Environmentally-induced shifts in behavior intensify indirect competition by an invasive gecko in Mauritius

Cole, Nik C.

doi:10.1007/s10530-011-0025-8

Cited by 25 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Displacement of native gecko species by Hemidactylus spp. has been mostly reported for urban environments (although see Cole et al 2005;Cole & Harris 2011), although the incidence of invasive Hemidactylus spp. transition into natural habitats is garnering warranted attention (Hoskin 2011;Rocha et al 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Outcompeted by an invader? Interference and exploitative competition between tropical house gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia) and Barbados leaf‐toed gecko (Phyllodactylus pulcher) for diurnal refuges in anthropogenic coastal habitats

Williams

Pernetta

Horrocks

2016

Integrative Zoology

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House geckos in the genus Hemidactylus are highly successful colonizers of regions beyond their native range, with colonization often resulting in displacement of native gecko species through competitive interactions for daytime refuge (crevices) and prey resources. We report on data collected from nighttime surveys undertaken in April-May 2014 on Barbados, West Indies, that focused on the distribution and abundance of the endemic Barbados leaf-toed gecko (Phyllodactylus pulcher) and the introduced tropical house gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia) along unlit coastal walls and among boulders in the grounds of a hotel resort. In contrast to patterns of displacement of native species by H. mabouia seen elsewhere, P. pulcher was more abundant than H. mabouia on coastal walls, whereas the latter was found in greater numbers using boulders at this site. Walls and boulders differed with regard to availability of diurnal refugia suitable for geckos, with the walls having high frequency of small crevices with openings <20 mm, and boulders offering very little cover other than the underside of the boulder itself. To investigate whether this niche separation was a result of differences in diurnal refuge use between the species, we conducted experimental trials in which geckos were allowed to select between refugia with different characteristics. Both species selected for narrower and warmer refugia, and refugia that had been previously occupied by the other species. These shared preferences for refugia type suggest that other factors underlie the niche separation observed in the field. In supporting high densities of P. pulcher, coastal walls could offer important secondary habitat by augmenting the natural cliff side habitat of this endemic gecko, a finding that could be exploited for the conservation of this candidate species for Critically Endangered classification.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Outcompeted by an invader? Interference and exploitative competition between tropical house gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia) and Barbados leaf‐toed gecko (Phyllodactylus pulcher) for diurnal refuges in anthropogenic coastal habitats

Williams

Pernetta

Horrocks

2016

Integrative Zoology

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“…). Environmental changes induced by non‐native species can impose novel selection pressures, which may indirectly eliminate individuals with certain phenotypic syndromes from a population (Cole & Harris ). Fischer, Ghalambor & Hoke () also demonstrate that the variability among phenotypes generally increases in populations exposed to novel environmental pressures.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Non-native species often affect native species via competition for resources (e.g. food and shelter), and this is particularly true when the invader is closely related to the native species and their habitat requirements overlap (Cole & Harris 2011;Heavener, Carthey & Banks 2014). Certainly, inter-individual interactions between salmonid species are frequently driven by competition for resources and predation (McHugh et al 2008;.…”

Section: And Muotka 2007mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…great tit, Parus major: Dingemanse & de Goede 2004; European catfish, Silurus glanis: Slav ık, Hork y & Z avorka 2014). Non-native invaders can induce an additional competitive pressure (Fausch & White 1981;Cole & Harris 2011) and reduce the predictability of resource distribution (Carpenter et al 2011), which may decrease territory value and eventually disrupt the adaptive integration among phenotypic traits (e.g. territory size, activity, metabolic rate, growth).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Co‐existence with non‐native brook trout breaks down the integration of phenotypic traits in brown trout parr

et al. 2017

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Summary A phenotypic syndrome refers to complex patterns of integration among functionally related traits in an organism that defines how the organism interacts with its environment and sustains itself. Human‐induced biological invasions have become important sources of environmental modifications. However, the extent to which invasive species affect the phenotypic syndromes of individuals in a native is currently unknown. Such knowledge has important implications for understanding ecological interactions and the management of biological invasions. Here, field monitoring in a natural stream were combined with standardized estimates of behavioral, physiological and morphological traits to address the hypothesis that coexistence with a non‐native invader induces a novel environmental pressure that disrupts the adaptive integration among phenotypic traits of the native species. We compared the strength of integration among key phenotypic traits (i.e. aerobic scope, standard metabolic rate, body growth, activity, and body shape) and ecological niche traits (i.e. spring and summer diet, home range size, daily movements) of an allopatric group of native brown trout (Salmo trutta) with a group of brown trout living in sympatry with non‐native brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). We found that the integration of phenotypic traits was substantially reduced in the sympatric brown trout and that allopatric and sympatric brown trout differed in key phenotypic and ecological niche traits. Brown trout living in sympatry with non‐native brook trout consumed more terrestrial prey, had smaller home ranges, and a stouter body shape. Sympatric brown trout also had lower specific growth rate, suggesting a lower fitness. The results are generally in line with our hypothesis suggesting that the reduction in fitness observed in sympatric brown trout is caused by the breakdown of their adaptive phenotypic syndrome. This may be caused by differences in the plasticity of the response of phenotypic traits to the novel selection pressure induced by the non‐native species. Our results may help explaining deleterious effects of non‐native species reported in the absence of direct competition with the native species. A http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2435.12862/suppinfo is available for this article.

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“…2005). In the same islands, H. frenatus is also believed to be displacing the endemic Phelsuma ornata (Cole & Harris 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactions between native and invasive gecko lizards in tropical Australia

et al. 2011

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Invasive geckos of the genus Hemidactylus (Gekkonidae) are spreading rapidly through urban environments in many tropical and subtropical parts of the world. The invaders have caused rapid declines in native gecko abundance in some areas, but their interactions with Australian native species remain unknown. In a small rural village near Darwin, we found that Hemidactylus frenatus is abundant around both lighted and unlighted buildings, but rarely found in surrounding bushland. It is sympatric with the larger Gehyra australis (Gekkonidae) in this disturbed site, and often forages on the same buildings, but is active mostly during the dry-season (vs. wet-season for G. australis) and is competitively subordinate to the larger native species. In laboratory encounters, H. frenatus fled from G. australis, and modified its refuge-site use in the presence of the native lizard. In those same trials, the native gecko often attacked and rarely fled; and did not shift its refuge-site selection. In field surveys, the two taxa frequently co-occurred. However, substrate use of the invasive H. frenatus was modified by the presence of the native G. australis, consistent with competitive displacement. Our counts of H. frenatus were highest during the dry-season, when G. australis (like most other small native reptiles) is relatively inactive. The invasive gecko thus appears to be exploiting a 'vacant niche' around buildings, rather than displacing the native gecko taxon. This outcome may reflect the size disparity between the native species and the invader; Hemidactylus frenatus may well have significant ecological impacts on smaller native lizards.

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Environmentally-induced shifts in behavior intensify indirect competition by an invasive gecko in Mauritius

Cited by 25 publications

References 43 publications

Outcompeted by an invader? Interference and exploitative competition between tropical house gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia) and Barbados leaf‐toed gecko (Phyllodactylus pulcher) for diurnal refuges in anthropogenic coastal habitats

Outcompeted by an invader? Interference and exploitative competition between tropical house gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia) and Barbados leaf‐toed gecko (Phyllodactylus pulcher) for diurnal refuges in anthropogenic coastal habitats

Co‐existence with non‐native brook trout breaks down the integration of phenotypic traits in brown trout parr

Interactions between native and invasive gecko lizards in tropical Australia

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