2024 journal article
Multiple records of the introduced parthenogenetic Smooth-scaled Tegulet, <i>Gymnophthalmus underwoodi</i> Grant 1958, in Puerto Rico
Reptiles & Amphibians.
open access via journals.ku.edu (repository)
UN Sustainable Development Goal Categories
14. Life Below Water
(OpenAlex)
Source: ORCID
Added: April 15, 2024
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-scaledTegulet (Gymnophthalmus underwoodi), first described from Barbados in the 1950s, has since been documented as anintroduced 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 theindividuals on this island are most closely related to populations recorded from Brazil and Montserrat. Additionalgenetic 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.