Lepidodactylus listeri

Lister's gecko
	L. listeri, figure 1 (centre).
Conservation status
	; Extinct in the Wild (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Gekkonidae
Genus:	Lepidodactylus
Species:	L. listeri
Binomial name
	Lepidodactylus listeri; (Boulenger,1889)
Synonyms
	Gecko listeri; Boulenger, 1889; Lepidodactylus listeri; — Kluge, 1968;

Last updated January 06, 2024

Lepidodactylus listeri, also known commonly as Lister's gecko or the Christmas Island chained gecko, is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae, endemic to Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. It is currently extinct in the wild.

Geographic range

L. listeri is endemic to Christmas Island.^[3]

Etymology

Both the specific name, listeri, and one of the common names, Lister's gecko, are in honour of British naturalist Joseph Jackson Lister.^[4]

Description

Lister's gecko is a brown lizard growing to a snout-vent length (SVL) of 5 cm (2.0 in). It has a broad, pale fawn/grey vertebral stripe which expands to cover the top of the head and matches the colour and pattern of the tail. It has a whitish belly. The body is covered with small, smooth scales.^[5]

L. listeri was most abundant in primary rainforest on the plateau, but also occurs in disturbed secondary forest growth. It was absent from mined areas on the island.^[6]^[7]

Evolutionary relationships

The closest relatives of L. listeri are species of Lepidodactylus belonging to the lugubris group, native to the Mollucas and the Philippines, with the estimated divergence between L. listeri and the lugubris group taking place around 26 million years ago.^[8] Unlike L. lugubris , which can be triploid and reproduce through parthenogenesis, L. listeri is a diploid, sexually reproducing species.

Decline

L. listeri was considered to be generally common in 1979, and was widespread across the island, but population declines were noted by researchers starting in 1998. Further decline was noted in 2004 and in 2008. By 2009, it was recognized that the species was in imminent danger of extinction, and a captive breeding program was established.^[9]^[10] The last record of L. listeri in its native habitat on Christmas Island was in October 2012.^[10]

The decline of L. listeri was concurrent with the widespread decline of most endemic mammal and reptile species on Christmas Island, and it is considered that this decline was the result of a common cause, or a combination thereof. The causes of this decline are not well understood.^[10] However it is believed that predation by introduced species, particularly the wolf snake ( Lycodon capucinus ), may have played a significant role.^[9] The wolf snake was introduced around 1982, which is within the timeframe that the population decline began.^[10]

Conservation efforts

Prior to the extirpation of this species from Christmas Island, 43 individuals were taken into captivity, starting in August 2009, in order to establish a breeding population. This proved successful with a total population of over 1500 individuals as of July 2022.^[10] However, reintroduction is unlikely to occur in the near future, invasive threats are not yet controlled on Christmas Island, and assisted colonization is not yet feasible due to widespread gecko L. lugubris, which has an unknown conservation status.^[10]^[11]

The genome of the L. listeri was sequenced in 2022 (along with the Christmas Island blue-tailed skink), making it one of the earliest chromosome-level gecko genomes.^[12] The genome was genetically diverse, reflective of large historical population sizes. Despite the captive population being founded from just 43 individuals, there was not evidence of inbreeding in the genome.^[12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gekkonidae</span> Family of lizards

Gekkonidae is the largest family of geckos, containing over 950 described species in 64 genera. The Gekkonidae contain many of the most widespread gecko species, including house geckos (Hemidactylus), the tokay gecko (Gekko), day geckos (Phelsuma), the mourning gecko (Lepidodactylus), and dtellas (Gehyra). Gekkonid geckos occur globally and are particularly diverse in tropical areas.

Heteronotia binoei, known commonly as Bynoe's gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae, and is endemic to Australia. One of the continent’s least-habitat-specific geckos, it occurs naturally across much of the country, and has also established in areas where it does not occur normally, such as urban Perth, Western Australia. It is dark brown to reddish-brown, depending on the colour of the ground upon which it lives, as well as irregular light bands with dark edges along its back.

