How long has this lizard-plant mutualism been going
on? Although instances of lizards as pollinators and
seed dispersers represent only fairly recent observa-
tions, and appear overall rare, there is evidence
suggesting this is a very ancient interaction, with
coprolites (fossilised faeces) from the Permian and
Jurassic periods showing evidence of reptiles browsing
on flowers. Some authors even propose reptilian
pollination to be one of the most ancient mutualisms
between flowering plants and animal pollination
vectors, preceding even pollination by beetles (the
main contenders as the first angiosperm pollinators).
We can see that there are a significant number of
lizard species that ‘uncharacteristically’ feed on nectar
and fruit. Although generally underappreciated, some
are indispensable to the reproductive success of plant
species, while many others make a valuable
contribution to pollination and seed dispersal. Yet
there is fairly limited evidence confirming these
interactions: clearly this is a sweet subject, ripe for
future investigations!
Further Reading:
Barros Ribeiro, L., Gogliath, M., & Freire, E. M. X. (2008). Tropidurus
semitaeniatus (Squamata: Tropiduridae) as seed disperser of the
plant Commiphora leptophloeos (Burseraceae) in the caatinga of
northeastern Brazil. Cuadernos de Herpetología, 22.
Blázquez, M. C., & Rodríguez-Estrella, R. (2007). Microhabitat selec-
tion in diet and trophic ecology of a spiny-tailed iguana Ctenosaura
hemilopha. Biotropica, 39(4), 496-501.
Bègue, J.-F., Sanchez, M., Micheneau, C., & Fournel, J. (2014). New
record of day geckos feeding on orchid nectar in Reunion Island: can
lizards pollinate orchid species? Herpetology Notes, 7, 689-692.
Castilla, A. M. (2000). Does passage time through the lizard Podarcis
lilfordi ’s guts affect germination performance in the plant Withania
frutescens ? Acta Oecologica, 21(2), 119-124.
Clémencet, J., Aubert, C., Blottiere, D., & Sanchez, M. (2013). Klepto-
parasitism in the endemic gecko Phelsuma inexpectata: pollen theft
from foraging honeybees on Réunion. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 29
(3), 251-254.
Dearing, M. D., & Schall, J. J. (1992). Testing models of optimal diet
assembly by the generalist herbivorous lizard Cnemidophorus muri-
nus. Ecology, 73(3), 845-858.
Deso, G., Probst, J. M., Sanchez, M., & Ineich, I. (2008). Phelsuma inex-
pectata Mertens, 1966 et Phelsuma borbonica Mertens, 1942
(Squamata: Gekkonidae): deux geckos potentiellement pollinisateurs
de l’île de La Réunion. Bulletin de la Société herpétologique de France,
126, 9-23.
Eifler, D. A. (1995). Patterns of plant visitation by nectar-feeding
lizards. Oecologia, 101(2), 228-233.
Elvers, I. (1977). Flower-visiting lizards on Madeira. Botaniska no-
tiser, 130, 231-234.
Figueira, J. E. C., Vasconcellos-Neto, J., Garcia, M. A., & de Souza, A. L.
T. (1994). Saurocory in Melocactus violaceus (Cactaceae). Biotropica,
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Font, E., & Ferrer, M. (1995). Gallotia galloti (Canary Islands lizard).
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Gardner, C. J., & Jasper, L. D. (2015). Diet of the endemic Malagasy
day gecko Phelsuma modesta leiogaster Mertens, 1970 in an urban
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Godínez-Álvarez, H. (2004). Pollination and seed dispersal by liz-
ards: a review. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural, 77(3), 569-577.
Moura, A. d. A., Cavalcanti, L., Leite-Filho, E., Mesquita, D., & McCon-
key, K. (2015). Can green iguanas compensate for vanishing seed
dispersers in the Atlantic forest fragments of north-east Brazil? Jour-
nal of Zoology, 295(3), 189-196.
Hansen, D. M., Beer, K., & Müller, C. B. (2006). Mauritian coloured
nectar no longer a mystery: a visual signal for lizard pollinators.
Biology Letters, 2(2), 165-168.
Herrel, A., Vanhooydonck, B., Joachim, R., & Irschick, D. (2004).
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Iverson, J. B. (1985). Lizards as seed dispersers? Journal of Herpetol-
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Lord, J. M., & Marshall, J. (2001). Correlations between growth form,
habitat, and fruit colour in the New Zealand flora, with reference to
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Minnaar, I. A., Köhler, A., Purchase, C., & Nicolson, S. W. (2013). Col-
oured and Toxic Nectar: Feeding Choices of the Madagascar Giant
Day Gecko, Phelsuma grandis. Ethology, 119(5), 417-426.
Murphy, T. J., & Myers, A. A. (1996). The behavioral ecology of Phel-
suma astriata semicarinata on Aride Island nature reserve, Sey-
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Gomes, V., Quirino, Z., & Machado, I. (2014). Pollination and seed
dispersal of Melocactus ernestii Vaupel subsp. ernestii (Cactaceae)
by lizards: an example of double mutualism. Plant Biology, 16(2),
315-322.
Pérez-Mellado, V., & Corti, C. (1993). Dietary adaptations and herbi-
vory in lacertid lizards of the genus Podarcis from western Mediter-
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Pérez-Mellado, V., & Traveset, A. (1999). Relationships between
plants and Mediterranean lizards. Natura Croatica: Periodicum Musei
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Pérez-Mellado, V., & Casas, J. L. (1997). Pollination by a lizard on a
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Perry, G., & Lazell, J. (1997). Anolis stratulus. Nectivory. Herpetologi-
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Powell, R., Henderson, R. W., & John Jr, S. (2005). The Reptiles and
Amphibians of the Dutch Caribbean: St. Eustatius, Saba, and St.
Maarten: St. Eustatius national parks (STENAPA).
Ríos-López, N., Alicea-Ortíz, J. D., & Burgos-Aponte, E. (2016). Natu-
ral History Observations in the Puerto Rican Dwarf Anole, Anolis
occultus Williams and Rivero 1965 (Squamata: Dactyloidae): Nectar-
Feeding, Bird Predation, and a Review of the Species’ Natural History
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Sazima, I., Sazima, C., & Sazima, M. (2005). Little dragons prefer
flowers to maidens: a lizard that laps nectar and pollinates trees.
Biota Neotropica , 5(1), 185-192