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  • First record of dermal fluo...
    Burriel-Carranza, Bernat; Talavera, Adrián; Mochales-Riaño, Gabriel; Al Hashmi, Sulaiman; Al Busaidi, Ahmed; Els, Johannes; Carranza, Salvador

    Journal of arid environments, June 2024, 2024-06-00, Letnik: 222
    Journal Article

    Even though steadily increasing, biofluorescence is a rarely documented phenomenon in vertebrates. Within geckos, only six species have been shown to produce fluorescence and only one case of dermal fluorescence has been reported. Here, we report on the discovery of dermal fluorescence in the Dune Sand Gecko (Stenodactylus doriae), the Eastern Sand Gecko (S. leptocosymbotes), and the Arabian Web-footed Sand Gecko (Trigonodactylus arabicus), three closely-related, nocturnal, desert-adapted Arabian geckos. We show that there are interspecific differences in fluorescent regions which might be linked to the habitat preference and behaviour of each species. Our results are in agreement with prior hypotheses suggesting that desert-adapted geckos might use dermal biofluorescence for conspecific signalling. With the present work, we expand the current knowledge on skin fluorescence in reptiles and provide new insights on fluorescence of desert-adapted geckos. •Second case of dermal fluorescence in geckos.•Species inhabiting sand dune deserts show wider and brighter fluorescent regions.•Fluorescence might be biologically relevant for conspecific signaling in these desert-dweller geckos.•The closest case of dermal fluorescence is from another desert-dweller species which diverged from Stenodactylus and Trigonodactylus geckos more than 70 mya.