Page 18 - AHATA

Friday 11 april 2025 locAl
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Sun catchers: The different lizards in Aruba

ORANJESTAD – Colorful or camou- to eat a popular Yuwana soup, as it sure to try to distract the predator, tive in which plants they eat, be-
flaged, you’re bound to encounter was believed to give strength and and they are different from other cause of the toxins present in many
a variety of lizards basking in the help restore health – probably due lizards because they’re long-lived, available plants species. The Kodo-
sun or scurrying on their way in our to the protein boost it delivered. talkative, lack eyelids, and their do help take care of Aruba’s veg-
island. From the charming, friendly However, it is now illegal to catch, small scales are situated next to etation by playing a significant role
iguanas to the good-luck gecko kill, buy or sell Yuwanas in Aruba, each other like cobblestones rath- in the dispersal of seeds for certain
Pega-Pega, you’re bound to meet and this includes eating them! er than overlapping as is the case plants: when they eat fruit, they
a few of these special residents in most other lizards. excrete the seeds in diverse loca-
during your visit. Turnip-tailed gecko tions, contributing to the reproduc-
Turnip-tailed Geckos are insectivo- tion cycle of our local plants.
Aruba, as a desert island, is home rous and feed on cockroaches,
to an incredible variety of unique grasshoppers, beetles, flies, mos- Striped anole
and colorful species. Among them quitoes, and spiders, which makes
we can find different lizards, most them the best pest control to have
of which have South American at home! They spend their days
origins. But there are a few excep- concealed in dark tree grooves
tions. and cavities, in narrow crevices
in the walls, or behind paintings,
Iguanas The turnip-tailed gecko is known which provide the perfect shelter
locally as the Pega-Pega, mean- for them. Pega pega is a gecko
ing sticky-sticky, due to the way it endemic to our island, but in time,
sticks to walls using the suction in its some 4–5 intrusive gecko species
little fingers. They are found inside have been observed, some of
houses, and are mostly a nocturnal which do not cease to amaze us The striped anole (Anolis lineatus)
animal. with the racket they make, espe- that lives in Aruba is known locally
cially during the hours of the night. as Waltaka or Toteki. This is a spe-
According to Etnia Nativa, the lo- cies of lizard in the family Dactyloi-
cal Pega Pega is immediately rec- The Pega-pega Phyllodactylus Ju- dae, and they are native to Aruba
ognizable by its large size, with a lieni is also a protected species and Curaçao. It is usually found in
body length of up to 12 cm, and its in Aruba, by law. It is illegal to kill dry areas, commonly where there
Iguanas are easy to spot, as they large, swollen tail, approximately them! are not large trees; rather they
are larger than most other lizards the same length or slightly shorter enjoy rocks, walls or tree trunks,
and when young, have a bright than its body; females are larger Blue Kododo as they prefer to stay close to the
green color that makes them stand and more robust than males. It has ground.
out. short, robust legs with flattened
toes and extensive basal webbing. These lizards are about 7cm in
The iguanas usually found in Aruba The undersides of its toes are cov- length, have a brown color with a
are the Iguana iguana, known as ered in lamellae, which are used stripe on each side and typically,
the green iguana, or locally as Yu- as friction pads to cling to smooth several stripes on the body and
wana. The Yuwana are a mostly vertical surfaces. Some can even tail that are lighter in color. It has
herbivorous species, and can grow walk around completely upside a dewlap which is orange-yellow
up to 2 meters in size, including the down. Its toes are covered with – and what’s unique about this
tail, making them one of the larg- ridges, which are peppered with species is that it is the only known
est in the iguana family. As you will millions of microscopic bristle-like species of anole where the dew-
see, despite their name, as they structures called setae that at- These are one of the most strik- lap is asymetrically colored, with
reach adulthood, the iguanas can tach and detach when the animal ing lizards in Aruba, recognizable one side being a deeper orange
take on a grey or blue tone instead wills them to, and they never get by the male’s bright blue color. and the other side a lighter yellow.
of the bright green displayed by gunked up. The Aruban whiptail lizard, Cnemi- Mostly this is seen in the males, as
the young ones. In Aruba – as in the dophorus arubensis, is a species it is almost imperceptible in the fe-
rest of the Kingdom of the Nether- They are variable in coloration, endemic to Aruba, meaning you males. If the Toteki shows you his
lands – the most usual color varies from a mottled dark gray to or- can only find it here on our One dewlap, retreat! This is not a friend-
from green to lavender, black and ange-brown, and are capable of Happy Island! They are also rec- ly greeting!
sometimes a reddish brown. changing color depending on their ognized as the most common and
mood and surroundings. Mottled populous lizard on the island. While Lizards are wonderful creatures
Yuwana is a protected species, as and banded markings aid in cam- the male is blue with white dots, that are precious to our fragile, lo-
it is listed under Appendix II of the ouflage against tree bark. They are the female is brown with blue dots. cal ecosystem. Please be mindful
Convention on International Trade harmless and fragile; you can hold of these residents as you enjoy your
in Endangered Species (CITES), one in your hands as long as you These charming lizards eat mostly stay.q
meaning that international trade is are VERY gentle. plants, such as flowers, nectar,
regulated through the CITES permit Never put pressure on its tail be- leaves and fruits, and occasionally Images: Some images are from Aruba
system. In the past, Arubans used cause it will surely drop as a mea- enjoy some insects. They are selec- Birdlife Conservation.