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Thursday 1 augusT 2024 locAl
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            Sun catchers: The different lizards in Aruba


            ORANJESTAD  –  Colorful  or                                                            of the night.                eatus) that lives in Aruba is
            camouflaged, you’re bound                                                                                           known  locally  as  Waltaka
            to  encounter  a  variety  of                                                          The Pega-pega Phyllodacty-   or Toteki. This is a species of
            lizards  basking  in  the  sun                                                         lus Julieni  is also a protected  lizard in the family Dactyloi-
            or scurrying on their way in                                                           species in Aruba, by law. It is  dae, and they are native to
            our island. From the charm-                                                            illegal to kill them!        Aruba and Curaçao. It is usu-
            ing, friendly iguanas to the                                                                                        ally found in dry areas, com-
            good-luck gecko Pega-Pe-                                                                      Blue Kododo           monly where there are not
            ga, you’re bound to meet a                                                             These are one of the most  large trees; rather they enjoy
            few of these special residents                                                         striking lizards in Aruba, rec-  rocks, walls or tree trunks, as
            during your visit.                                                                     ognizable  by  the  male’s  they prefer to stay close to
                                                                                                   bright blue color. The Aruban  the ground.
            Aruba, as a desert island, is                                                          whiptail lizard, Cnemidopho-
            home to an incredible va-                                                              rus arubensis, is a species en-  These lizards are about 7cm
            riety of unique and colorful                                                           demic  to  Aruba,  meaning  in length, have a brown color
            species.  Among  them  we                                                              you can only find it here on  with  a  stripe  on  each  side
            can  find  different  lizards,                                                         our One Happy Island! They  and typically, several stripes
            most  of  which  have  South   trade  is  regulated  through  faces. Some can even walk   are also recognized as the  on  the  body  and  tail  that
            American origins. But there   the  CITES  permit  system.  around  completely  upside   most common and populous  are lighter in color. It has a
            are a few exceptions.        In  the  past,  Arubans  used  down. Its toes are covered   lizard on the island. While the  dewlap  which  is  orange-
                                         to  eat  a  popular  Yuwana  with ridges, which are pep-  male is blue with white dots,  yellow – and what’s unique
                      Iguanas            soup,  as  it  was  believed  pered with millions of micro-  the female is brown with blue  about this species is that it
            Iguanas  are  easy  to  spot,   to  give  strength  and  help  scopic bristle-like structures   dots.               is the only known species of
            as  they  are  larger  than   restore  health  –  probably  called setae that attach and                            anole where the dewlap is
            most other lizards and when   due to the protein boost it  detach when the animal wills   These charming lizards eat  asymetrically  colored,  with
            young, have a bright green   delivered. However, it is now  them to, and they never get   mostly plants, such as flow-  one  side  being  a  deeper
            color that makes them stand   illegal to catch, kill, buy or sell  gunked up.          ers, nectar, leaves and fruits,  orange and the other side
            out.                         Yuwanas in Aruba, and this                                and occasionally enjoy some  a lighter yellow. Mostly this
                                         includes eating them!        They  are  variable  in  color-  insects. They are selective in  is seen in the males, as it is
            The  iguanas  usually  found                              ation, from a mottled dark   which plants they eat, be-   almost imperceptible in the
            in  Aruba  are  the  Iguana      Turnip-tailed gecko      gray to orange-brown, and    cause of the toxins present  females. If the Toteki shows
            iguana, known as the green   The  turnip-tailed  gecko  is  are  capable  of  chang-   in many available plants spe-  you his dewlap, retreat! This
            iguana, or locally as Yuwana.   known locally as the Pega-  ing  color  depending  on   cies. The Kododo help take  is not a friendly greeting!
            The  Yuwana  are  a  mostly   Pega, meaning sticky-sticky,  their  mood  and  surround-  care of Aruba’s vegetation
            herbivorous  species,  and   due  to  the  way  it  sticks  to  ings.  Mottled  and  banded   by playing a significant role  Lizards are wonderful crea-
            can grow up to 2 meters in   walls using the suction in its  markings aid in camouflage   in the dispersal of seeds for  tures  that  are  precious  to
            size, including the tail, mak-  little fingers. They are found  against tree bark. They are   certain plants: when they eat  our fragile, local ecosystem.
            ing them one of the largest   inside houses, and are mostly  harmless and fragile; you can   fruit, they excrete the seeds  Please be mindful of these
            in the iguana family. As you   a nocturnal animal.        hold  one  in  your  hands  as   in diverse locations, contrib-  residents as you enjoy your
            will see, despite their name,                             long as you are VERY gentle.  uting  to  the  reproduction  stay.
            as  they  reach  adulthood,   According to Etnia Nativa,  Never put pressure on its tail   cycle of our local plants.
            the iguanas can take on a    the local Pega Pega is im-   because it will surely drop as                             Images: Some images are
            grey or blue tone instead of   mediately recognizable by its  a measure to try to distract    Striped anole              from Aruba Birdlife
            the bright green displayed   large size, with a body length  the predator, and they are   The striped anole (Anolis lin-   Conservation.
            by the young ones. In Aruba   of up to 12 cm, and its large,  different  from  other  lizards
            – as in the rest of the King-  swollen  tail,  approximately  because they’re long-lived,
            dom of the Netherlands – the   the  same  length  or  slightly  talkative, lack eyelids, and
            most usual color varies from   shorter than its body; females  their small scales are situat-
            green to lavender, black and   are larger and more robust  ed next to each other like
            sometimes a reddish brown.   than males. It has short, ro-  cobblestones  rather  than
                                         bust legs with flattened toes  overlapping as is the case
            Yuwana is a protected spe-   and  extensive  basal  web-  in most other lizards.
            cies, as it is listed under Ap-  bing.
            pendix II of the Convention   The undersides of its toes are  Turnip-tailed  Geckos  are
            on International Trade in En-  covered in lamellae, which  insectivorous  and  feed  on
            dangered  Species  (CITES),   are used as friction pads to  cockroaches, grasshoppers,
            meaning that international   cling to smooth vertical sur-  beetles,  flies,  mosquitoes,
                                                                      and  spiders,  which  makes
                                                                      them the best pest control
                                                                      to have at home! They spend
                                                                      their days concealed in dark
                                                                      tree grooves and cavities, in
                                                                      narrow crevices in the walls,
                                                                      or behind paintings, which
                                                                      provide the perfect shelter
                                                                      for  them.  Pega  pega  is  a
                                                                      gecko endemic to our island,
                                                                      but in time, some 4–5 intrusive
                                                                      gecko  species  have  been
                                                                      observed,  some  of  which
                                                                      do not cease to amaze us
                                                                      with the racket they make,
                                                                      especially during the hours
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