Gecko Hideouts

A rare endemic plant called Trochetia blackburniana on the island of Mauritius off the coast of Africa depends on a neighboring plant to provide a safe haven for its pollinator, the day gecko, Phelsuma capediana. (The photo shows a gecko visiting a Trochetia flower for nectar.)

Since this gecko is active during the day it must find clever hideouts to avoid predators. The lizard's favorite refuge is among the maze of spiky leaves of Pandanus plants.

In a study detailed in the April issue of the American Naturalist, Dennis Hansen of Zurich University and his colleagues found that Trochetia plants growing close to the gecko's hideouts--Pandanus patches--were more likely to get pollinated and produce fruits compared with loner Trochetia.

The results reveal an indirect relationship between Trochetia and its neighbor Pandanus by means of the geckos.

"Our study illustrates how important it is to know as much as possible about the community-level interactions of an endangered species before deciding on conservation management," Hansen said. "Who would have thought that to conserve Trochetia blackburniana we would end up saying 'plant more patches of Pandanus'?"

--LiveScience Staff

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Credit: Dennis Hansen