Fighting Hawaiian Anoles

Reader Louise Butler from the Big Island writes: “I am attaching two photos. One is a battle royale on the outerside of my kitchen window. Two anole-like dudes (?) duking it out, each grasping the other’s jaw. They remained this way, occasionally changing position but never letting go, for several minutes. Most amazing was that my indoor anole hardly noticed them and he was on the inside of the very same screen! Look at the difference in size.

I’ve never before, or since seen Anolis this big.

The second photo depicts the gold-dust day gecko’s most favored way of proliferation. They love the car. I’ve seen several emerging from the innards of my neighbor’s car after one of his trips to Kona from our location on the eastern tip of the Big Island.”

So, readers, what do you think about the size of those Hawaiians? And let’s not forget that geckos are not the only ones that use that means of transportation.

Jonathan Losos
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4 Comments

  1. Pat Shipman

    Waaaay cool! So are the fighting anoles the same species? From what I can see, the answer is yes but I’d like confirmation.

    • Jonathan Losos

      yes, i think they’re all green anoles, A. carolinensis

  2. Yoel Stuart

    That’s a great picture of dispersal by car! Reports have it (can anyone confirm?) that the invasive A. sagrei is found further north into Georgia along the northbound exits of I-95 than the southbound exits just across the freeway.

  3. Robin

    Are those big brown anoles scaring away your gold-dust day geckos? The brown anoles have taken over my yard here in Honolulu, and I only occasionally see the gently green geckos around anymore. Any ideas on how to help my gold-dust day geckos make a comeback? Thanks for your post!

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