Page 17 - AHATA

Thursday 12 June 2025 locAl
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Sun catchers: The different lizards in Aruba

than males. It has short, ping as is the case in most island. While the male is
robust legs with flattened other lizards. blue with white dots, the
toes and extensive basal female is brown with blue
webbing. Turnip-tailed Geckos are dots.
The undersides of its toes insectivorous and feed on
are covered in lamellae, cockroaches, grasshop- These charming lizards eat
which are used as friction pers, beetles, flies, mosqui- mostly plants, such as flow-
pads to cling to smooth toes, and spiders, which ers, nectar, leaves and
vertical surfaces. Some can makes them the best pest fruits, and occasionally en-
even walk around com- control to have at home! joy some insects. They are
pletely upside down. Its They spend their days con- selective in which plants
toes are covered with ridg- cealed in dark tree grooves they eat, because of the
es, which are peppered and cavities, in narrow toxins present in many
with millions of microscopic crevices in the walls, or available plants species.
bristle-like structures called behind paintings, which The Kododo help take care
setae that attach and de- provide the perfect shel- of Aruba’s vegetation by
tach when the animal wills ter for them. Pega pega is playing a significant role in
them to, and they never a gecko endemic to our the dispersal of seeds for
get gunked up. island, but in time, some certain plants: when they
4–5 intrusive gecko species eat fruit, they excrete the
ORANJESTAD – Colorful They are variable in color- have been observed, some seeds in diverse locations,
or camouflaged, you’re Yuwana is a protected spe- ation, from a mottled dark of which do not cease to contributing to the repro-
bound to encounter a va- cies, as it is listed under Ap- gray to orange-brown, and amaze us with the racket duction cycle of our local
riety of lizards basking in pendix II of the Convention are capable of changing they make, especially dur- plants.
the sun or scurrying on their on International Trade in En- color depending on their ing the hours of the night.
way in our island. From the dangered Species (CITES), mood and surroundings. Striped anole
charming, friendly iguanas meaning that international Mottled and banded mark- The Pega-pega Phyllodac- The striped anole (Anolis lin-
to the good-luck gecko trade is regulated through ings aid in camouflage tylus Julieni is also a pro- eatus) that lives in Aruba is
Pega-Pega, you’re bound the CITES permit system. against tree bark. They are tected species in Aruba, by known locally as Waltaka
to meet a few of these spe- In the past, Arubans used harmless and fragile; you law. It is illegal to kill them! or Toteki. This is a species of
cial residents during your to eat a popular Yuwana can hold one in your hands lizard in the family Dacty-
visit. soup, as it was believed to as long as you are VERY Blue Kododo loidae, and they are native
give strength and help re- gentle. These are one of the most to Aruba and Curaçao. It is
Aruba, as a desert island, is store health – probably due Never put pressure on its striking lizards in Aruba, rec- usually found in dry areas,
home to an incredible va- to the protein boost it deliv- tail because it will surely ognizable by the male’s commonly where there are
riety of unique and colorful ered. However, it is now ille- drop as a measure to try to bright blue color. The Aru- not large trees; rather they
species. Among them we gal to catch, kill, buy or sell distract the predator, and ban whiptail lizard, Cnemi- enjoy rocks, walls or tree
can find different lizards, Yuwanas in Aruba, and this they are different from oth- dophorus arubensis, is a trunks, as they prefer to stay
most of which have South includes eating them! er lizards because they’re species endemic to Aruba, close to the ground.
American origins. But there long-lived, talkative, lack meaning you can only find
are a few exceptions. Turnip-tailed gecko eyelids, and their small it here on our One Happy These lizards are about 7cm
The turnip-tailed gecko is scales are situated next Island! They are also recog- in length, have a brown
Iguanas known locally as the Pe- to each other like cobble- nized as the most common color with a stripe on each
Iguanas are easy to spot, ga-Pega, meaning sticky- stones rather than overlap- and populous lizard on the side and typically, several
as they are larger than sticky, due to the way it stripes on the body and tail
most other lizards and sticks to walls using the suc- that are lighter in color. It
when young, have a bright tion in its little fingers. They has a dewlap which is or-
green color that makes are found inside houses, ange-yellow – and what’s
them stand out. and are mostly a nocturnal unique about this species
animal. is that it is the only known
The iguanas usually found species of anole where the
in Aruba are the Iguana According to Etnia Nativa, dewlap is asymetrically col-
iguana, known as the the local Pega Pega is im- ored, with one side being
green iguana, or locally as mediately recognizable by a deeper orange and the
Yuwana. The Yuwana are its large size, with a body other side a lighter yellow.
a mostly herbivorous spe- length of up to 12 cm, Mostly this is seen in the
cies, and can grow up to and its large, swollen tail, males, as it is almost im-
2 meters in size, including approximately the same perceptible in the females.
the tail, making them one length or slightly shorter If the Toteki shows you his
of the largest in the iguana than its body; females are dewlap, retreat! This is not
family. As you will see, de- larger and more robust a friendly greeting!
spite their name, as they
reach adulthood, the igua- Lizards are wonderful crea-
nas can take on a grey or tures that are precious to
blue tone instead of the our fragile, local ecosys-
bright green displayed by tem. Please be mindful of
the young ones. In Aruba these residents as you en-
– as in the rest of the King- joy your stay.q
dom of the Netherlands
– the most usual color var-
ies from green to lavender, Images: Some images are
black and sometimes a from Aruba Birdlife Conserva-
tion.
reddish brown.