Hemidactylus turcicus (Mediterranean Gecko). Endoparasite.

Hemidactylus turcicus is a native of western India, Somalia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean region and is one of the most successful invasive species in the world (Kraus. 2009. Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer Verlag, Berlin. 563 pp.). Since its introduction into the USA via the Port of Miami, Florida, around 1915, the range of this gecko has increased to include much of southern North America from Virginia and Florida west to California (Meshaka et al. 2006. Herpetol. Conserv. Biol. 1:145–150). A summation of the helminth parasites of both introduced and native H. turcicus was provided by McAllister and Bursey (2016. Acta Parasitol. 61:576–584). Here, we document a new host record for a tapeworm parasite of an introduced H. turcicus.