While in Rincon, Puerto Rico for Spring
Break, I had the opportunity to see many unique plants and animals. However,
one of the most abundant and interesting organisms I saw was the endemic Puerto
Rican Ground Lizard (Ameiva exsul).
Although extremely variable in
appearance, most of the lizards I saw were grey to olive brown in color with
both back and white spots scattered over the back, giving the appearance of a
checkerboard pattern on the lower flanks in some lizards. The lizards also had dorsolateral
stripes that varied in number, length and color.
When making the short 25 feet walk to
the beach everyday, I would pass many Ground Lizards actively rooting in leaf
litter and soil, using their tongues to probe for food. Puerto Rican Ground
Lizards are omnivorous, consuming arthropods, snails, frogs, other lizards and
lizard eggs, as well as fungi, fruits, and even carrion.
One of the last days of the trip while
sitting on the porch, I saw a lizard walking on the tile. After chasing the
lizard all over the property, I was finally able to capture a semi-focused
picture. Although these lizards are large, they are extremely quick and agile.
3 comments:
That's so cool! Did you see a lot on the beach itself or mostly in the brush?
How were you able to identify this magnificent creature? That must have been very difficult.
Awesome! Approximately how big is the one in your photo?
All of the lizards that I saw were huge, probably 6-7 inches!
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