Lizards live across all continents except Antarctica. Talking about the Hawaii region, only one lizard is native known as the cooper-striped blue-tailed skink rest of them are introduced species. Here is the list of 10 lizards in Hawaii,
Types of Lizards In Hawaii
1. Veiled Chameleon
The veiled chameleon is a species that belongs to Chamaeleonidae native to the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. It Is also known as a cone-head chameleon or Yemen chameleon with a body length between 35 to 61 cm and an average weight between 90 to 200 grams. The primary diet includes insects, and will also eat plant matter, especially as a source of water. The avarage lifespan of a veiled chameleon is 5 to 8 years in the wild. The species is arboreal and prefers to live in trees and other large plants.
2. Cuban Knight Anole
The knight anole is one of the lizards in Hawaii that belongs to the family Dactyloidae. It is also known as Cuban knight anole or Cuban giant anole highlights its native country and now it is also introduced to Florida. The body length ranges between 33 to 51 cm and the avarage weight is between 16 to 137 grams. The avarage lifespan of Cuban knight anole is upto 8 years. The dietary habit is carnivores in nature and feeds on insects and snails. They are seen feeding on small vertebrates such as small birds and reptiles (including other anoles).
3. Common House Gecko
The Common House gecko is one of the lizards in Hawaii which is native to Southeast Asia. These geckos of Florida body length is between 75 to 150 mm and the average weight is between 45 to 70 grams. The primary diet includes cockroaches, termites, some bees and wasps, butterflies, moths, flies, spiders, and several beetle groupings. The avarage lifespan of a common house gecko is upto 5 years. They have a polygynandrous (promiscuous) mating system in which both sexes have multiple partners in a single breeding season.
4. Green Anole
The green anole is also known as the carolina anole native to North America, where it is found mainly in the subtropical southeastern parts of the continent. The avarage lifespan of green anoles ranges between 2 to 8 years. The lifespan in captivity is similar to that in the wild, approximately between 4 to 6 years depending on the care and conditions. The primary diet consists of crickets, grasshoppers, spiders, flies, and other arthropods. They are one of the Hawaii lizards which is the most widely available species of lizard in the pet trade.
5. Brown Anole
The brown anole is a species of lizard in Florida that belongs to the. Family Dactyloidae. The lizard species is native to Cuba and the Bahamas. The body length is between 7.6 to 20 cm and the average weight is between 3 to 8 grams. The primary diet includes crickets, moths, ants, grasshoppers, cockroaches, mealworms, spiders, and waxworms, however, they are also seen feeding on other lizards, such as skinks and Carolina anole, lizard eggs, and their own molted skin and detached tails. The avarage lifespan is between 5 to 8 years in the wild.
6. Gold Dust Day Gecko or Madagascar lizard
The gold dust day gecko also known as the Madagascar lizard is a diurnal species of gecko that lives in northern Madagascar and on the island of Comoros. The lizard species are also introduced to Hawaii and other Pacific islands. The body length is between 15 to 22 cm in length and the average weight is between 160 to 190 grams. The lizard species is a social and diurnal creature. The primary diet includes various insects and other invertebrates and they are also capable of eating other smaller lizards.
7. Jackson’s Chameleon
Jackson’s Chameleon is a Chameleon species native to East Africa, however, now introduced to Hawaii, Florida, and California. The body length is between 15 to 38 cm and the average weight is between 1 to 1.5 kilograms. The avarage lifespan of Jackson’s chameleon is upto 10 years. The species was first described by Belgian-British zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1896 and is also known as Three-horned chameleons because males possess three brown horns. The dieter habit is carnivores and insectivores in nature and primarily feeds on caterpillars, slugs, arthropods, worms, spiders, lizards, small birds, and snails.
8. Orange Spotted Day Gecko
The Mauritius lowland forest day gecko commonly known as the orange-spotted day gecko belongs to the family Gekkonidae. The lizard species is native to the western coast of Mauritius and typically inhabits large trees. It has been given the specific name of guimbeaui in honor of the collector of the holotype, “Mr. Bernard Guimbeau”. They feed on various insects and other invertebrates, however, they also like to lick soft, sweet fruit, pollen, and nectar. The avarage lifespan of the orange Spotted Day Gecko is upto 15 years in the wild and between six to eight years in captivity.
Image Source: Stephen
9. Madagascar Giant Day Gecko
The Madagascar Giant Day Geckos are good climbers and are able to cling to almost any surface allowing them to climb across smooth surfaces such as glass. The body length is upto 30 cm in length and the average weight is upto 70 grams. The avarage lifespan of the Madagascar Giant Day Gecko is upto 13 years in the wild and the same 13 years in captivity with proper conditions. They can be identified very easily with the help of a lime green body which features red spots across the back and a red stripe between the eye and nose. The dietary habit is Omnivorous in nature and feeds on fruits and insects.
Also Read: 10 Lizards That Look Like Dragons
10. Mourning Gecko
The mourning gecko also known as the common smooth-scaled gecko is a lizard species that belongs to the family Gekkonidae. The body length is 8.5 to 10 cm and the diet includes insects, spiders, nectar, and ripe fruit. They are primarily seen in North, Central, and South America, Australia, and many Pacific islands. Talking about its appearance, they are small and stout-bodied lizards where back side of their skin is smooth and lacks tubercles. The avarage lifespan of a mourning gecko is between 10 to 15 years in the wild.
Image Source: Wikimedia
These are the 10 lizards in Hawaii. Kindly share and do post your comments.
