Catarina Rato

Auxiliary Researcher

CIBIO-InBIO/BIOPOLIS
Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources

WHO AM I

I am an Auxiliary Researcher from the Functional Biodiversity group @CIBIO-InBIO/BIOPOLIS.

My main interests are focused on several aspects of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, with reptiles as model species.

Using my background on phylogeography, I run several projects on determining the geographical origin of many introduced reptile populations.

With the use of metabarcoding I am investigating the diet of these introduced populations and their impact on native taxa.

Also, with the latest genomic tools I want to understand the adaptations behind some of the successfully introduced populations.

ONGOING RESEARCH PROJECTS

Dietary studies under a metabarcoding approach

Madeira Island

Hières archipelago

Reunión island

Genomics to study adaptation

Interested in any of these projects? Contact me for more details.

PUBLICATIONS

COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Reprints of published articles are provided as a service to enhance accessibility and the exchange of information. All copyrights remain with the original publishers of the articles. Please make only a single copy of any article, for personal use only.

2024

Mochales-Riaño, G., Barroso, F.M., Marques, V., Alexandra E., T., Sannolo, M., Rato, C., Carretero, M.A. under review. Developing and deploying a novel method to investigate thermal exchange rates in small, terrestrial ectotherms: A proof-of-concept on the gecko Tarentola mauritanica. PLOS ONE.

Galão, A., Soto, E.J., Nunes, J., Pedroso, N.M., Rocha, R., Rato, C. under review. When pets go wild: integrating DNA metabarcoding and morphological analyses to investigate the impacts of free-ranging cats (Felis catus) in oceanic islands. Biological Conservation.

Rato, C., Sreelatha, L.B., Gómez-Ramírez, F., Carretero, M.A. (2024): A Pleistocene biogeography in miniature: the small-scale evolutionary history of Podarcis lusitanicus (Squamata, Lacertidae). Journal of Biogeography. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.15026. PDF

Deso, G., Reynier, T., Rato, C. 2024. Unsuspected pollinator potential? First DNA dietary analysis in Euleptes europaea (Gené, 1839) and confirmation of an omnivorous diet using video surveillance. Amphibia-Reptilia. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10201. PDF

Delcour, N., Uroševic, A., Andelkovic, M., Maricic, M., Ševic, M., Vucic, T., Tomovic, L., Rato, C. 2024. Mitochondrial data unravels the human-mediated introduction of Mediodactylus kotschyi (Squamata: Gekkonidae) to the Central Balkan Peninsula. Amphibia-Reptilia. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10198. PDF

Roesch, M.A., Correia, A., Bernet, C., Chœur, A., Guilloux, A., Huet, N., Sanchez, M., Dervin, Rato, C. under revi. Metabarcoding on an empty stomach: using stomach swabs to investigate the diet of the Asian musk shrew, Suncus murinus. Hystrix.

Rato, C., Silva-Rocha, I., Sillero, N. 2024. What does the future hold for a thermophilus and widely introduced gecko, Tarentola mauritanica (Squamata: Phyllodactylidae)? Biological Invasions 26: 1061-1074. PDF

Rato, C., Oliveira, P., Menezes, D., Funk, Stephan M., Rebelo, R., Nogales, M., & Rocha, R. 2024. The relevance of Evolutionary Significant Units for the conservation of island-restricted reptiles: Tarentola boettgeri bischoffi as a case study. Amphibia-Reptilia, 1-12. PDF

2023

Guedes, P, dos Santos, Y, Matilde, E, Alves, J, Rato, C, Rocha, R. 2023. Phylogenetic relationships of the West African mud turtle (Pelusios castaneus) in the oceanic islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, West Central Africa. Amphibia-Reptilia. DOI:10.1163/15685381-bja10145. PDF

Nóbrega, EK, Toshkova, N, Gonçalves, A, Reis, A, Soto, EJ, Ruiz, SP, Mata, VA, Rato, C, Rocha, R. 2023. Insights into the distribution, phylogeny, and diet of Pipistrellus maderensis in Porto Santo, northeastern Macaronesia. Web Ecology. 23: 87-98. PDF

Belluardo, F., Cocca, W., Pellitteri-Rosa, D., Liuzzi, C., Rato, C., Crottini, A., Bellati, A. 2023. Multilocus phylogeography of Italian Moorish geckos adds insights into the evolutionary history of European populations. Zoologica Scripta. dot: 10.1111/zsc.12642. PDF

Rato, C., Deso, G., Renet, J., Delaugerre, M.J., Marques, V., Mochales-Riaño, G. 2023. Colonization routes uncovered in a widely introduced Mediterranean gecko, Tarentola mauritanica (Squamata: Phyllodactylidae). Scientific Reports. 13:16681. PDF

Marques, V, Mochales G, Carretero MA, Silva-Rocha I, Rato C. 2023. Sex determination and optimal development in the Moorish gecko, Tarentola mauritanica. Acta Zoologica. 104: 419-433. PDF

Rato C., Mateo J.A., Sreelatha L.B., Carretero M.A. 2023. Alien but not that one: a molecular reassessment of the Alborán Island’s Saurodactylus Fitzinger, 1846 gecko. BioInvasions Records. PDF

2022

Rato C, Dellinger T, Carretero MA. 2022. Dietary Variation Is Driven by Landscape Heterogeneity in an Insular Omnivorous Endemic Lizard, Revealed by DNA Metabarcoding. Diversity. 14(2), 1078. PDF

Martins B, Silva-Rocha I, Rocha R, Mata VA, Gonçalves Y, Rato C. 2022. Trophic interactions of an invasive gecko in an endemic-rich oceanic island: insights using DNA metabarcoding. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. PDF

Oliveira,P, Gomes V, Mochales G, Rato C. 2022. Ontogenic differences and sexual dimorphism of the locomotor performance in a nocturnal gecko, Tarentola mauritanica. Journal of Experimental Zoology - Part A. DOI: 10.1002/jez.2645. PDF

Silva-Rocha I, Santos JM, Rocha R, Rato C. 2022. Bioclimatic and local drivers modulating the expansion of an introduced temperate reptile in a subtropical island. Global Ecology and Conservation. 37. PDF

Rato, C. 2022. LEARNING FROM A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH: THE EVOLUTION OF A WIDELY INTRODUCED MEDITERRANEAN GECKO.Naturalista Siciliano IV, XLVI: 313-318. PDF

2021

Rato, C.; Marques, V.; Paracuellos, M.; Tortolero, J.; Nevado, J.C.; Carretero, M.A. 2021. Alborán Island, a small meeting point for three invasive lizards, whose geographic origin is uncovered by molecular analysis. BioInvasions Records. 10: 977-990. PDF

Rato, C.; Sillero, N.; Ceacero, F.; García-Muñoz, E.; Carretero, M. A. 2021. A survival story: evolutionary history of the Iberian Algyroides (Squamata: Lacertidae), an endemic lizard relict. Biodiversity and Conservation. 30: 2707–2729. PDF

Rato, C.; Martins, B.; Rocha, R.; Silva-Rocha, I. 2021. Uncovered genetic diversity in Hemidactylus mabouia (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from Madeira Island reveals uncertain sources of introduction. Amphibia-Reptilia. 42: 369-375. PDF

Rato, C.; Stratakis, M.; Sousa-Guedes, D.; Sillero, N.; Corti ,C.; Freitas, S.; Harris, D. J.; Carretero, M.A. 2021. The more you search the more you find: Cryptic diversity and admixture within the rock-lizard Darevskia rudis group. Zoologica Scripta. 50: 193-209. PDF

2020

Barroso, F.M.; Riaño, G.; Sannolo, M.; Carretero, M.A.; Rato, C. 2020. Evidence from Tarentola mauritanica (Gekkota: Phyllodactylidae) helps validate thermography as a tool to infer internal body temperatures of lizards. Journal of Thermal Biology. 93: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102700. PDF

Deso, G.; Renet, J.; Gomez, M.-C.; Priol, P.; Capoulade, F.; Geoffroy, D.; Duguet, R.; Rato, C. 2020. Documenting the introduction of the Moorish gecko Tarentola mauritanica (Linnaeus, 1758) (Squamata: Phyllodactylidae) on the Levant and Port-Cros Islands (Hyères Archipelago, Var department, France). Herpetology Notes. 13: 809-812. PDF

2019

Santos, Joana L.; Žagar, Anamarija; Drašler, Katarina; Rato, Catarina; Ayres, César; Harris, D. James; Carretero, Miguel A.; Salvi, Daniele. 2019. Phylogeographic evidence for multiple long-distance introductions of the common wall lizard associated with human trade and transport. Amphibia-Reptilia. 40(1): 121-127 DOI:10.1163/15685381-20181040. PDF

2018

Massetti,F., Kaliontzopoulou, A., Gomes, V., Rato, C. 2018. Variation in morphology and functional performance across distinct evolutionary lineages of the Moorish gecko (Tarentola mauritanica ) from the Iberian Peninsula. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. 2018: 1-14. PDF

2017

Massetti,F., Perera, A., Gomes, V., Rato, C., Kaliontzopoulou, A. 2017. Morphological and functional implications of sexual size dimorphism in the Moorish gecko, Tarentola mauritanica. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 122 (1): 197-209. PDF

Rosado, D., Rato, C., Salvi, D., Harris, D.J. 2017. Evolutionary history of the Morocco lizard-fingered geckos of the Saurodactylus brosseti complex. Evolutionary Biology. 44 (3): 386-400 . PDF

2016

Rato, C., Harris, D.J., Carranza, S., Machado, L., Perera, A. 2016. The taxonomy of the Tarentola mauritanica species complex (Gekkota: Phyllodactylidae): Bayesian species delimitation supports six candidate species. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 94: 271-278. PDF

Tomé, B., Rato, C., Harris, D.J., Perera, A. 2016. High diversity of Hepatozoon spp. in geckos of the genus Tarentola. Journal of Parasitology. 102 (4): 476-480. PDF

2015

Santos, X., Ayllón, E., Bertolero, A., Bosch, J., Cabido, C., Carranza, S., Carretero, M.A., Díaz-Paniagua, C., Egea-Serrano, A., Garin-Barrio, I., Giménez, A., Gosá, A., Graciá, E., Guicking, D., Llorente, G.A., Martínez-Solano, I., Mateo, J.A., Montori, A., Palomar, G., Perera, A., Pinya, S., Pretus, J.L., Pujol-Buxó, E., Rato, C., Recuero, E., Sanz-Azkue, I., Silva-Rocha, I., Vasconcelos, R., Velo-Antón, G., Vörös, J., Pleguezuelos, J.M. 2015. Conclusiones y propuestas de manejo de las poblaciones y especies de anfibios y reptiles alóctonos en España. Boletín de la Asociación Herpetológica Española. 26 (2): 113-115. PDF

Santos, X., Ayllón, E., Bertolero, A., Bosch, J., Cabido, C., Carranza, S., Carretero, M.A., Díaz-Paniagua, C., Egea-Serrano, A., Garin-Barrio, I., Giménez, A., Gosá, A., Graciá, E., Guicking, D., Llorente, G.A., Martínez-Solano, I., Mateo, J.A., Montori, A., Palomar, G., Perera, A., Pinya, S., Pretus, J.L., Pujol-Buxó, E., Rato, C., Recuero, E., Sanz-Azkue, I., Silva-Rocha, I., Vasconcelos, R., Velo-Antón, G., Vörös, J., Pleguezuelos, J.M. 2015. Propuesta de revisión de los listados y catálogos nacionales y autonómicos de especies amenazadas y protegidas, y del catálogo nacional de especies invasoras. Boletín de la Asociación Herpetológica Española. 26 (2): 108-112. PDF

Santos, X., Ayllón, E., Bertolero, A., Bosch, J., Cabido, C., Carranza, S., Carretero, M.A., Díaz-Paniagua, C., Egea-Serrano, A., Garin-Barrio, I., Giménez, A., Gosá, A., Graciá, E., Guicking, D., Llorente, G.A., Martínez-Solano, I., Mateo, J.A., Montori, A., Palomar, G., Perera, A., Pinya, S., Pretus, J.L., Pujol-Buxó, E., Rato, C., Recuero, E., Sanz-Azkue, I., Silva-Rocha, I., Vasconcelos, R., Velo-Antón, G., Vörös, J., Pleguezuelos, J.M. 2015. Síntesis de las introducciones de anfibios y reptiles en España. Boletín de la Asociación Herpetológica Española. 26 (2): 98-108. PDF

Rato, C. 2015. La salamanquesa común (Tarentola mauritanica) en la península Ibérica e islas baleares. Boletín de la Asociación Herpetológica Española. 26 (2): 55-58. PDF

Rato, C., Yıldız, M.Z., İğci, N., Olgun, K., Ilgaz, Ç, Avcı, A., Ahmadzadeh, F., Carretero, M.A. 2015. Phylogenetic relationships of the populations of Iranolacerta brandtii (de Filippi, 1863) (Squamata: Lacertidae) recently found in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey. Zoology in the Middle East. 61 (4): 324-331. PDF

Rato, C., Carretero, M.A. 2015. Ecophysiology tracks phylogeny and meets ecological models in an Iberian gecko. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. 88 (5): 564-575. PDF

Rato, C., Harris, D.J., Perera, A., Carvalho, S.B., Carretero, M.A., Rödder, D. 2015. A combination of divergence and conservatism in the niche evolution of Tarentola mauritanica (Gekkota: Phyllodactylidae). PLoS One. 10 (5): e0127980. PDF

Rato, C, Resendes, R., Tristão da Cunha, R., Harris, D.J. 2015. First record of Tarentola substituta Joger, 1984, and genetic identification of Tarentola mauritanica (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Azores. Herpetozoa. 27 (3/4): 182-187. PDF

Rato, C, Silva-Rocha, I., García-Miras, E., García-Cardenete, L., Fariña, B., Carretero, M.A. 2015. A molecular assessment of European populations of Indotyphlops braminus (Daudin, 1803). Herpetozoa. 27 (3/4): 179-182. PDF

2013

Carretero, M.A., Rato, C. 2013. Una observación de actividad nocturna en Psammodromus algirus. Boletín de la Asociación Herpetológica Española. 24(2): 6-8. PDF

García-Muñoz, E., Rato, C., Jorge. F., Carretero, M.A. 2013. Lateralization in escape behaviour at different hierarchical levels in a gecko: Tarentola angustimentalis from eastern Canary Islands. PLoS One. 8(11): e78329. PDF

Harris, D.J., Rato, C. 2013. Why are red list species not on the EDGE? A reply to Winter et al. Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 28(6): 321-322. PDF

Molecular Ecology Resources Primer Development, C., Arranz, S. E., Avarre, J.-C., Balasundaram, C., Bouza, C., Calcaterra, N. B., Cezilly, F., Chen, S.-l., Cipriani, G., Cruz, V. P., D'Esposito, D., Daniel, C., Dejean, A., Dharaneedharan, S., Díaz, J., Du, M., Durand, J.-D., Dziadek, J., Foresti, F., Peng-cheng, F., Gao, Q.-b., García, G., Gauffre-Autelin, P., Giovino, A., Goswami, M., Guarino, C., Guerra-Varela, J., Gutiérrez, V., Harris, D. J., Heo, M.-S., Khan, G., Kim, M., Lakra, W. S., Lauth, J., Leclercq, P., Lee, J., Lee, S.-H., Lee, S., Lee, T., Li, Y.-h., Liu, H., Liu, S., Malé, P.-J. G., Mandhan, R. P., Martinez, P., Mayer, V. E., Mendel, J., Mendes, N. J., F. Mendonça, F., Minias, A., Minias, P., Oh, K.-S., Oliveira, C., Orivel, J., Orsini, L., Pardo, B. G., Perera, A., Procaccini, G., Rato, C., Ríos, N., Scibetta, S., Sharma, B. S., Sierens, T., Singh, A., Terer, T., Triest, L., Urbánková, S., Vera, M., Villanova, G. V., Voglmayr, H., Vyskočilová, M., Wang, H., Wang, J.-l., Wattier, R. A., Xing, R., Yadav, K., Yin, G., Yuan, Y., Yun, J.-C., Zhang, F.-q., Zhang, J.-h. & Zhuang, Z. 2013. Permanent Genetic Resources added to Molecular Ecology Resources Database 1 December 2012–31 January 2013. Molecular Ecology Resources 13: 546-549. PDF

