httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-y5r5kj87M
After an early afternoon rain in western Cordillera Central of the Dominican Republic, a swarm of “flying ants” emerged from a nest on ground, most of them gathering at top of this antenna pole, attracting the attention of the neighboring community of anoles. Approximately a “platoon” of 2 dozen of A. chlorocyanus started climbing up the 7-8 meter tall pole, a few A. cybotes stayed low, and at least one A. distichus joined the feast. The lizards came from two small wooden buildings and used the wire (seen near top, at right side) and roof-to-nearest bushes jumps to access the pole. Many more came and went. Certainly, there were several males, and dewlap displays were made once in a while, but there was no time (or no real need?) for a fight this time. Some male chlorocyanus live very close to each other in those buildings (along with several females), and show notorious scars over their faces.
Editor’s Note: Here’s another video that Miguel mentioned in a comment (below):
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dxAqySnAVM
Anthony Geneva
Miguel, That is a fantastic number of anoles! How long did the feeding frenzy continue?
Miguel Landestoy
Thanks Anthony. It lasted for nearly an hour, it was quite the show, everybody in the facility (an ecotourism center) watched it with fun. After satisfied, the lizards retreated back to their buildings the same way they came.
Martha Muñoz
Amazing footage! I’m curious – was any species a bigger bully than the others, or did they all seem to get along? From my experience, I would have expected distichus to kind of push all the others around and get the feeding spot.
Miguel Landestoy
Gracias Martha. Chlorocyanus seemed the dominant here (at least by numbers, so far)… Only a couple of cybotes ventured high were the majority of ants (and hence the lizards) gathered, which in total there were no more than 5. Although distichus is also found at this site, I observed them mostly on trees. In general, the buildings harbored many chlorocyanus and some cybotes, but I only saw no more than two distichus at every time I had the chance to take a look (5 days).
It seems that the chlorocyanus are quite the jumpers, and this may facilitate access to such structures that are somewhat separated by considerable distance (1 meter), at which, morphology-wise, others can be limited?
Here is another clip made a different day, in the morning while the were active in buildings and a close bush.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dxAqySnAVM
P.S. I don’t know the way to insert videos to comments.