Page 10 - aruba-today-20240910

Tuesday 10 sepTember 2024 locAl
A10

Sun catchers: The different lizards in Aruba

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