Habitat features and distribution of Hemidactylus turcicus and Tarentola mauritanica in Campania (southern Italy)

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1 Habitat features and distribution of Hemidactylus turcicus and Tarentola mauritanica in Campania (southern Italy) Marcello MEZZASALMN, Gaetano ODIERNN, Nicola MAI03, Agnese PETRACCIOLF, Orfeo PICARIELL02, Fabio M. GUARIN02 1Via F. De Sancris, Napoli 2 Dip. Biologia Srrurrurale e Funzionale, Universira di Napoli Federico II J Museo Zoologico, Centro Museale "Musei delle SCienze Narurali", Universira di Napoli Federico II Riassunto. In Campania sono presenti due specie di Geconidi: il geco verrucoso (Hemidactylus turcicus) e il geco comune (Tarentola mauritanica). Entrambe Ie specie sono state tinvenute prevalenremente lungo Ie coste e nelle isole campane maggiori. Scopo del presente lavoro e stato quello di aggiornare la distribuzione delle due specie in Campania e analizzare i fattori ecologici che influenzano la loro distribuzione. T. mauritanica e distribuita in un numero pili elevato di quadranti UTM ed e stata osservata con maggior frequenza anche in aree pili interne. Le due specie mostrano una distribuzione alrirudinale simile, limitara prevalentemente aile basse quote e progressivamente decrescente con l'altirudine. Sia T..mauritanica sia H. turcicus sono state rinvenute nella maggioranza dei casi in ambienti antropici, tuttavia il geco comune appare essere presente in un maggior numero di categorie ambientali. Solo una segnalazione di H. turcicus riguarda ambienti di macchia mediterranea e attualmente nuove ricerche sono in corso per aggiungere informazioni riguardo gli ambienti narurali della specie in Campania. Inoltre l'analisi dei dati raccolti mette in evidenza per il geco verrucoso abirudini maggiormente notturne rispetto al geco comune. Two species of Gekkonids, Hemidactylus turcicus and Tarentola mauritanica, are present in Campania, where they are more frequently found along coastal area and islands. As in other regions ofitalytthese two gekkonids are highly sinanthropic, and are often found in sintopy in a wide variety of anthropic habitats such as buildings, roofs, archaeological ruins and dry stone walls (Guarino et al., 2006; Venchi, 2006). The present contribution is aimed to update the distribution of H. turcicus and T. mauritanica and to better define their habitat preferences in Campania. First, we take in account the herpetological darabase of the S.H.I. 129 Atti. VIII Congresso Nazionale Societas Herpe'ologica ltajica

2 (Societas Herpetoiogica Itaiica), on which the Atlas of Italian Amphibians and Reptiles is based (Sindaco et ai., 2006). This database was revised and implemented both with original faunistic data collected by the authors and with data derived from papers not included in the Atlas of Italian Amphibians and Reptiles (Guarino et ai., 2002; Capasso e Carpino, 2008; Cipolla e Nappi, 2008; Mezzasalma et ai., 2008). For both species, the regional distribution was represented by means of 10' 10 Km UTM squares. In addition, the records were classified in two data set: before 1985, and after 1985 according to the S.H.I. database. The altitudinal distribution was analyzed using 200 m intervals, starting from sea level. The habitat preferences were conformed to the CORINE biotope classification (Devillers et ai., 1991), with a slight modification, which is the union offoresred and high-lands habitats into natural and semi-natural category, and the union of anthropic and soil habitats into a single urban and semi-urban category. As a consequence, some habitat codes were renamed. Concerning H. turcicus we collected 89 records, distributed on 28 UTM squares representing the 15% of the total number of 184 UTM squares in which Campania Region was divided, and the 19% of UTM squares up now investigated (n= 149: 81 % of the total) (Fig. 1). In Campania, this species is more frequently found in coastal areas: in fact, only few reports have been checked for inland areas. Concerning the altitudinal distribution in Campania, H. turcicus tends to colonize mostly the lower altitudinal belts (Fig. 2): over 63% of the records are localized below 200 m a.s.!., about 29% from 200 to 400 m a.s.!., and only 8% from 400 to 600 m a.s.!. (Fig. 3). To date the highest altitudinal records in Campania (550 m a.s.l.) were for two different localities: Mercogliano, Avellino province, and Palo monte, Salerno province. Concerning the habitat preferences, in Campania Vt IF Hi j ~.~... ~ - r=:~ r-' '5 j l.-1-' -!l -._f- -j--- p,., ( i n1 Lif ; 5 Fig. 1. Disrribution.- 7' 6.5,! _- \. W[6 I"- 7! ;:: I).,.. z.1 i.." i of Hemidactyius turcicus... = records ante 1985; = records post vr o -r 8) '7 ( ~ UJ\ ; _= if:... z.t-< I <"".1 1. :, VEl.. ~ ;..~-~ -" l ')-1 'I '11 _ I ~ I 1 5 '\ ~ f-....,..;:..~ r"'- Iff l'e.l."'- '. \ Iff 1"'- 8! \11' 6 f"- 7 _ T Fig. 2. Distribution of Tarentola I JI I. -Jr' lei_.rel 1 mauritanica... = records ante 1985; = records post Alii. VIII Congresso Nazionale Societas Herpe logica Italica

