New threat emerging from another invasive reptile
Knight anole (click to enlarge)
(CNS): The discovery of a Knight anole (Anolis equestris) at Vigoro Nursery in Lower Valley last week is ringing alarm bells for the Department of Environment as this green lizard is an invasive species that could threaten local ecosystems. Like the green iguana, this smaller reptile is a prolific breeder. It has been spotted locally on previous occasions, and this one turned up during the island-wide cull of green iguanas, enemy number one right now in terms of Grand Cayman’s natural environment.
And while the Knight anole hasn’t reached significant levels yet, that was once the case for the green iguana, which now has an estimated population on Grand Cayman of 1.5 million.
“This little lizard could potentially be a big problem for Cayman’s ecosystem,” said Fred Burton, the manager of the DoE Terrestrial Resources Unit. “They eat anything smaller than themselves and are voracious predators. The folks at Vigoro did the right thing reporting it to the DoE.”
Burton’s unit has taken possession of the Knight anole to euthanise it and they are asking members of the public to be vigilant for the invasive species, and if they see similar creatures, to take photos and report sightings to the DoE.
This lizard species is similar to, and often mistaken for, the common green iguana but adults are much smaller, typically growing to between 12-20 inches long. It is typically bright green with yellow flash marks below each eye and on each shoulder, but when cold or frightened they can be chocolate brown or almost black. They can become aggressive when disturbed, often biting their attacker.
They eat small birds and smaller reptiles, and therefore pose a serious threat to Cayman’s own indigenous lizards and anoles if the species becomes established.
To report sightings of the Knight anole call 949-8469 or email Doe@gov.ky
Category: Land Habitat, Science & Nature
There is absolutely nothing humane about killing a living being no matter how one tries to pretty-it-up.
Pain, then certain death – no explanation??
A Liberal, biggest threat to humanity.
A $4.75 Bounty would be far too expensive for your head.
Does Arden know anything about where it may have come from?
It same like you know where it came from.
Stop talking about Trump’s paradise in that manner numbnut@ 10:35am.
Red Tide does not discriminate.
Disrespectful little you
?? Actually it does discriminate. It likes the water up there better than Cayman so stop inventing things to regulate, especially things you can’t really do anything about.
I was talking about Cayman. Now who feels like a numbnut?
You should numbnut, as my comment was made to help you understand that there is red tide in the USA – whilst your try to put down Cayman with your 3rd world comment.
Still a numbnut
It’s like arguing with a doorknob talking to you.
Well….why wait for this “new threat” to get out of hand like how the green iguanas did. Include it in the cull and let’s get on with it.
You can’t really expect these highly sought specie will be the same price as the regular green iguanas? These exotic should be culled for minimally $12 a piece.
Who surpervises the inspectors that inspect the containers of plants coming to the island? Easily transported as an egg and hatched on island? Been seeing a lot different colors of snakes on island too.
Is there a strong law in place yet that prohibits the legal importation of “anything that does not belong here” via pet stores and/or private individuals?
Isn’t that how the greenies came here in the first place in 1997?
What good’s a strong law if you can’t enforce it? And when you’ve got a big developer here importing flora from all corners of the earth it’s impossible to keep these critters out.
The greenies came from Honduras on fishing boats for Honduran families here. They were apparently caged on a boat and ordered let loose by the authorities. Take a guess ordered them let loose? Call it and ole wife’s tale but sounds like an epic fail to me.
Exactly. We all know who imported them to the Islands as “pets” and now they have turned into “pests”. Pity he doesn’t have to share the expense of getting rid of them.
Don’t wait until it is as bad as the green iguana problem…..start now..include them in the cull for the greens.
And offer to pay more for them!
So jus chop their heads off then 🙂
i see alot of anoles on this island. From being very anole, to just plain anoles.
amirite?
Most of them being commenters on this site!
Its pronounced “anoley”
Give a new meaning to “Going Green”
Just spend another 7 million
He looks well pissed off in that photo!
It’s very likely that it was shipped as an egg in some soil and hatched on island.
This lizard is native to cuba so it could have been the migrants that brought them here by mistake…
Is this the same species that was discovered on a Cayman Airways flight?
No, that one came from further to the east.
The article says it was spotted previously. That means you already have a problem with these critters also.
Do we know if it was in the plants that were shipped here and it’s only one or do we know for certain it wondered into the nursery?
The article says it was spotted previously. That means you already have a problem with these critters also.
Yes, but could it have came in a shipment? Maybe the problem lies with where the nursery is getting plants from?
Eggs hatch
And the wind blows. Your point?
Do we have any assurance that water ballast from cruise ships aren’t also sucking up and transporting the epidemic-levels of deadly noxious Red Tide dinoflagellates plaguing South Florida and Texas home ports? Does DoE do any water quality testing for this?
No you don’t. Life is like that.
Life is like that in a 3rd world mentality country.
Seen any red tide lately?
Here you go smartass:
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/redtide-florida/
Just because it’s not here doesn’t mean it’s never going to be here.
It pretty much does.
@ 10:35 am : : Like here?
I was talking about here numbnut.