Ornament day gecko
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Ornament day gecko ( Phelsuma ornata ) |
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| Phelsuma ornata | ||||||||||||
| Gray , 1825 |
The ornamental day gecko ( Phelsuma ornata ) is a small, colorful gecko endemic to Mauritius and some small islands near the Mauritian coast. The ornament day gecko is diurnal and feeds on nectar, pollen and small insects.
description
Ornamental day geckos are 10–13 cm long. Even after reaching sexual maturity, the males still grow. The back is green-blue with red spots. The ornament day gecko can be distinguished from other Mauritian day geckos by the characteristic red T on its head. Another distinguishing feature are the brown-black stripes next to white stripes that start at the eyes and run down the neck. The pattern of the males is more colorful, whereas the females look a little gray overall.
In a field study it was shown that the ornament day geckos on the small coastal islands around Mauritius ( Round Island , Flat Island , Îlot Gabriel , Gunner's Coin , Île aux Aigrettes and Île aux Bénitiers ) are somewhat larger than on the main island. One explanation for the island gigantism could be that fewer species occur on these islands that compete with the ornament day geckos for resources. If there is aggression among conspecifics, it is an advantage to be as large as possible.
Way of life
Ornament day geckos occur mainly in warm, dry island habitats (such as the palm savannah on Round Island ) and in the coastal area on the main Mauritian island up to 300 m above sea level. Ornamental day geckos are mostly found on flower-bearing plants because the geckos are attracted by nectar, pollen and edible insects, which like themselves visit the flowers. As a result, the geckos act as pollinators of endemic Mauritian plants. How important the role of the ornament day geckos is in pollination in interaction with insects and birds is still the subject of research.
In experiments with ornament day geckos, it turned out that they prefer colored nectar over transparent nectar . While transparent nectar is widespread, colored nectar is a specialty of three Mauritian plant species, including Nesocodon mauritianus and Trochetia boutoniana . The colored nectar of the plant probably serves as a signal to its pollinators. The color allows the geckos to estimate the amount of nectar available before they even go to the flower.
Evolutionary history
The common ancestor of the four endemic Phelsuma species that occur today in Mauritius probably came to Mauritius from Madagascar about 4.2–5.1 million years ago on floating plant material. About 1.1 million years ago there was a line from Mauritius to Réunion , from which the closest relative of Phelsuma ornata emerged : Phelsuma inexspectata . Phelsuma inexspectata is endemic to the island of Réunion today. The Mauritian gecko species Phelsuma guimbeaui , which occurs on native trees along water courses in the flatlands in the west of the island, is in turn the closest relative of Phelsuma ornata and Phelsuma inexspectata .
Danger
The Great Madagascar day gecko was introduced to Mauritius through the animal trade in the 1990s, and it spread uncontrollably in residential areas. Since it claims a similar habitat as the gecko species native to Mauritius, it is currently associated with their decline.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Dorte Friis Nyhagen: Insular Interactions Between Lizards And Flowers: Flower Visitation By an Endemic Mauritian Gecko . In: Journal of Tropical Ecology . 17, No. 5, February 2001, pp. 755-761. doi : 10.1017 / S0266467401001560 . Retrieved March 4, 2018.
- ↑ a b Luke J. Harmon: Multivariate Phenotypic Evolution Among Island And Mainland Populations Of The Ornate Day Gecko Phelsuma Ornata . In: evolution . 60, No. 12, December 2006, pp. 2622-2632. doi : 10.1554 / 06-347.1 . Retrieved March 4, 2018.
- ↑ Endemic Day Geckos . Retrieved March 4, 2018.
- ↑ Dennis M. Hansen: Mauritian Colored Nectar No Longer A Mystery: A Visual Signal For Lizard Pollinators . In: Biology Letters . 2, No. 2, June 2006. doi : 10.1098 / rsbl.2006.0458 . Retrieved March 4, 2018.
- ^ JJ Austin: Reconstructing An Island Radiation Using Ancient And Recent DNA: The Extinct And Living Day Geckos (Phelsuma) Of The Mascarene Islands . In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution . 31, No. 1, April 2004, pp. 109-122. doi : 10.1016 / j.ympev.2003.07.011 .
- ↑ Invasive Day Geckos . Retrieved March 4, 2018.
