Competition amongst endemic lizard species on a tropical island (Round Island, Mauritius)

Round Island, Mauritius, hosts a community of rare endemic lizard species. Their environment was cleared of most vegetation by introduced goats and rabbits (now eliminated). A partnership between the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Mauritian Wildlife Foundation and the Government's National Parks and Conservation Service has permitted the restoration of habitat and with it the recovery of the reptile-dominated vertebrate community (Cole et al. 2018). The reptile species occupy a landscape going through plant community recovery, but little is known about availability of the invertebrate prey. The skinks and geckos have proved to be remarkably resilient to environmental change, although some species were extirpated from the island's reptile community. It is likely the reptiles originally adapted to different niches, including trophic niches that allowed them to avoid direct competition. One species, the Telfair's skink, is a generalist, consuming a wide range of different taxonomic groups. Other species may have narrower niche axes and be more specialised.