Rato, C., Carranza, S, Perera, A., Harris, D.J. 2013. Evolutionary patterns of the mitochondrial genome in the Moorish gecko, Tarentola mauritanica. Gene, 512 (1) 166-173. PDF

2012

Santos, X.; Rato, C.; Carranza, S.; Carretero, M. A. & Pleguezuelos, J. M. 2012. Complex phylogeography in the Southern Smooth Snake Coronella girondica supported by mtDNA sequences. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. 50 (3): 210-219. PDF

Santos, X.; Rato, C.; Carranza, S.; Carretero, M. A. & Pleguezuelos, J. M. 2012. Morphology matches mtDNA lineages in the smooth snake Coronella girondica from (Southeastern) Iberia. Zoology, 115: 398-404. PDF

Rato, C., Carranza, S., Harris, D.J. 2012. Evolutionary history of the genus Tarentola (Gekkota: Phyllodactylidae) from the Mediterranean Basin, using multilocus sequence data. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 12:14, doi:10.1186/1471-2148-12-14. PDF

2011

García-Muñoz, E., Jorge, F., Rato, C., Carretero, M. A. 2011. Pseudoepidalea brongersmai (Brongersma’s Toad) predation. Herpetological Review, 42(3): 413-414. PDF

Rato, C., Carranza, Harris, D.J., 2011. When selection deceives phylogeographic interpretation: The case of the Mediterranean house gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus (Linnaeus, 1758). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 58, 365-373. PDF

2010

García-Muñoz E., Jorge F., Rato C., Carretero MA. 2010. Four types of malformations in a population of Bufo boulengeri (Amphibia, Anura, Bufonidae) from the Jbilet Mountains (Marrakech, Morocco). Herpetology Notes, 3: 267-270 . PDF

Rato, C., Carranza, S., Perera, A., Carretero, M.A., Harris, D.J., 2010. Conflicting patterns of nucleotide diversity between mtDNA and nDNA in the Moorish gecko, Tarentola mauritanica. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 56, 962-971. PDF

2009

Rato, C., Zuffi, M.A.L., Corti, C., Fornasiero, S., Gentilli, A., Razzetti, E., Scali, S., Carretero, M.A., Harris, D.J., 2009. Phylogeography of the European Whip Snake, Hierophis viridiflavus (Colubridae), using mtDNA and nuclear DNA sequences. Amphibia-Reptilia 30, 283-289. PDF

2008

Harris, D.J., Carretero, M.A., Brito, J.C., Kaliontzopoulou, A., Pinho, C., Perera, A., Vasconcelos, R., Barata, M., Barbosa, D., Carvalho, S., Fonseca, M.M., Pérez-Lanuza, G., Rato, C., 2008. Data on the distribution of the terrestrial herpetofauna of Morocco: records from 2001-2006. Herpetological Bulletin 103, 19-28. PDF

Rato, C., Harris, D.J., 2008. Genetic variation within Saurodactylus and its phylogenetic relationships within the Gekkonoidea estimated from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences. Amphibia-Reptilia 29, 25-34. PDF

2007

Rato, C., Brito, J.C., Carretero, M.A., Larbes, S., Shacham, B., Harris, D.J., 2007. Phylogeography and genetic diversity of Psammophis schokari (Serpentes) in North Africa based on mitochondrial DNA sequences. African Zoology 42, 112-117. PDF

Web documents of Science Outreach

Rato, C. 2012. Salamanquesa rosada – Hemidactylus turcicus. In: Enciclopedia Virtual de los Vertebrados Españoles. Salvador, A., Marco, A. (Eds.). Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid. http://www.vertebradosibericos.org/