3 t::i'<f; r f"jo,o, r f",<fj r:i~.sf#.... rf> 'l: ~ Iiot$ <&,.~. alliludinal bells.,.,tfj #......?tf1... ~ '1..# ~r f{or f Fig. 3. Altitudinal distribution of Hemidactylus turcicus. Fig. 4. Altitudinal distribution of Tarentola mauritanica. Fig. 5. Habitat preferences of Hemidactylus turcicus. Legend: A0202: buildings; A03: ruins and dry stone walls F03: Mediterranean scrub. Fig. 6. Habitat preferences of Tarentola mauritanica. Legend: AO102: vegetable gardens; AO106: olive trees; A0202: buildings; A03: ruins and dry stone walls; 008: emerging rocks; F03: Mediterranean scrub; U03: cavities in rocks and trees near stream; UO102: cavities III rocks and trees near pond. H. turcicus has been reported more frequently on the walls of the houses (75% of the total records) and on dry stone walls (220/0). Only one record has been reported Mediterranean scrub habitat (Fig. 4). in the We checked also 111sightings of T mauritanica, disrributed on 38 UTM squares representing the 21 % of the total number of 184 UTM squares in which Campania Region was divided, and the 250/0 of UTM squares up now investigated (n= 149: 81 % of the total). In Campania this species is localized mainly on the coastal belt, although it has been reported also for many inland areas (l0 % of UTM squares investigated mostly sited in Salerno, Caserta and Benevento provinces) (Fig 4). T mauritanica was mostly found at low

4 elevations, and in fact its altitudinal distribution seems to be inversely related to the altitude: 62% of the records were found between m a.s.!.; over 27% between and 400 m a.s.!., and only 11% between 400 = and 600 m a.s.!.. So far, the highest finding in Campania was an adult observed in S. Bartolomeo in Galdo, (Benevento Province) at 600m. Similarly to H. turcicus, T. mauritanica was frequently observed in anthropic sites: ruins and dry stone walls (49% of total sightings), buildings (39%), gardens (4%), olive trees (2%), emerging rocks (2%), cavities in rocks and trees near streams and ponds (both 1%). In conclusion, in Campania the two gekkonid species are principally localized along the coasts while a lower number of observations exists for inland areas. At present, we have no experimental data to explain the unusual occurrence of these species, mainly T. mauritanica, in the inland areas of Campania. It might be hypothesized that this occurrence is due to accidental introduction related to human activities (passive transport of wood, stones, ete.) and that jump dispersal events are the main mode of expansion, as suggested for the nonnative populations of H turcicus in the United States (Locey e Stone, 2006). On the other hand, the ecology of both geckonids is actually insufficiently known, and it cannot ruled out that in some parts of their areal the two species show a better adaptability to a wider range of ecological circumstances. Particularly in southern Italy and in other temperate areas at comparable latitudes the inland occurrence of the species could be considered underestimated. In comparison with T. mauritanica, H. turcicus has been found exclusively in anthropic habitats. However, the scarce sightings of this species in natural habitats (like Mediterranean scrubs) could be due to the difficulty to find it by night, when the species is more active, in poorly illuminated natural environments. In Campania as well as in other parts of its distribution, H turcicus, shows mainly nocturnal habits (50% of records ranges between 19 pm and 7 am) with respect to T. mauritanica (74% of records between 7 am and 18:59 pm) and only one adult was found in a Mediterranean scrub but the species presence in these habitats could be underestimated. Moreover, some species of the Hemidactylus genus are know as "forest gekkos", inhabiting environments with dense vegetation (as the west central African rain forest) and can be found under logs and barks. Our field data are relevant in order to update the habitat features and distribution of the two specie of gekkonids and to constitute the basis for further investigations. Carpino, E, Capasso, S., (2008): Anfibi e Rettili del Parco Regionale del Partenio. In: I Vertebrati terrestri del Parco Regionale del Partenio. Monitoraggio e indirizzi per la gestione e conservazione, p Carpino, E, Capasso,S., Eds, Ente Parco Regionale del Partenio, Edizioni Scientifiche Italiane, Napoli. Cipolla, M., Nappi, A. (2008): Check-list preliminare degli Anfibi e dei Rettili delle Isole Campane. In: Herpetologia Sardiniae, p Societas Herpetologica Italica / Edizioni Belvedere, Latina. Devillers, P., Devillers-Terschuren, J., Ledant, J.P., Corine Biotopes Expert Groups (1991): 132 AlIi. VIII Congresso Nazionale Societas Herpetofogica ftalica

