Oviparous squamates maximize reproductive success by initiating reproduction at the optimal time of year, ensuring favorable temperature and moisture conditions for embryo development. Environmental cues such as temperature, precipitation, and photoperiod play a crucial role in triggering reproduction. However, climate variability associated with global warming may disrupt these finely tuned processes.

In a short note soon to be published in Acta Herpetologica, the breeding phenology of the nocturnal gecko Euleptes europaea is examined using a 40-year dataset encompassing 39 insular coastal populations across the species’ range, from Tunisia to southern Provence. The study focuses on the timing of egg-bearing females, the frequency of non-gravid females during the reproductive period, and morphometric measurements of hatchlings in natural populations.

Gravid females were recorded predominantly between April and July, while they represented only a marginal fraction of the population from August to October. This pattern is consistent with mating occurring in late winter, likely facilitated by seasonal aggregations of individuals. Egg hatching was observed from mid-August to October, resulting in a peak in juvenile sightings during late summer and early autumn.

Overall, this extensive dataset indicates that coastal populations of Euleptes europaea exhibit a seasonal reproductive strategy that extends over several weeks. Further research is needed to determine whether—and how—climate change, particularly through alterations in nocturnal temperatures, may affect the breeding phenology of this species.

Read the full note to find out more.

See you in two weeks!