Skinks on a Plane: Does Human-Mediated Transportation Impact the Behaviour of an Invasive Lizard?

The human-mediated transportation of stowaway individuals to non-native regions is a major driver of new biological invasions, and the post-establishment spread of the invader in its introduced range. In order for the stowaway individuals to successfully establish in the non-native region, they must survive the harsh conditions during the journey (e.g., extreme temperatures, cramped spaces, and lack of food) and arrive in good condition. However, few studies have investigated the impact of human-assisted transportation on the behaviour of stowaway individuals. Here, we examined whether human-mediated transportation, via both air and road, impacted the activity and exploratory behaviour of the invasive delicate skink (). We exposed delicate skinks to either flights on a commercial airliner (total ~2.5 h flight time, and car transport to/from the airport), or a 3 h drive in a car. We found that although the temperatures experienced by skinks during transportation were more variable than those experienced by control group lizards, the temperature during transit remained well within the thermal tolerances for the species. Human-assisted transportation only had a relatively minor impact on the behaviour of the invasive delicate skink: transportation by plane did not influence activity or exploratory behaviour, and car transportation increased activity, but did not impact exploratory behaviour. The capacity of stowaways to cope with the stress associated with human-mediated transportation is a key factor in the success of species introductions, and subsequent invasion. As such, there should be a greater focus on the behaviours that facilitate the success of potential invaders in the early stages of the introduction process.