I’ve posted twice previously with images of the Hispaniolan trunk anole (Anolis distichus) feeding on tiny insects, crickets, and beetles (1, 2). I took another such shot yesterday along the Recodo Road in the Dominican Republic, this time of A. distichus eating a bee. He spent the later part of this feeding episode scraping the wings off against the bark of the trunk.
Latest posts by Rich Glor (see all)
- JMIH 2014: Early Records of Fossil Anolis from the Oligocene and Miocene of Florida, USA - August 13, 2014
- JMIH 2014: Relative Contribution of Genetic and Ecological Factors to Morphological Differentiation in Island Populations of Anolis sagrei - August 7, 2014
- JMIH 2014: The Ultrastructure of Spermatid Development within the Anole, Anolis sagrei - August 5, 2014
Jonathan Losos
The literature says that ants are far and away the most predcominant item in the diet of distichus. Can these lizards not read?
Ludovic
It seems that some chameleons are immunized against the sting of bees.
The Anolis they have the same characteristic?
rglor
They definitely eat mostly social insects (both ants and termites), but don’t seem to have a problem taking whatever else they can catch and fit in their mouths. I’m not sure about being immune to bee stings. I’m also not sure if this particular bee was one with a sting that might cause trouble.