Ecological characteristics of a recently described, critically endangered gecko species, endemic to Central Highland, Vietnam


https://doi.org/10.4081/tz.2020.71
Vol. 33 No. 2 (2020)
Submitted: 7 June 2020
Accepted: 2 September 2020
Published: 28 October 2020
Endemic species, Gekkonidae, natural history, Vietnam
Abstract Views: 1303
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Authors

  • Vinh Quang Luu Vietnam National University of Forestry, Xuan Mai town, Chuong My district, Hanoi, Viet Nam.
  • Oanh Lo Van Vietnam National University of Forestry, Xuan Mai town, Chuong My district, Hanoi, Viet Nam.
  • Tuoi Thi Hoang Vietnam National University of Forestry, Xuan Mai town, Chuong My district, Hanoi, Viet Nam.
  • Thong Pham Van Turtle Sanctuary and Conservation Center, Paris; Associated Wildlife and Environment Conservation Community AWECC, Paris, France.
  • Olivier Le Duc Turtle Sanctuary and Conservation Center, Paris; Associated Wildlife and Environment Conservation Community AWECC, Paris, France.
  • Cedric Bordes Turtle Sanctuary and Conservation Center, Paris; Associated Wildlife and Environment Conservation Community AWECC, Paris, France.
  • Benjamin Leprince Turtle Sanctuary and Conservation Center, Paris; Associated Wildlife and Environment Conservation Community AWECC, Paris, France.
  • Giovanni Amori Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems, CNR, Rome, Italy.
  • Luca Luiselli
    l.luiselli@ideccngo.org
    Institute for Development, Ecology, Conservation and Cooperation, Rome, Italy; Department of Applied and Environmental Biology, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Nigeria; Département de Zoologie et Biologie Animale, Faculté des Sciences, Université de Lomé, Lomé, Togo. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6878-2916

Gia Lai bent-toed gecko (Cyrtodactylus gialaiensis) was firstly described in 2017, and is an endemic species with very restricted distributional range, estimated to be less than 10 km2 in coffee plantation in Gia Lai province, Central Highland of Vietnam. This species is listed as Critically Endangered (CR) in the IUCN Red List. To date, the natural history of this species is totally unknown. In this paper, we provide the first-of-ever natural history data on this highly threatened gecko species, with emphasis on morphometrics, habitat preferences, thermal ecology, and activity patterns. In 23 days of surveys, we captured 42 C. gialaiensis individuals and recaptured 4 of them. Sex ratio was not skewed from equality and juveniles accounted for 23.8% of the observed individuals. The two sexes did not differ in terms of mean Snout-to-Vent Length, Tail Length and weight, but the adult females had longer head than adult males. Geckos were observed at a mean substratum temperature of 24.2±1°C (n=14), and exhibited a mean body temperature of 29.5±2.5°C (n=14). There was no significant correlation between substratum and body temperatures. Body temperatures were significantly higher than substratum temperatures. The study species exhibited a clearly nocturnal above-ground activity, with main peak occurring between 20:00-21:30 h.


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Luu, V. Q. ., Van, O. L., Hoang, T. T. ., Pham Van, T. ., Le Duc, O., Bordes, C., Leprince, B., Amori, G., & Luiselli, L. (2020). Ecological characteristics of a recently described, critically endangered gecko species, endemic to Central Highland, Vietnam. Tropical Zoology, 33(2). https://doi.org/10.4081/tz.2020.71

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