Sneaky Settler: Documenting an Introduced Gecko on Grand Comoro Island

Just as this camera-shy individual hides behind a banana leaf, this newly introduced lizard species has been hiding in plain sight on Grand Comoro—one of four islands of the Comoros Archipelago in the Western Indian Ocean. During a recent field expedition, we found multiple of these non-native Gold Dust Day Geckos (Phelsuma laticauda) living in urban gardens amongst other native and introduced lizard species, confirming their successful establishment and continued spread on Grand Comoro. The Gold Dust Day Gecko is one of the reptile species found in the Comoros that my colleagues and I study at UZH to learn more about the impact of environmental change—including invasive species—on island systems.
by Kathleen C. Webster