The Arabian Peninsula represents a bridge between three continents and two major zoogeographic regions, the Palearctic and Afrotropical (Ethiopian). It is well known for its richness and endemicity not only among geckos, but among squamate reptiles in general. Besides impressive endemic species located in the mountains, there are some, widely distributed across the entire Arabian Peninsula (pan-arabian distribution) and in terms of research they remain neglected. Among Arabian geckos, the genus Bunopus are an excellent example, whose systematics and taxonomy are quite problematic, albeit they are distributed across the entire peninsula. In order to answer the question of possible cryptic diversity of these geckos in the Arabian Peninsula, phylogenetic position of more than 80 samples covering the vast part of their distribution range has been reconstructed based on two mitochondrial (12S rRNA and COI) and two nuclear markers (RAG2 and c-mos). Haplotype networks were reconstructed from nuclear markers in order to show genealogical relationships. Results of the phylogenetic analyses presented herein show that cryptic diversity in the Arabian Peninsula is smaller in comparison to the one that was uncovered in the Iranian Plateau. Almost entire Arabian Peninsula is inhabited by two lineages only, which...

Baited pitfall traps were used to sample the lizard fauna at Birdlings Flat on Kaitorete Spit, Canterbury. Four species had been recorded previously from this area; Leiolopisma maccanni Patterson and Daugherty, Leiolopisma nigriplantare polychroma Patterson and Daugherty, Leiolopisma lineoocellatum (Dumeril and Dumeril) and Hoplodactylus maculatus (Gray). Three of these species (L. maccanni, L. n. polychroma and H. maculatus) were captured during the course of the study. The aim of this present study was to examine the nature of the ecological relationship among these three species at Birdlings Flat. Capture data indicated that L. maccanni was almost entirely confined to the dunelands while L. n. polychroma was associated exclusively with shrublands on old dune ridges behind the sand dunes. H. maculatus' distribution encompassed both of these major habitats. Separation on the basis of habitat was thought to be the most important niche variable for these two diurnal skinks. There was some temporal separation in activity of these two species, with L. maccanni active earlier in the day than L. n. polychroma. However, there was a high degree of overlap in the activity periods of these two species. Temporal differentiation between the nocturnal gecko H. maculatus and the two diurnal skinks is thought to be an important means by which these species coexist. The most common prey items consumed by all three species were Diptera, Araneae, C. propinqua seeds, Hemiptera, unidentified arthropod eggs, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera. Dietary differences between the two skink species were apparent although these differences appeared to be related to the preferred habitats of the respective species. Density estimates for L. maccanni varied between 1050/ha and 1850/ha while L. n. polychroma density varied between 200/ha and 400/ha. The density of H. maculatus was not calculated but appeared to be intermediate to the density of the two skink species. The apparent disappearance of L. lineoocellatum from an area where they were once relatively common is cause for concern. There is no obvious reason for this decline although it may be related to the combined impacts of predation, collection and habitat disturbance.

The purpose of this study was to use molecular techniques and morphological measurements to set out to find whether a hybrid zone exists between two coastal populations of the common gecko (Hoplodactylus maculatus), on the Wellington south coast. I collected geckos from five sites in a coastal transect from the population of small geckos to the large geckos. Using four genetic loci, one mitochondrial (16S) and three nuclear (Rag-1, Rag-2, C-mos), I was able to determine that the coastal populations do have geneflow, however each population maintains some unique alleles. Morphological evidence reveals a significant difference in gecko sizes from Turakirae Head and those caught at Ocean Beach, separated by just 15 km. Adult geckos at Turakirae Head are on average 10mm smaller (snout-to-vent) than adult geckos at Ocean Beach, representing almost a doubling in average weight. The centre of the steep frequency clines of four characters is coincident and the widths are concordant. The narrower morphological clines indicate stronger selection on the size of the gecko, than on genetic loci.

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Phylogeny of selected genera of geckos in the Mediterranean and adjacent regions Jan Červenka Ph.D. thesis Abstract This Ph.D. thesis is composed of three published articles and one manuscript, and is focused on the phylogenetic relationships of selected species of geckos from the Mediterranean and surrounding areas. The group of geckos of interest shares the common characteristic of an absence of adhesive lamellas on their toes. Historically, it was assumed that these species were closely related. Molecular-phylogenetic approaches were used in order to reveal the phylogenetic relationships within this group, especially using the sequential data from mitochondrial genes. Morphological characteristics commonly used in lizards were studied in connection with the ecology of the group. This thesis provides the first more detailed view of the phylogeny of the studied species. The results show that the genus Cyrtopodion, previously considered as monophyletic, in fact is not monophyletic as the genera Bunopus and Agamura represent its inner groups. Mediodactylus, the subgenus of Cyrtopodion, forms monophylum but is not closely related to the other members of the genus and so was reclassified as the independent genus. The enigmatic and yet so far very poorly studied genus Carinatogecko was discovered to be the...

