirium, Trimetoprin Sulphate.

BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research.

Lepidodactylus lugubris is a small gekkonid lizard, predominantly parthenogenetic, with a widespread distribution in Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean islands, continental Asia, and well established exotic populations in the continental America and the Caribbean. Herein, we report the second inland locality for this gecko in Venezuela, extending its distribution ca. 126 km east from the only locality previously reported for the country (Naguanagua, Carabobo state). Based on the first record, the species was introduced in Venezuela at least seven years ago, but until now apparently remains uncommon and localized.

A record of Hemidactylus parvimaculatus preyed upon by a Yellow-billed Babbler, Turdoides affinis, at Puttalam, western Sri Lanka, is reported. The biology of this gecko is poorly known and this is the first published record of any predation on H. parvimaculatus.

The low desert plains of the Persian Gulf are located on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. This ecosystem includes a stretch of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) coastline at Abu Dhabi, the island of Bahrain, the coastline of Qatar, parts of Kuwait, and parts of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia extending up to the Rub’al-Khali Desert. The region is marked by red-brown sandy mounds and sparse vegetation. It is an important stopover for the birds traveling to Asia and Africa. Overgrazing, poaching, and oil spills are some of the major threats to the bird population.

The low desert plains of the Persian Gulf are located on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. This ecosystem includes a stretch of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) coastline at Abu Dhabi, the island of Bahrain, the coastline of Qatar, parts of Kuwait, and parts of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia extending up to the Rub’al-Khali Desert. The region is marked by red-brown sandy mounds and sparse vegetation. It is an important stopover for the birds traveling to Asia and Africa. Overgrazing, poaching, and oil spills are some of the major threats to the bird population.

A new species of the genus Tarentola is described from a single specimen in the herpetological collection or the National Museum of Soot.land. The gecko was part of a presentation made in 1884 by a resident of Jamaica, and is presumed to be a Jamaican endemic, possibly now extinct. Though clearly a member of the predominantly African genus Tarentola, the new lizard. bears no specific affinity with the only other known New World species, and is very distinct in lepidosis from similar African taxa. A ccmplete description is given for this new species.

Sri Lanka has a rich assemblage of gekkonid fauna. Among Sri Lankan geckos, rare species such as Hemiphyllodactylus typus and Lepidodactylus lugubris are poorly studied; both are considered vulnerable in national conservation assessments. Detailed ecological studies are needed for robust conservation assessments of these species, especially with the focus on island-wide distribution and microhabitat requirements. This study was conducted via patch sampling to record relative abundance and distribution of H. typus and L. lugubris based on random walks to 82 locations representing the three major bioclimatic zones of Sri Lanka. Morphological characteristics, behavior, and habitat use of the focal species were recorded. A total of 17 and 14 individuals of H. typus and L. lugubris were found, respectively, which indicated the low abundance of both species. Both species were nocturnal, arboreal, and did not den with conspecifics; they mostly preferred close-canopy, dense woody vegetation having mature moss-covered tree trunks with peeling barks and crevices over built-up environments. No records on oviposition were noted for either species. Both species were sluggish in their movements, even when disturbed. Currently known populations of both species occur in severely fragmented unprotected small forest patches. Therefore, habitat loss and fragmentation threaten these populations unless protected areas of Sri Lanka are expanded and functional connectivity is established.

The present paper reports on two species of geckos, Lepidodactylus lugubris and Gehyra dubia, that have now become established on Heron island (23°25’S, 151°55’E) in the Capricorn Group, near the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef, and provides information on the behaviour and reproduction of L. lugubris.

