TY - JOUR

T1 - Niche segregation in microhabitat use of three sympatric Cyrtodactylus in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, Central Vietnam

AU - Loos, Jacqueline

AU - von Wehrden, H.

AU - Dang, Kien Ngoc

AU - Ziegler, Thomas

N1 - Copyright 2012 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2012/5/6

Y1 - 2012/5/6

N2 - We collected field data to characterize and segregate the microhabitat use of the three sympatric bent-toed geckos Cyrtodactylus phongnhakebangensis, C. cryptus, and C. roesleri. These species were recently discovered to occur in one of the last remaining karstic rainforest formations in Vietnam, the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park of Central Vietnam. Between July and September 2010, we found 126 individual geckos in six independent areas by visual encounter surveys. We assessed habitat data in order to enable a microsite comparison of the different species. We found syntopic occupation of one study site by C. phongnhakebangensis and C. roesleri, and sympatric occurrence with C. cryptus. Our study shows niche segregation in microsite use for C. cryptus and niche overlap for C. roesleri with C. phongnhakebangensis. It may be inferred that the syntopic sibling species did not develop microhabitat partitioning, while the sympatric gecko adjusted to occupy different types of habitat.

AB - We collected field data to characterize and segregate the microhabitat use of the three sympatric bent-toed geckos Cyrtodactylus phongnhakebangensis, C. cryptus, and C. roesleri. These species were recently discovered to occur in one of the last remaining karstic rainforest formations in Vietnam, the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park of Central Vietnam. Between July and September 2010, we found 126 individual geckos in six independent areas by visual encounter surveys. We assessed habitat data in order to enable a microsite comparison of the different species. We found syntopic occupation of one study site by C. phongnhakebangensis and C. roesleri, and sympatric occurrence with C. cryptus. Our study shows niche segregation in microsite use for C. cryptus and niche overlap for C. roesleri with C. phongnhakebangensis. It may be inferred that the syntopic sibling species did not develop microhabitat partitioning, while the sympatric gecko adjusted to occupy different types of habitat.

KW - Biology

KW - Bent-toed Gecko

KW - Gekkonidae

KW - Habitat preferences

KW - Karst forest

KW - Squamata

KW - Ecosystems Research

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84861986583&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:84861986583

VL - 7

SP - 101

EP - 108

JO - Herpetological Conservation and Biology

JF - Herpetological Conservation and Biology

SN - 1931-7603

IS - 1

ER -