Multiple records of the introduced parthenogenetic Smooth-scaled Tegulet, Gymnophthalmus underwoodi Grant 1958, in Puerto Rico
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Abstract
The introduction of invasive species to islands can be devastating to local biota. While many invasive species’ successful colonization of new habitats can be attributed to features like high fecundity or low mate selectivity, parthenogenetic species pose a unique threat in their ability to reproduce asexually at high rates. The Smooth-scaled Tegulet (Gymnophthalmus underwoodi), first described from Barbados in the 1950s, has since been documented as an introduced species across additional Lesser and Greater Antillean islands as well as northwestern Brazil and Venezuela. Herein we report multiple individuals from Puerto Rico, including the first genetic records, which indicate that the individuals on this island are most closely related to populations recorded from Brazil and Montserrat. Additional genetic information is necessary to determine the timing and migration of this species across the Caribbean. Regardless, the continued geographic expansion of this parthenogen across the Caribbean could present a threat to local fauna.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Multiple records of the introduced parthenogenetic Smooth-scaled Tegulet, Gymnophthalmus underwoodi Grant 1958, in Puerto Rico |
| Series title | Reptiles and Amphibians |
| DOI | 10.17161/randa.v31i1.21466 |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Year Published | 2024 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | International Reptile Conservation Foundation |
| Contributing office(s) | Coop Res Unit Atlanta |
| Description | e21466, 7 p. |
| Other Geospatial | Puerto Rico |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |