Diet of Critically Endangered Black-Eyed Bent-Toed Gecko, Cyrtodactylus nigriocularis, Nguyen, Orlov & Darevsky, 2006 From Vietnam

Abstract

The Black-eyed Bent-toed Gecko, Cyrtodactylus nigriocularis, a species endemic to Ba Den Mountain Cultural and Historical Complex, Tay Ninh Province, Vietnam, has been classified as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List since 2018. However, knowledge of its natural history is virtually non-existent. To fill this gap, the diet of the gecko was studied by stomach flushing. We identified a total of 22 prey categories with 407 items in the stomachs of C. nigriocularis. The most important (IRI) groups among its prey were Araneae (24.33%), followed by Opiliones (16.59%), Achatinidae (10.67%), Blattidae (8.77%), Scolopendridae (7.59%), and Acrididae (4.20%), similar to food items consumed by tropical geckos as reported in previous studies. There was no relationship between body mass and mouth width of the species and length/volume of prey consumed, but there were significant differences in the diet composition between sexes and between age groups. Despite the discrepancies, spiders are important prey of all groups. In addition to furthering our knowledge of this poorly studied lizard, the research results can help design ex situ conservation measures for the species in case the wild population continues to decline as a result of local anthropogenic threats.