FOOD COMPOSITION OF A CRITICALLY ENDANGERED  HUU LIEN TIGER GECKO (Goniurosaurus huuliensis)

Lê Ngọc Danh; Trương Trọng Tiến; Đồng Thùy Dung; Nguyễn Sỹ Cường; Trương Thị Huyền; Trịnh Thị Hồng; Phan Quang Tiến; Nguyễn Quốc Huy; Ngô Ngọc Hải

doi:10.34238/tnu-jst.11516

FOOD COMPOSITION OF A CRITICALLY ENDANGERED HUU LIEN TIGER GECKO (Goniurosaurus huuliensis)

About this article

Received: 09/11/24 Revised: 04/03/25 Published: 05/03/25

Authors

1. Le Ngoc Danh, Hong Duc University
2. Truong Trong Tien, Hong Duc University
3. Dong Thuy Dung, Hong Duc University
4. Nguyen Sy Cuong, Hong Duc University
5. Truong Thi Huyen, Hong Duc University
6. Trinh Thi Hong, Hong Duc University
7. Phan Quang Tien, Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources - VAST
8. Nguyen Quoc Huy, Institute of Genome Research - VAST
9. Ngo Ngoc Hai , Institute of Genome Research - VAST

Abstract

Listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, the Huu Lien Tiger Gecko (Goniurosaurus huuliensis) is threatened by hunting and habitat loss. Research on the species' ecology significantly supports conservation efforts, with the study of its food composition playing a crucial role. The study undertook surveys in Huu Lien Nature Reserve, Huu Lung district, Lang Son province and obtained food contents of Goniurosaurus huuliensis by water-flushing the stomach without sacrificing them. Consequently, we collected stomach contents of 21 Huu Lien tiger geckos. A total of 27 food items were classified into 12 invertebrate families, which were belonged to 10 orders. Notably, 3 items were identified as the skin of G. huuliensis. The cricket family (Gryllidae) was the most dominant in the species' diet composition of occurrence frequency (7 times – 33.33%) and number of prey items (7 samples – 23.33%). Three families of Gryllidae, Scolopendridae, and Ectobidae presenting the index of relative importance – Ix (%) of 21.88%, 14.08% and 11.26%, respectively, were identified as the most important prey of G. huuliensis. Regarding the dietary spectrum, G. huuliensis had a low value of the Dominance index of 0.082, high Simpson index of 0.917 and relatively high Shannon index of 2.596. These results stated that G. huuliensis prefers to consume a diverse and well-balanced diet. These findings serve as a vital scientific basis for supporting conservation breeding efforts.

Keywords

Index of relative importance; Gryllidae; Huu Lien; Breeding conservation; Tiger gecko

Full Text:

PDF (Tiếng Việt)

References

[1] N. L. Orlov, S. A. Ryabov, T. T. Nguyen, T. Q. Nguyen, and C. T. Ho, “A new species of Goniurosaurus (Sauria: Gekkota: Eublepharidae) from north Vietnam,” Russian Journal of Herpetology, vol. 15, pp. 229-244, 2008.

[2] N. H. Ngo, Q. T. Le, L. M. Pham, D. M. Le, M. van Schingen, and T. Ziegler, “First record of the Cat Ba tiger gecko, Goniurosaurus catbaensis, from Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh Province, Viet Nam: Microhabitat selection, potential distribution, and evidence of threats,” Amphib Reptile Conserv, vol. 13, pp. 1-13, 2019.

[3] N. H. Ngo, Q. H. Nguyen, M. H. Tran, Q. T. Phan, T. T. Tran, R. L. Gewiss, D. Rödder, Q. T. Nguyen, and T. Ziegler, “Living under the risk of extinction: population status and conservation needs assessment of a micro–endemic tiger gecko in Vietnam,” Animal Biodiversity and Conservation, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 175-188, 2022, doi: 10.32800/abc.2022.45.0175.

[4] N. H. Ngo, Q. H. Nguyen, Q. T. Phan, Q. T. Nguyen, M. van Schingen, and T. Ziegler, “Ecological niche overlap of two allopatric karst-adapted tiger geckos (Goniurosaurus) from northern Vietnam: microhabitat use and implications for conservation,” J Nat Hist., vol. 56, pp. 37-40, 2022, doi: 10.1080/00222933.2022.2120437.

[5] N. H. Ngo, Q. H. Nguyen, Q. T. Phan, M. H. Tran, Q. T. Nguyen, D. Rödder, and T. Ziegler, “Vulnerability of an endemic Tiger Gecko (Goniurosaurus huuliensis) to climate change: modeling environmental refugia and implications for in–situ conservation,” Salamandra, vol. 57, no. 4, pp. 464-474, 2021.

