commonly-spotted escaped pets are Bearded Dragons, Pogona vitticeps, Boa Constrictors, Boa constrictor, Californian King Snakes, Lampropeltis californiae, and
Sinaloan King Snakes, L. triangullum. Of particular concern is the escape of various
alien pythons which have been confused with native Rock Pythons, Python sebae,
and which can hybridise with the native species. Moreover, some popular pet snakes
appear to be reproductively flexible with parthenogenetic capabilities (Booth and
Schuett 2016; Booth et al. 2012). A rise in popularity of pet reptiles in South Africa
has been previously flagged as a potential emergent invasion issue (van Wilgen et al.
2010). Other than the species discussed below, a number of other translocated and
introduced populations of reptiles are noted by Brooke et al. (1986), but there is no
known change in their current status and so have not been reported on here.
5.5.2 Hemidactylus mabouia (Tropical House Gecko)
Tropical House Geckos are endemic to Central and East Africa, extending south into
the northeast of South Africa. It is one of five invasive Hemidactylus species that
now have global distributions; the others being H. brookii, H. frenatus, H. garnotii
and H. turcicus. Mediterranean climates (such as that in South Africa’s winter
rainfall zone: see Wilson et al. 2020, Chap. 13) are suitable for most of these species,
and it has been predicted that H. brookii will likely expand its range into areas
currently occupied by H. mabouia (Weterings and Vetter 2018).
Populations of H. mabouia species have invaded West Africa, the Caribbean,
South America and Florida (Weterings and Vetter 2018). Invasions have resulted in
displacement of native geckos in Florida and Curaçao (Dornburg et al. 2016; Short
and Petren 2012, but see also Williams et al. 2016). The first extralimital records in
South Africa for this species are for East London and Port Elizabeth in the 1980s
(Brooke et al. 1986; Rebelo et al. 2019), although, like the common dwarf gecko (see
below), first sightings in Port Elizabeth may be biased to the activities of a keen
resident herpetologist and the true dates for other cities may be earlier than reported.
Both are presumed to have arrived with seaborne cargo (Brooke et al. 1986). Many
populations are known outside of the native range in South Africa, including a range
expansion along the coastal areas towards East London (Bourquin 1987), and jump
dispersal to almost all urban areas in the central and south of the country. Introductions to Simon’s Town and Gordon’s Bay in the Western Cape in 1962 and 1976
respectively, were deliberately made from Sierra Leone (Brooke et al. 1986). While
it is not known whether displacement of native geckos is occurring, there are
anecdotal observations of displacement of the Marbled Leaf-toed Gecko, Afrogecko
porphyreus, in Cape Town (which itself has an established population in Port
Elizabeth: Rebelo et al. 2019). The impact of the Tropical House Gecko has not
been formally assessed, and it is not listed in the Regulations.
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Sinaloan King Snakes, L. triangullum. Of particular concern is the escape of various
alien pythons which have been confused with native Rock Pythons, Python sebae,
and which can hybridise with the native species. Moreover, some popular pet snakes
appear to be reproductively flexible with parthenogenetic capabilities (Booth and
Schuett 2016; Booth et al. 2012). A rise in popularity of pet reptiles in South Africa
has been previously flagged as a potential emergent invasion issue (van Wilgen et al.
2010). Other than the species discussed below, a number of other translocated and
introduced populations of reptiles are noted by Brooke et al. (1986), but there is no
known change in their current status and so have not been reported on here.
5.5.2 Hemidactylus mabouia (Tropical House Gecko)
Tropical House Geckos are endemic to Central and East Africa, extending south into
the northeast of South Africa. It is one of five invasive Hemidactylus species that
now have global distributions; the others being H. brookii, H. frenatus, H. garnotii
and H. turcicus. Mediterranean climates (such as that in South Africa’s winter
rainfall zone: see Wilson et al. 2020, Chap. 13) are suitable for most of these species,
and it has been predicted that H. brookii will likely expand its range into areas
currently occupied by H. mabouia (Weterings and Vetter 2018).
Populations of H. mabouia species have invaded West Africa, the Caribbean,
South America and Florida (Weterings and Vetter 2018). Invasions have resulted in
displacement of native geckos in Florida and Curaçao (Dornburg et al. 2016; Short
and Petren 2012, but see also Williams et al. 2016). The first extralimital records in
South Africa for this species are for East London and Port Elizabeth in the 1980s
(Brooke et al. 1986; Rebelo et al. 2019), although, like the common dwarf gecko (see
below), first sightings in Port Elizabeth may be biased to the activities of a keen
resident herpetologist and the true dates for other cities may be earlier than reported.
Both are presumed to have arrived with seaborne cargo (Brooke et al. 1986). Many
populations are known outside of the native range in South Africa, including a range
expansion along the coastal areas towards East London (Bourquin 1987), and jump
dispersal to almost all urban areas in the central and south of the country. Introductions to Simon’s Town and Gordon’s Bay in the Western Cape in 1962 and 1976
respectively, were deliberately made from Sierra Leone (Brooke et al. 1986). While
it is not known whether displacement of native geckos is occurring, there are
anecdotal observations of displacement of the Marbled Leaf-toed Gecko, Afrogecko
porphyreus, in Cape Town (which itself has an established population in Port
Elizabeth: Rebelo et al. 2019). The impact of the Tropical House Gecko has not
been formally assessed, and it is not listed in the Regulations.
138
J. Measey et al.