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Translocation retains genetic diversity of a threatened endemic reptile in Mauritius

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Abstract

The island of Mauritius has experienced five reptile extinctions since the 1600s. Approximately half of the remaining herpetofauna has been restricted to offshore islets, resulting in small populations at high risk of extinction. Under the combined pressures of invasive species, habitat loss and fragmentation and climate change, translocations are considered a powerful tool in conservation of threatened and endangered species. The Bojer’s skink, Gongylomorphus bojerii, on the offshore island on Ilot Vacoas represents the remnant population of the species in the southeast of Mauritius. Given the geographic isolation and its genetic distinctiveness, individuals were translocated to the neighbouring island of Ile aux Fouquets in order to re-establish historical range, minimize extinction risk and maintain genetic variation within the species. Using fifteen microsatellite loci, we assessed the genetic structure of the population on Ilot Vacoas in relation to a northern offshore population (on Round Island) and evaluated the genetic consequences of the translocation. Results revealed that the population on Ilot Vacoas exhibits significantly lower levels of genetic variation and strong differentiation (F ST  = 0.16) compared to the northern population. The inbreeding coefficient was low and no recent bottleneck event was detected from its genetic signature. The translocation on Ile aux Fouquets did not provide evidence of negative genetic effects. The newly established population retained much of the source’s genetic material, though the effective population size was found to be relatively small. These findings confirmed the importance of incorporating genetic management and continuous monitoring to detect changes in the long-term survival of translocated populations.

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Acknowledgments

Permission to export the Bojer’s skink samples was given by the National Parks and Conservation Service of Mauritius. The collection of the samples and need for this project was supported by Defra’s Darwin Initiative (project reference 15–038), the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation and National Parks and Conservation Service. We would like to thank Steeves Buckland, Rouben Mootoocurpen, Zayd Jhumka and Mauritian Wildlife Foundation for support in the field and Dr Tim Wright and Ann Thomasson for assistance in the lab at the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. Finally we thank Dr Vikash Tatayah and two anonymous reviewers for comments and suggestions on this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK

    Sozos Michaelides

  2. Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Les Augrès Manor, Trinity, Jersey, JE3 5BP, Channel Islands

    Nik Cole

  3. Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, Grannum Road, Vacoas, Mauritius

    Nik Cole

  4. Nature Heritage, St. Lawrence, Jersey, Channel Islands

    Stephan M. Funk

  5. Núcleo de Estudios Ambientales, Universidad Católica de Temuco, Temuco, Chile

    Stephan M. Funk

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  1. Sozos Michaelides
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Correspondence to Sozos Michaelides.

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Michaelides, S., Cole, N. & Funk, S.M. Translocation retains genetic diversity of a threatened endemic reptile in Mauritius. Conserv Genet 16, 661–672 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-014-0691-z

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