Joseph Jackson Lister FRS was a British zoologist and plant collector from Leytonstone who collected biological specimens during travels in Africa, Asia, Australasia and the Pacific region.

Christmas Island National Park is a national park occupying most of Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean southwest of Indonesia. The park is home to many species of animal and plant life, including the eponymous red crab, whose annual migration sees around 100 million crabs move to the sea to spawn. Christmas Island is the only nesting place for the endangered Abbott's booby and critically endangered Christmas Island frigatebird, and the wide range of other endemic species makes the island of significant interest to the scientific community.

Lepidodactylus buleli is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Espiritu Santo, an island in the Vanuatu Archipelago.

Lepidodactylus lugubris, known as the mourning gecko or common smooth-scaled gecko, is a species of lizard, a gecko of the family Gekkonidae.

Parthenogenesis is a mode of asexual reproduction in which offspring are produced by females without the genetic contribution of a male. Among all the sexual vertebrates, the only examples of true parthenogenesis, in which all-female populations reproduce without the involvement of males, are found in squamate reptiles. There are about 50 species of lizard and 1 species of snake that reproduce solely through parthenogenesis. It is unknown how many sexually reproducing species are also capable of parthenogenesis in the absence of males, but recent research has revealed that this ability is widespread among squamates.

Cryptoblepharus egeriae, also known commonly as the blue-tailed shinning-skink, the Christmas Island blue-tailed shinning-skink, and the Christmas Island blue-tailed skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae that was once endemic to Christmas Island. The Christmas Island blue-tailed skink was discovered in 1888. It was formerly the most abundant reptile on the island, and occurred in high numbers particularly near the human settlement. However, the Christmas Island blue-tailed skink began to decline sharply outwardly from the human settlement by the early 1990s, which coincided with the introduction of a predatory snake and also followed the introduction of the yellow crazy ant in the mid-1980s. By 2006, the Christmas Island blue-tailed skink was on the endangered animals list, and by 2010 the Christmas Island blue-tailed skink was extinct in the wild. From 2009 to 2010, Parks Australia and Taronga Zoo started a captive breeding program, which has prevented total extinction of the species.

The Christmas Island forest skink, also known as the Christmas Island whiptail skink, is a species of skink formerly endemic to Australia's Christmas Island. As of 2017, it is listed as extinct on the IUCN Red List. The last known forest skink, a captive individual named Gump, died on 31 May 2014.

Cyrtodactylus sadleiri, also known commonly as Sadleir's bow-fingered gecko and the Christmas Island forest gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Christmas Island, Australia.

The Christian scaly-toed gecko, also known commonly as Christian's scaly-toed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to the Philippines.

The Rotuman forest gecko, also known commonly as the Rotuma forest gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Rotuma Island, Fiji.

Lepidodactylus guppyi, also known commonly as Guppy's gecko and the Solomons scaly-toed gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to islands in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.

Lepidodactylus herrei, known commonly as the Negros scaly-toed gecko or the white-lined smooth-scaled gecko, is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to the Philippines.

Lepidodactylus manni, also known commonly as the Fiji scaly-toed gecko or the Viti forest gecko, is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Fiji.

Bougainville's scaly-toed gecko is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Bougainville Island.

Lepidodactylus oorti is a species of gecko, a lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Indonesia.

The Lanyu scaly-toed gecko is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Orchid Island, Taiwan.

Nactus cheverti, also known commonly as Chevert's gecko, the Fitzroy Island gecko, and the southern Cape York nactus, is a species of lizard in the family Gekkonidae. The species is endemic to Queensland in Australia.