5 Carine biotopes manual. Part 2. Habitats of the European Community. European Community Brusselles. Guarino, EM., Maio, N., Picariello, 0., Caputo, V. (2002): Staro attuale delle conoscenze sull'erperofauna dei Campi Flegrei (Napoli). Bollettino Sez. Campana dell' Ass. Naz. Insegnanti Scienze Nat. 24: Guarino, EM, Picariello, 0., (2006): Tarentola mauritanica. In: Adante degli Anfibi e dei Rettili d'italia/adas ofitalians Amphibians and Reptiles, p Sindaco, R., Doria, G., Razzetti, E., Bernini, E, Eds, Societas Herperologica Italica, Edizioni Polistampa, Firenze. Locey, K., Srone, P. (2006): Facror affecting range expansion in the introduced Gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus. J. Herperol. 40: Mediterranean Mezzasalma, M., Maio, N., Guarino, E M. (2008): I.:erperofauna del Parco Gussone di Portici (Na). Bollettino Sez. Campana dell' Ass. Naz. Insegnanti Scienze Naturali (ANISN), 36: Sindaco,R., Doria, G., Razzetti, E., Bernini, F., Eds (2006): Adame degli Anfibi e dei Rettili d'italial Adas ofitalian Amphibians and Reptiles. Societas Herpetologica Italica. Edizioni Polistampa, Firenze. Venchi A. (2006): Hemidactylus turcicus. In: Adante degli Anfibi e dei Rettili d'italia/adas of Italians Amphibians and Reptiles, p Sindaco, R., Doria, G., Razzetti, E., Bernini, F., Eds, Societas Herperologica Italica, Edizioni Polis tampa, Firenze, p Atti. VIII Congresso Nazionale Societas Herpetologica Italica

6 II presente volume e da citare nel seguente modo / This volume should be cited as follows: Di Tizio L., Di Cerbo A. R., Di Francesco N., Cameli A. (Eds), Atti VIII Congresso Nazionale Societas Herpetologica Italica (Chieti, settembre 2010), lanieri Edizioni, Pescara, 584 pp. Esempio di citazione di un singolo contributo / How to quote a single contribution: Di Cerbo A R., Sassi A, Biancardi C. M., Gli Anfibi e i Rettili delia Valle di Fiemme (Trentino orientale). In: Di Tizio L., Di Cerbo A R., Di Francesco N., Cameli A (Eds). Atti VIII Congresso Nazionale Societas Herpetologica Italica (Chieti, settembre 2010), lanieri Edizioni, Pescara: lanieri Edizioni Via E. De Amicis 1/ Pescara Tel. 085, Fax Nessuna parte di questa Ilbra puo essere ripradotta 0 trasmessa in qualsiasi forma 0 con qualsiasi mezzo elettranico, meccanico 0 altro senza I'autorizzazione scritta dei proprietari dei diritti e dell'editore.