Population Structure and Genetic Diversity of Mediterranean Geckos (Hemidactylus Turcicus) at the University of Oklahoma (OU) North Oval

Abstract

The Mediterranean gecko is from the Middle East and has become an exotic species in the United States, living on building walls. Once these geckos are established in an area, they venture out via slow dispersal due to their small territorial range. The invasion of geckos at OU were established in the 1940-50’s after escaping from research labs at one or both of two sites: Richards Hall and the Clock Tower. We are studying OU to compare it to other locations in central Oklahoma, close to the northern end of the species’ U.S. range. On OU’s North Oval, we sampled 16 buildings with 9–20 samples per building so far. Our goal is to have 20 per building. We collected 210 samples from North Oval and genotyped 16 micro-satellites per individual to evaluate genetic variation and differentiation. We expected multiple sub-populations of geckos within the North Oval. We found two distinct clusters. Future data will allow further exploration of how exotic and invasive species adapt to an urban life in colder climates.