Genetic data reveal a multiple origin for the populations of the Italian wall lizardPodarcis sicula(Squamata: Lacertidae) introduced in the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic islands

Abstract

Biological invasions have become a major cause of biodiversity loss. Tracing the origin of the populations of alien species is essential to infer the dispersal pathway and finally to set conservation policies aimed at preventing new introductions. The Italian wall lizard, Podarcis sicula, is one of the reptile species most widely introduced, with allochthonous populations occurring from the United States to Turkey. For some of them, instances of geographic expansion and competition/hybridization with autochthonous Podarcis sp. have been indicated. In the Iberian Peninsula, five introduced populations are known: Lisbon (W Portugal), Noja, Cantabria (N Spain), La Rioja (N Spain) and Almería (S Spain) and Sant Celoni, Barcelona (NE Spain) while the species now widely ranges Menorca Island in the Balearics. Here we assess the origin of four populations (Barcelona population will not be included) by comparing in a phylogenetic framework the cytochrome b gene sequences of specimens from the introduced and native populations. The results from this study provide evidence for distinct sources, pathways, and timing of introduction in Iberian Peninsula and Balearics by P. sicula from Tuscany, Calabria, Sicily, and Sardinia. This finding underpins the fact that P. sicula holds considerable potential invasiveness and advises for conservation strategies based on a global and preventive plan for avoiding new introductions as well as on eradication and control measures when prevention fails.

Range extension and morphology of the Italian wall lizard, Podarcis siculus(Rafinesque-Schmaltz, 1810) (Squamata: Lacertidae), from Turkey

“…Even though P. siculus is naturally distributed on the Italian Peninsula and in Sicily, it has also been distributed to Europe, Anatolia, North Africa, and North America through human means, particularly via maritime transportation (Isailovic et al, 2009;Silva-Rocha et al, 2012). The observation of the species in Anatolia, with no connection to its distributional range, supports anthropogenic carriage (Başoğlu and Baran, 1977).…”

“…On the other hand, only with phylogenetic analyses would it be possible to clarify how long ago these detected populations split from the main population. The mitochondrial DNA study conducted on the populations of the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands made it possible to evaluate the times of the splitting of the populations and the populations from which they had split (Silva-Rocha et al, 2012). There is also an urgent need for detailed molecular studies to be conducted on the Anatolian populations.…”

Pathways of introduction of the invasive aquatic plant Cabomba caroliniana

“…More recently, with the advent of molecular markers, researchers are reconstructing the history of invasion and focusing on changes in genetic structure and ecology during invasion (e.g., Durka et al 2005; Andreakis et al 2007; Besnard et al 2007; O'Doherty and Sherwood 2007; Doorduin et al 2010; Zhang et al 2010). Specifically, observations of genetic variation can provide insight into the pathways of introduction of invasive species (e.g., Besnard et al 2007; Marrs et al 2008; Okada et al 2009; Azuma et al 2011; Silva-Rocha et al 2012). …”

From tameness to wariness: chemical recognition of snake predators by lizards in a Mediterranean island

“…However, P. siculus has been introduced to many Mediterranean countries and the United States (Salvador, 2014b). Here we studied the lizard population of Menorca (Balearic Islands, Spain), probably introduced from Sicily and/or Sardinia (Silva-Rocha, Salvi & Carretero, 2012). …”