During day roosts surveys for bats in the Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona, northern Colombia, we found occupied tents made of leaves of the palm species Sabal mauritiiformis and Cocos nucifera. We found Artibeus jamaicensis and Uroderma convexum using the tents, with groups of U. convexum ranging from 1 to 23 individuals, and a single occurrence for A. jamaicensis. A tent was simultaneously occupied by U. convexum and Thecadactylus rapicauda (Squamata). Although tent-roosting is known to be a widespread behavior for stenodermatine bats, these are the first observations of tent-roosting bats in northern Colombia and highlight a high potential for finding tent-using bats in the region. RESUMEN. Uso de tiendas de hojas por Artibeus y Uroderma (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) en el norte de Colombia. Durante una búsqueda diurna de refugios de murciélagos en el Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona, en el norte de Colombia, encontramos tiendas hechas de hojas de las palmeras Sabal mauritiiformis y Cocos nucifera. Encontramos a Artibeus jamaicensis y Uroderma convexum utilizando las tiendas, con grupos de U. convexum que variaban de 1 a 23 individuos y una sola ocurrencia de A. jamaicensis. Una tienda era ocupa-da simultáneamente por U. convexum y Thecadactylus rapicauda (Squamata). Aunque se sabe que el acampar en tiendas es un comportamiento generalizado para los murciélagos stenodermatine, estas son las primeras observaciones de murciélagos tienderos en el norte de Colombia y destacan un alto potencial para encontrar murciélagos que usan tiendas en la región.

Predation and defense behavior in reptiles can take many forms (Vitt & Caldwell 2009) and its outcome depends
on the interaction between predator and prey, as well as on intrinsic and extrinsic factors (Durso & Mullin 2013).
These can include the arrival of secondary predators, which are sometimes attracted by the commotion caused by the
initial predation event (e.g., Hödl & Gollman 1986, De Toledo et al. 2009). A human passing by a predation event
might be perceived as a threat by both predator and prey, and may complicate the interpretation of their subsequent
behavior. The following report describes an unusual interaction between a Garden Flying Snake (Chrysopelea paradisi) and a Tokay Gecko (Gekko gecko) in southern Thailand in 1993. The reptiles were engaged in predation and defense behaviors, respectively, an account of which (Buttle 1994) originally reported as involving an Ornate Flying Snake (C. ornata). This correction and more complete details and interpretations are reported herein.

Lepidodactylus lugubris is a small gekkonid lizard, predominantly parthenogenetic, with a widespread distribution in Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean islands, continental Asia, and well established exotic populations in the continental America and the Caribbean. Herein, we report the second inland locality for this gecko in Venezuela, extending its distribution ca. 126 km east from the only locality previously reported for the country (Naguanagua, Carabobo state). Based on the first record, the species was introduced in Venezuela at least seven years ago, but until now apparently remains uncommon and localized.

Bite-force performance is an ecologically important measure of whole-organism performance that shapes dietary breadth and feeding strategies and, in some taxa, determines reproductive success. It also is a metric that is crucial to testing and evaluating biomechanical models. We reviewed nearly 100 published studies of a range of taxa that incorporate direct in vivo measurements of bite force. Problematically, methods of data collection and processing vary considerably among studies. In particular, there is little consensus on the appropriate substrate to use on the biting surface of force transducers. In addition, the bite out-lever, defined as the distance from the fulcrum (i.e. jaw joint) to the position along the jawline at which the jaws engage the transducer, is rarely taken into account. We examined the effect of bite substrate and bite out-lever on bite-force estimates in a diverse sample of lizards. Results indicate that both variables have a significant impact on the accuracy of measurements. Maximum bite force is significantly greater using leather as the biting substrate compared with a metal substrate. Less-forceful bites on metal are likely due to inhibitory feedback from mechanoreceptors that prevent damage to the feeding apparatus. Standardization of bite out-lever affected which trial produced maximum performance for a given individual. Indeed, maximum bite force is usually underestimated without standardization because it is expected to be greatest at the minimum out-lever (i.e. back of the jaws), which in studies is rarely targeted with success. We assert that future studies should use a pliable substrate, such as leather, and use appropriate standardization for bite out-lever.

During a nine week period, we studied the abundance of the gecko Phelsuma madagascariensis grandis, using
visual encounter surveys conducted along 75 transects within each of three habitat types in a semi-humid dry deciduous
forest in the north of Madagascar. We observed 91 P. m. grandis during our study. Capture rates in village orchards
were higher than in clear cut and forest areas. Structural habitat parameters on transects differed significantly between
habitats. The orchards and the clear cut areas showed lower structural diversity than forests. Multiple regression
analyses showed that the habitat parameters that we measured significantly influence the abundance of P. m. grandis.
The best regression model explained 57% of the variation in the abundance of P. m. grandis. We conclude that high
structural diversity is not important for this species. Our results suggest that abundance is positively influenced by
higher numbers of trees (perch sites and associated cover) and increases in food resources within orchard habitats.
Herein, we discuss the conservation implications of our study for this gecko.