This thesis considers the prevalence and spatial distribution of Salmonella serovars amongst wild endemic lizards on offshore islands around the coast of New Zealand. The mean test prevalence of faecal excretion of Salmonella was 4.7%. Skinks (Scincidae) were more likely (8.5%) to be carriers of Salmonella than geckos (1.6%). Each island was host to between one and three Salmonella serovars that were not found on any other islands in this study. Two exceptions were Salmonella Bousso and Salmonella Mana which were found on two islands within the same geographical area. Based on the findings of this study, different islands are likely to be hosts to different Salmonella serovars which could have implications for future translocations of native lizards. I also assessed the prevalence and spatial distribution of faecal excretion of Salmonella, Aeromonas and Hafnia alvei within Mana Island. The prevalence of Salmonella on Mana Island was estimated at 5.8%. Salmonella was found predominantly in skinks (10.0%) and less often in geckos (4.1%). H. alvei was found at a prevalence of 1.9%. No Aeromonas species were cultured from any of the cloacal swabs, suggesting that the 95% confidence interval for the true prevalence is 0-3%. Each site sampled in this study was host to one or more unique serovar of Salmonella not found at any of the other sites. The results of this study indicate that Salmonella serovars may become established within populations of lizards and is not spread between them. This may be due to a lack of dispersal of lizards between sites, raising important considerations for the translocation of native lizards. I investigated the prevalence of faecal excretion of Salmonella, H. alvei and Aeromonas by New Zealand native lizards from two captive populations. The mean prevalence of faecal excretion of Salmonella in the captive lizards sampled was 11.5%. There was a higher prevalence of Salmonella within captive population A (22.0%) than in population B (3.6%). No Aeromonas was cultured from any of the lizards. H. alvei was found at a prevalence of 5.2%. The prevalence of Salmonella and H. alvei was significantly higher in captive lizards than in wild populations. Captive lizards may, therefore, not be appropriate founders for new populations of wild lizards. Finally I assessed the different efficiencies of two media and two temperatures in isolating six Salmonella serovars from a reptilian source. All serovars grew equally well at 37°C and 27°C. For most serovars XLD agar was the more successful media than MacConkey agar but the success of different culture media depended on the serovar being cultured. Because lizards are frequently host to a wide range of Salmonella serovars, screening samples using multiple microbiological methods is likely to give the best chance of isolating all Salmonella serovars present.

Artificial retreats are increasingly used to sample animal populations and in attempts to boost animal numbers in degraded habitats. Here, I test potential applications of artificial retreats for lizards inhabiting a coastal environment of high conservation value (Kaitorete Spit, New Zealand). I first conducted a pitfall-trapping survey examining the distribution and relative abundance of lizards in duneland, farmland and shrubland habitats, and tested the influence of trap placement on capture rates. Capture rates of the diurnal skinks Oligosoma maccanni (McCann�s skink) and O. nigriplantare polychroma (common skink) were highest in duneland and farmland, respectively, and were most sensitive to the distance separating traps from the nearest cover (the greater the distance, the lower the capture rate). Captures of O. lineoocellatum (spotted skink) and Hoplodactylus maculatus (common gecko) were rare. Secondly, in separate chapters I test the utility of artificial retreats for monitoring: 1) a preference trial examining relative use of three types of artificial retreats by skinks (O. maccanni and O. n. polychroma) and geckos (H. maculatus); 2) a comparison of the effectiveness of artificial retreats relative to pitfall traps for detecting cryptic and primarily nocturnal geckos (H. maculatus) following translocation; and 3) capture-recapture estimation of population parameters (survival and abundance) of H. maculatus. I found that: 1) geckos strongly preferred retreats made of Onduline over corrugated iron and concrete tiles, whereas skinks exhibited no apparent preferences; 2) artificial retreats were more effective than pitfall traps for detecting geckos following translocation; and 3) monthly survival and recapture probabilities of geckos varied with age-class and over time. Estimated survival was unexpectedly low, possibly due to excessive trap spacing. I developed a new capture-recapture model specifically for population size estimation with data from artificial retreats, which gave estimates that were up to 50% greater than those predicted by conventional capture-recapture models. I caution that permanent placement of artificial retreats in long-term studies may be inappropriate for estimation of population parameters due to potential habitat-enhancement effects and/or altered predation risk. Thirdly, I conducted a capture-recapture field experiment, using a replicated Before-After-Control-impact (BACI) design, to test the relative effects of habitat manipulation (artificial retreat addition) and partial predator removal (by fencing) on annual survival of duneland skink (O. maccanni) populations. Survival increased at sites with predator exclosures, but not at control sites or following the addition of artificial retreats, either alone or in combination with a predator exclosure. The magnitude of the increase in survival for the exclosure-only treatment was small, but sufficient to change the trajectory of an apparently stable population into an increasing one, suggesting that the population is limited by predators. Predator control, but not the addition of artificial retreats, is predicted to benefit O. maccanni. To conclude, the Onduline design developed here appears to be particularly useful for sampling cryptic, terrestrial geckos; however, artificial retreats must be used appropriately to avoid bias arising from habitat-enhancing effects and/or altered predation risk. The restoration value of artificial retreats requires further testing on other species and in areas where natural retreat sites are limited.

