Reptiles
Mourning Gecko
Lepidodactylus lugubris · also called mourning geckos
No male mourning gecko has ever been reliably found anywhere, because the species does not need one: every individual is female, and every offspring is a clone of its mother. That trick alone has let a single stowaway gecko in a shipping crate or a potted plant found an entire new population on arrival, a major reason this small gecko now turns up across much of the tropical Pacific and beyond.
Overview
The mourning gecko, Lepidodactylus lugubris, is a small, entirely female gecko species found across the tropical Pacific and increasingly beyond, spread largely through human cargo and plant transport. It hunts small insects and spiders at night and also feeds on nectar and soft fruit.
Cloning its way around the world
Reproducing through parthenogenesis, a single individual reaching new habitat can found an entire population on its own, no mate required. Like other geckos, it can shift its colouration somewhat with activity and light, and sheds a still-wriggling tail to escape predators.
Status
Least Concern — remarkably successful and widespread, its unusual all-female reproduction turning even accidental transport into a colonisation opportunity.
Mourning Gecko: common questions
Has a male mourning gecko ever actually been found?
No male mourning gecko has been reliably documented in the wild, and the species is understood to reproduce entirely through parthenogenesis, in which females produce genetically identical offspring without any need for fertilisation, making the mourning gecko one of the relatively small number of reptile species known to reproduce successfully as an entirely female population.
How has a species with no males managed to spread so widely?
Because a single mourning gecko is capable of laying viable eggs and founding an entirely new population without needing a mate, even one individual accidentally transported to a new location, commonly through cargo, shipping containers, or potted plants moved by human activity, can potentially establish a self-sustaining population there, a major reason the species has spread so successfully across much of the tropical Pacific and increasingly beyond.
Why is it called the mourning gecko if it isn't actually sad?
The name is generally understood to reference the species' relatively subdued, often greyish or brownish colouration and understated markings, which contrast with the more boldly patterned or brightly coloured appearance of some other gecko species, rather than referring to any actual behaviour or emotional state, since geckos do not experience or display mourning in a human sense.
Can a mourning gecko change colour like a chameleon?
Not in the same dramatic, rapid way a chameleon can, but like several other gecko species, a mourning gecko can shift its skin colouration somewhat depending on factors such as lighting conditions, temperature, and activity level, typically appearing darker while active at night and lighter while resting, a more limited physiological colour adjustment rather than a fast, deliberate camouflage response.