Is There An Alien Invasion In Taiwan?

The Anolis carolinensis observed in Chiayi County, Taiwan, on the trunk of an Areca catechu.

Currently, the list of exotic invasive herpetofauna in Taiwan is fairly short:

brown anole (Anolis sagrei)

sun skink (Eutropis multifasciata)

common slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)

American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

Asiatic painted frog (Kaloula pulchra pulchra)

Hong Kong whipping frog (Polypedates megacephalus)

But if the list of species permitted in the pet trade in Taiwan is not revised, and drastic steps are not taken to prevent future accidental and/or intentional introductions of exotic invasive amphibians and reptiles, that is sure to change.

There are already anecdotal accounts of green iguanas (Iguana iguana) and water dragons (Physignathus lesueurii) in the wild, and in 2011 we reported on some tokay geckoes (Gekko gecko) that we found in the wild in central western Taiwan. Earlier this year when we reported on a green anole (Anolis carolinensis) that we found in 2002 in a rural area of Chiayi County, southwestern Taiwan, we added another species to the list of species that have been recorded in the wild.

The discovery of these lizards in the wild in Taiwan is alarming. If suitable numbers of these animals are released into the wild, they very likely will establish viable populations in Taiwan.