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Diet composition of the gecko species, Cyrtodactylus leegrismeri, on Hon Khoai Island, southern Vietnam

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  • Hai Ngoc Ngo,
  • Truong Nguyen,
  • Thomas Ziegler,
  • Huyen Truong,
  • Hong Trinh,
  • Tien Phan,
  • Van Nguyen
Hai Ngoc Ngo
Institute of Genome Research, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology
Truong Nguyen
Institute of Biology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 10072 – Hanoi, Vietnam
Thomas Ziegler
Cologne Zoo, Riehler Straße 173, 50735, Cologne, Germany
Huyen Truong
Hong Duc University, 565 Quang Trung Street, Thanh Hoa , Vietnam
Hong Trinh
Hong Duc University, 565 Quang Trung Street, Thanh Hoa , Vietnam
Tien Phan
Institute of Biology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 10072 – Hanoi, Vietnam
Van Nguyen
University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/a_h-19706

Published 2026-05-18

Keywords

  • Conservation,
  • Diet composition,
  • Habitat degradation,
  • Important index,
  • Termites

How to Cite

Ngoc Ngo, H., Nguyen, T., Ziegler, T., Truong, H., Trinh, H., Phan, T., & Nguyen, V. (2026). Diet composition of the gecko species, Cyrtodactylus leegrismeri, on Hon Khoai Island, southern Vietnam. Acta Herpetologica. https://doi.org/10.36253/a_h-19706

Copyright (c) 2026 Hai Ngoc Ngo, Truong Nguyen, Thomas Ziegler, Huyen Truong, Hong Trinh, Tien Phan, Van Nguyen

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

The study investigated the diet composition of Cyrtodactylus leegrismeri on Hon Khoai Island, southern Vietnam. Field surveys were conducted during the rainy season (November 2015) and dry season (January 2016 and March 2025). A total of 852 prey items representing 25 prey categories were identified from the stomach contents of 128 individuals. The diet was dominated by small invertebrates, with Isoptera (termites) being the primary prey type, followed by Orthoptera, Blattodea, Lepidoptera, Araneae and other prey groups. The species showed a high degree of dietary specialization, with a sustained reliance on termites and a restricted spectrum of prey. There were no significant seasonal differences in the overall diet composition of C. leegrismeri. Our findings documented that forest degradation negatively affects prey diversity with an overdependence on termites in disturbed habitats, highlighting the importance of forest protection for an intact ecosystem on Hon Khoai Island.

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