Artificial retreats are increasingly used to sample animal populations and in attempts to boost animal numbers in degraded habitats. Here, I test potential applications of artificial retreats for lizards inhabiting a coastal environment of high conservation value (Kaitorete Spit, New Zealand). I first conducted a pitfall-trapping survey examining the distribution and relative abundance of lizards in duneland, farmland and shrubland habitats, and tested the influence of trap placement on capture rates. Capture rates of the diurnal skinks Oligosoma maccanni (McCann�s skink) and O. nigriplantare polychroma (common skink) were highest in duneland and farmland, respectively, and were most sensitive to the distance separating traps from the nearest cover (the greater the distance, the lower the capture rate). Captures of O. lineoocellatum (spotted skink) and Hoplodactylus maculatus (common gecko) were rare. Secondly, in separate chapters I test the utility of artificial retreats for monitoring: 1) a preference trial examining relative use of three types of artificial retreats by skinks (O. maccanni and O. n. polychroma) and geckos (H. maculatus); 2) a comparison of the effectiveness of artificial retreats relative to pitfall traps for detecting cryptic and primarily nocturnal geckos (H. maculatus) following translocation; and 3) capture-recapture estimation of population parameters (survival and abundance) of H. maculatus. I found that: 1) geckos strongly preferred retreats made of Onduline over corrugated iron and concrete tiles, whereas skinks exhibited no apparent preferences; 2) artificial retreats were more effective than pitfall traps for detecting geckos following translocation; and 3) monthly survival and recapture probabilities of geckos varied with age-class and over time. Estimated survival was unexpectedly low, possibly due to excessive trap spacing. I developed a new capture-recapture model specifically for population size estimation with data from artificial retreats, which gave estimates that were up to 50% greater than those predicted by conventional capture-recapture models. I caution that permanent placement of artificial retreats in long-term studies may be inappropriate for estimation of population parameters due to potential habitat-enhancement effects and/or altered predation risk. Thirdly, I conducted a capture-recapture field experiment, using a replicated Before-After-Control-impact (BACI) design, to test the relative effects of habitat manipulation (artificial retreat addition) and partial predator removal (by fencing) on annual survival of duneland skink (O. maccanni) populations. Survival increased at sites with predator exclosures, but not at control sites or following the addition of artificial retreats, either alone or in combination with a predator exclosure. The magnitude of the increase in survival for the exclosure-only treatment was small, but sufficient to change the trajectory of an apparently stable population into an increasing one, suggesting that the population is limited by predators. Predator control, but not the addition of artificial retreats, is predicted to benefit O. maccanni. To conclude, the Onduline design developed here appears to be particularly useful for sampling cryptic, terrestrial geckos; however, artificial retreats must be used appropriately to avoid bias arising from habitat-enhancing effects and/or altered predation risk. The restoration value of artificial retreats requires further testing on other species and in areas where natural retreat sites are limited.

The effect of incubation temperature on different morphological, physiological, cognitive and behavioral characteristics in reptiles is a well-studied topic, although the underlying mechanism leading to the differences between individuals incubated at different temperatures remains largely unknown. In this thesis I studied the effect of incubation temperature on cognitive abilities and the number of neurons and non-neuronal cells in the gecko Paroedura picta incubated at two different temperatures, 24řC and 30řC. The geckos were tested in two cognitive tasks with simulated predatory attack. 14-day-old hatchlings were tested in a Y-maze, while 6-months-old geckos were tested in an arena with shelters of different colors. After testing, the number of neurons and non- neuronal cells in several parts of the brain were estimated using the isotropic fractionator in selected individuals. Although incubation temperature did not affect the success in the cognitive task in hatchlings, it did affect the total time needed to find the shelter. This difference remained significant also in adult geckos. The number of neurons, which was used as a proxy for the information processing capacity of the brain, did not affect success in the cognitive tasks. However, absolute brain size correlated with success in the...

No description available.