Mourning Gecko
Lepidodactylus lugubris
Natural History:
The Mourning Gecko, also known as the Smooth-Scaled Gecko has a large native range stretching from India to Japan and south to Australia. Within this tropical and semi-tropical range, plants are almost always available and this species makes full use of this resource by regularly feeding on flower nectar. In doing so, they help pollinate the flowers, benefiting both species in this example of symbiosis. The Mourning Gecko also feeds on small insects attracted to lights.
They have more recently been found to be an invasive species to large amounts of Central America like Costa Rica with some populations in Florida. The introduced population in the rainforest is not nearly as invasive as the Florida population as rainforests have a much greater amount of biodiversity allowing it to become more adaptable to change in the number of species and populations.
The entire population of Mourning Geckos are female and breed through parthenogenesis. Parthenogenesis is when the females reproduce asexually. Two of these lizards pseudocopulate without any genes shared, this is done to stimulate the organs needed. They will both lay eggs where the young have chromosomes identical to the single biological parent. While parthenogenesis may be advantages when it comes to growing in population is also restricts the species' ability to evolve due to the restricted genetic diversity among populations which hinders the appearance of detrimental or beneficial mutations.
Geckos are known for their ability to stick to glass and other hard surfaces. They do this with microscopic hair like structures each with their own hair like structures on the pads of their feet. These hair like structures are known as setae and become adhesive when pushed up against something solid. Geckos are also able to "turn off the stickiness" by changing the position of the hairs stopping their immediate attraction. Geckos are also able to "turn off the stickiness" by changing the position of the hairs stopping their immediate attraction.
The Mourning Gecko, also known as the Smooth-Scaled Gecko has a large native range stretching from India to Japan and south to Australia. Within this tropical and semi-tropical range, plants are almost always available and this species makes full use of this resource by regularly feeding on flower nectar. In doing so, they help pollinate the flowers, benefiting both species in this example of symbiosis. The Mourning Gecko also feeds on small insects attracted to lights.
They have more recently been found to be an invasive species to large amounts of Central America like Costa Rica with some populations in Florida. The introduced population in the rainforest is not nearly as invasive as the Florida population as rainforests have a much greater amount of biodiversity allowing it to become more adaptable to change in the number of species and populations.
The entire population of Mourning Geckos are female and breed through parthenogenesis. Parthenogenesis is when the females reproduce asexually. Two of these lizards pseudocopulate without any genes shared, this is done to stimulate the organs needed. They will both lay eggs where the young have chromosomes identical to the single biological parent. While parthenogenesis may be advantages when it comes to growing in population is also restricts the species' ability to evolve due to the restricted genetic diversity among populations which hinders the appearance of detrimental or beneficial mutations.
Geckos are known for their ability to stick to glass and other hard surfaces. They do this with microscopic hair like structures each with their own hair like structures on the pads of their feet. These hair like structures are known as setae and become adhesive when pushed up against something solid. Geckos are also able to "turn off the stickiness" by changing the position of the hairs stopping their immediate attraction. Geckos are also able to "turn off the stickiness" by changing the position of the hairs stopping their immediate attraction.