The Bonaire Island Whiptail Lizard (Cnemidophorus
murinus) is the largest known nectivorous lizard.
Image by Jan Burletson.
durations. The Black Spiny-tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura
similis), for example, has been reported to be capable
of dispersing seeds up to 500m. The rate of passage
through lizards’ digestive tracts is also comparatively
long (>4 days), which provides a greater chance for
seeds to be deposited at some distance from the parent
plant, where competition is reduced.
in its jaws, and then turns its head to the side to press
the fruit against the ground, using the rocky ground to
split it open. Juveniles feed on figs broken open by
adults or birds, or by vigorously shaking their head
whilst grasping the fig in their jaws, which breaks it
into manageable pieces.
‘ Some authors propose reptilian
What sort of floral traits appear to be
favoured by lizards? Because most lizards
are active for longer than insects, and have
higher energy requirements, there is some
evidence that sauriphily promotes the
evolution of plants that secrete a fairly
continuous supply of abundant nectar, at
high concentrations. Lizards (and birds,
which are, phylogenetically speaking, also reptiles),
have good colour vision especially in the red range of
the electromagnetic spectrum (unlike bees), and so red
flowers and nectar do appear to be associated with
many plants visited by lizard pollinators. Likewise,
fruits that are red in colour seem to have a particular
attraction for many lizards. Phylogenetic constraints
limit the ability of lizards to chew fruits with tougher
skins, and body size has been identified as a key trait
influencing frugivory. Larger lizards are increasingly
frugivorous; not only do they have greater bite force,
but importantly also a greater gape size, allowing them
to swallow fruits without chewing. Nevertheless, some
lizards can overcome morphological and functional
constraints by using behavioural means to consume
fruits that their jaws would otherwise preclude them
from eating. The cordylid Platysaurus capensis, a
relatively small reptile, feeds voraciously on figs when
they are temporarily available, despite being unable to
chew or engulf these fruits whole. An adult grasps a fig
pollination of flowering plants to be an
ancient mutualism, PRECEDING even
POLLINATION BY BEETLES . ’
Taxonomically, nectivory is dominated by geckos,
whereas frugivory is most common among skinks. As
can be expected, most lizards that consume nectar are
fairly small, averaging 126mm, and ranging from the
tiny Puerto Rican Bush Anole (Anolis pulchellus) with
an SVL of 35-43mm, to the Bonaire Island Whiptail
Lizard (Cnemidophorus murinus), which may reach
lengths of up to 500mm, and has been reported to
consume Aloe nectar. As outlined above, frugivorous
lizards tend to be larger, and the average body size of
species included in this review is 213mm. The single
frugivorous varanid, Gray’s Monitor (Varanus
olivaceus) is also the largest frugivorous lizard, with a
total length of up to 180cm, and consumes a great
diversity of fruits. However, there are some small-
bodied frugivores; the smallest being Duvaucel’s Gecko
(Hoplodactylus duvaucelii), with an SVL of as little as
40mm. Interestingly, the largest nectivorous lizard
species also consumes fruits, while the smallest
frugivorous species also consumes nectar.