Geckos Forasteros: an assessment of the invasion status by exotic geckos in Argentina using citizen science

Abstract

Geckos are among the most successful reptile invaders and have colonized a wide range of suitable habitats and climates around the world. Outside their native range, they usually show a clear association with urban habitats and human-modified habitats. In Argentina, Hemidactylus mabouia and Tarentola mauritanica had confirmed records for a few provinces. Hemidactylus turcicus was reported for Buenos Aires in 1989 from a single record, but later its presence became dubious as it belonged to a misidentified H. mabouia. We started a citizen-science project called Geckos Forasteros, to update the invasion status of gecko species in Argentina. We collected records of geckos from online social networks and the project’s online form, where people voluntarily sent pictures and information about their findings. Our results confirm the presence of H. turcicus in the country and reveal that the extent of the invasion by T. mauritanica and H. mabouia in the country is far larger than previously thought, including the southernmost records worldwide for the three species. We explored the environmental variables associated with the presence of exotic gecko species in South America, and discussed global distribution patterns. The updated distribution and list of exotic geckos in Argentina, highlights the need of monitoring these populations, encouraging the study of the biology of these invaders in the different environmental conditions where they are present.