[6] N. H. Ngo, Q. T. Nguyen, Q. T. Phan, M. van Schingen, and T. Ziegler, “A case study on trade in threatened Tiger Geckos (Goniurosaurus) in Vietnam including updated information on the abundance of the endangered G. catbaensis,” Nat Conserv, vol. 33, pp. 1-19, 2019, doi: 10.3897/natureconservation.32.33590.

[7] N. H. Ngo, D. Rödder, L. Grismer, Q. T. Nguyen, D. M. Le, S. Qi, and T. Ziegler, “Extraordinary diversity among allopatric species in the genus Goniurosaurus (Squamata: Eublepharidae): understanding niche evolution and the need of conservation measures,” Biodiversity and Conservation, 2023, doi: 10.1007/s10531-023-02564-4.

[8] T. Q. Nguyen, “Goniurosaurus huuliensis,” The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2018, doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T18917702A18917704.en.

[9] The Government, “Decree No. 84/2021/ND-CP Amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Government’s Decree No. 06/2019/ND-CP of January 22, 2019, on the management of endangered, precious and rare forest plants and animals and implementation of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora,” Hanoi, Vietnam, 2021.

[10] N. H. Ngo, Q. H. Nguyen, M. H. Tran, T. H. Ngo, D. M. Le, L. R. Gewiss, M. van Schingen, Q. T. Nguyen, and T. Ziegler, “A morphological and molecular review of the genus Goniurosaurus, including an identification key,” European Journal of Taxonomy, vol. 751, no. 1, pp. 38-67, 2021, doi: 10.5852/ejt.2021.751.1379.

[11] J. Clavel, R. Julliard, and V. Devictor, “Worldwide decline of specialist species: toward a global functional homogenization?” Front. Ecol. Environ., vol. 9, pp. 222-228, 2011, doi: 10.1890/080216.

[12] C. D. Ngo, B. V. Ngo, P.B. Truong, and L. D. Duong, “Sexual size dimorphism and feeding ecology of Eutropis multifasciata (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae) in the Central Highlands of Vietnam,” Herpetol. Conserv. Biol., vol. 9, pp. 322-333, 2014.

[13] N. H. Ngo, T. Ziegler, Q. T. Nguyen, T. C. Pham, T. T. Nguyen, D. M. Le, and M. van Schingen, “First population assessment of two cryptic tiger geckos (Goniurosaurus) from Northern Vietnam: implications for conservation,” Amphib Reptile Conserv, vol. 10, pp. 34-45, 2016.

[14] Q. T. Nguyen, N. H. Ngo, T. C. Pham, V. H. Nguyen, D. C. Ngo, M. van Schingen, and T. Ziegler, “First population assessment of the Asian water dragon (Physignathus cocincinus Cuvier, 1829) in Thua thien Hue province, Vietnam,” Nature Conservation, vol. 26, pp. 1-14, 2018, doi: 10.3897/natureconservation.26.21818.

[15] N. H. Ngo, Q. T. Nguyen, V. K. Nguyen, and T. Ziegler, “Dietary niche of the endangered Psychedelic Rock Gecko (Cnemaspis psychedelica) in southern Vietnam,” Animal Biology, vol. 74, no. 2, pp. 151-162, 2024, doi: 10.1163/15707563-bja10130.

[16] I. D. Naumann, P. B. Came, J. F. Lawrence, E. S. Nielsen, J. P. Spradbery, R. W. Taylor, M. J. Whitten, and M. J. Littlejohn, The Insects of Australia, a Textbook for Students and Research Workers. 2nd Edition. Division of Entomology, CSIRO, Australia. Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, Australia, and Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, USA, 1991.

[17] N. F. Johnson, and C. A. Triplehorn, Borror and Delong’s Introduction to the Study of Insects. Thompson Brooks/Cole, Belmont, CA, USA, 2005.

[18] W. E. Magnusson, A. P. Lima, W.A. da Silva, and M. C. de Araujo, “Use of geometric forms to estimate volume of invertebrates in ecological studies of dietary overlap,” Copeia, vol. 1, pp. 13-19, 2003.

[19] V. M. Caldart, S. Lop, T. R. N. Bertaso, and C. Zanini, “Feeding ecology of Crossodactylus schmidti (Anura: Hylodidae) in southern Brazil,” Zool. Stud., vol. 51, pp. 484-493, 2012.

[20] C. J. Krebs, Ecological Methodology. 2nd Edition. Addison Wesley Longman, Menlo Park, CA, USA, 1999.

[21] A. E. Magurran, Measuring Biological Diversity. Blackwell Science, Malden, MA, USA, 2004.

[22] Ø. Hammer, D.A.T. Harper, and P. D. Ryan, “PAST: paleontological statistics software package for education and data analysis,” Palaeontol. Electr., vol. 4, no. 1, p. 4, 2001.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34238/tnu-jst.11516

Refbacks

There are currently no refbacks.



Remember me