mimicry in Tarentola mauritanica

[Will Atkins]

I was reviewing some photos I took last year of Moorish geckos and noticed what looked like lots of red spider mites on their feet and elsewhere. Only I think they're just tiny red dots, which makes their rock-like colour and texture even more convincingly cryptic. Anyone else noticed this? Am I drawing the right conclusion or why else would they have these dots? Anyway, they fooled me!

link to photo below, as an example:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/100121190 ... en-public/

[Michal Szkudlarek]

Imo these are spider mites.

[Will Atkins]

Yes, I thought that. But the ones by the eyes look irregular and no sign of legs etc... I wish I had taken a better photo...

[Mario Schweiger]

all are mites.
larvae and imagines

mario

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

Geckobia

[Will Atkins]

Thanks - embarrassment factor 10

But...as with everything else in science, one question answered, raises several more...what do they get from being commensal / parasitic / mutualistic on geckos? Protection, warmer microhabitat, food (old skin cells?) Do they spend their whole lives on the gecko, do they move from one to another ? too many questions, but I'm suddenly interested in the little critters and their reptilian 'islands'.

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

They are blood parasites.

[Jeroen Speybroeck]

Or rather: they feed on gecko blood (because blood parasites probably rather relates to parasites living inside the blood).

[Will Atkins]

thank you Jeroen. I suppose their presence at the corners of the eyes and between the toes makes for easier access to blood vessels. I wonder if they take the place of the ticks which occur on Lacertids, or perhaps geckos are equally affected by them as well.