References

↑ Cogger, H.; Mitchell, N.M.; Woinarski, J.C.Z. (2017). "Lepidodactylus listeri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T11559A83321765. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-3.RLTS.T11559A83321765.en . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
↑ Species Lepidodactylus listeri at The Reptile Database . www.reptile-database.org.
↑ Brown, Walter Creighton [in French]; Parker, Fred (1977). "Lizards of the genus Lepidodactylus (Gekkonidae) from the Indo-Australian archipelago and the islands of the Pacific, with descriptions of new species / by Walter C. Brown and Fred Parker". Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. Fourth Series. 41 (8): 253–265. NLA 4495205.
↑ Beolens, Bo; Grayson, Michael; Watkins, Michael (2011). "Lepidodactylus listeri". The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles (PDF). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 159. ISBN 978-1-4214-0227-7. OCLC 794700413.xiii + 296 pp.
↑ Cogger, Harold G. (2000). Reptiles and amphibians of Australia (6 ed.). Sydney: Reed New Holland. p. 808. ISBN 1-876334-33-9. OCLC 43580360.
↑ Cogger HG, Sadlier RA (1999). The terrestrial reptiles of Christmas Island – a reappraisal of their status. Sydney: Australian Museum.
↑ Cogger, H.G.; Cameron, E.E.; Sadlier, R.A.; Eggler, P. (1993). "The action plan for Australian reptiles". 155.187.2.69. Archived from the original on 14 September 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
↑ Oliver, Paul M.; Blom, Mozes P. K.; Cogger, Harold G.; Fisher, Robert N.; Richmond, Jonathan Q.; Woinarski, John C. Z. (30 June 2018). "Insular biogeographic origins and high phylogenetic distinctiveness for a recently depleted lizard fauna from Christmas Island, Australia". Biology Letters. 14 (6): 20170696. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2017.0696. PMC 6030605 . PMID 29899126.
1 2 Smith, Michael J.; Cogger, H.; Tiernan, B.; Maple, D.; Boland, C.; Napier, F.; Detto, T.; Smith, P. "An oceanic island reptile community under threat: the decline of reptiles on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean" (PDF). Herpetological Conservation and Biology. 7 (2): 206–218. S2CID 83084235.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Andrew, Paul; Cogger, Hal; Driscoll, Don; Flakus, Samantha; Harlow, Peter; Maple, Dion; Misso, Mike; Pink, Caitlin; Retallick, Kent; Rose, Karrie; Tiernan, Brendan; West, Judy; Woinarski, John C.Z. (2018). "Somewhat saved: A captive breeding programme for two endemic Christmas Island lizard species, now extinct in the wild". Oryx. 52: 171–174. doi: 10.1017/S0030605316001071 . hdl: 10536/DRO/DU:30090399 . S2CID 89447993.
↑ Geyle, Hayley M.; Tingley, Reid; Amey, Andrew P.; Cogger, Hal; Couper, Patrick J.; Cowan, Mark; Craig, Michael D.; Doughty, Paul; Driscoll, Don A.; Ellis, Ryan J.; Emery, Jon-Paul; Fenner, Aaron; Gardner, Michael G.; Garnett, Stephen T.; Gillespie, Graeme R.; Greenlees, Matthew J.; Hoskin, Conrad J.; Keogh, J. Scott; Lloyd, Ray; Melville, Jane; McDonald, Peter J.; Michael, Damian R.; Mitchell, Nicola J.; Sanderson, Chris; Shea, Glenn M.; Sumner, Joanna; Wapstra, Erik; Woinarski, John C. Z.; Chapple, David G. (2021). "Reptiles on the brink: Identifying the Australian terrestrial snake and lizard species most at risk of extinction". Pacific Conservation Biology. 27: 3. doi: 10.1071/PC20033 . hdl: 10536/DRO/DU:30143616 . S2CID 225209280.
1 2 Dodge, Tristram O.; Farquharson, Katherine A.; Ford, Claire; Cavanagh, Lisa; Schubert, Kristen; Schumer, Molly; Belov, Katherine; Hogg, Carolyn J. (2023). "Genomes of two Extinct‐in‐the‐Wild reptiles from Christmas Island reveal distinct evolutionary histories and conservation insights". Molecular Ecology Resources: 1755–0998.13780. doi: 10.1111/1755-0998.13780 . ISSN 1755-098X. PMID 36872490. S2CID 257363487.