And So the Carnage Is Resumed …

A brown anole (Anolis sagrei) male from Santzepu, Chiayi County, southwestern Taiwan.

The Taiwanese authorities will once again launch a campaign to try to eradicate the brown anole in southwestern Taiwan. By paying a bounty of N.T.D 3 per collected lizard, they hope to encourage residents to help remove these lizards. They have funds for about 100 000 lizards, but I am afraid that is most likely not enough! The known distribution of this species in southwestern Taiwan is ca. 237 hectares. In my opinion the distribution most likely exceeds that. Those in the know are aware that these lizards can attain great densities. In one study, we found that they can attain densities of about 2900 lizards / ha. So, even if the average density is just 1/10 of that they do not have enough funds.
In addition to that, some religious groups are against the killing of animals and I have found that they do not permit the capture of these lizards on their properties. Even in areas where the capturing of the lizards is permitted, it is difficult to collect all the individuals present. Anolis sagrei that have escaped after being captured tend to flee from a perceived threat at greater distances, which means that such individuals could persist in an area without the collectors being aware of them. These lizards are also opportunistic and can utilize a variety of natural and man-made structures as shelters, many of which would hinder the capture of lizards. In addition to that, some agricultural practices such as the use of greenhouses can act as reservoirs for these lizards. It is thus not surprising that in spite of the large numbers of lizards removed to date, A. sagrei still exists in the southwestern and eastern study site and seems to be expanding its distribution range in Taiwan.

An Anolis sagrei male sheltering in an electrical control unit in an agricultural area in the southwestern Santzepu, Chiayi County, southwestern Taiwan (note the sympatric Hemidactylus frenatus on one of the electrical wires).

An Anolis sagrei sheltering in a drainage pipe (right) of a concrete roadside embankment in Santzepu, Chiayi County, southwestern Taiwan.

So my money is on the lizards! Because the distribution of A. sagrei in Taiwan is fairly extensive and the species disperses very easily, the eradication of A. sagrei in Taiwan is impractical. Efforts should rather focus on managing this species.

My opinion is that one of the best ways to do so is by manipulating habitats and making them unsuitable for A. sagrei to inhabit, and so hinder the spread of this species in Taiwan and limit its population growth. The cultivation of crops such as rice (Oryza sativa) and taro (Colocasia esculenta), which are unsuitable habitats for these lizards, should be encouraged in agricultural areas where these lizards are known to occur. Also, since broadleaf forests in Taiwan are likely unsuitable habitats for A. sagrei, greater efforts should be made to re-establish and conserve large areas of broadleaf forests in disturbed lowland areas of Taiwan. This would not only contribute to the conservation of native forest species, but such areas will also function as reservoirs for species like Japalura swinhonis that can compete with A. sagrei, as well as being barriers for its spread.