Tree Species Preference of the Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) and Perch Selection

The green anole (Anolis carolinensis) is on the list of the designated invasive alien species in Japan because of its negative effects on indigenous entomofauna. Therefore, control operations of the lizard are being carried out in some areas on the Ogasawara Islands. The primary population-control measure is the use of adhesive traps on tree trunks. Identification of the characteristics of the tree trunk type that this lizard uses frequently will contribute to effective setting of the traps, thereby improving catchability. To clarify whether or not there is a perching site preference according to plant species, we evaluated the available (n=1,228) and observed (n=811) perching sites in terms of tree species. A lizard food resource survey was also conducted on four major plant species. As for the selectivity of plant species, the screw pine (Pandanus boninensis) was strongly preferred by adult and juvenile anoles (P<0.05). Food availability is not considered to be the rationale for the anoles' preference of the screw pine, because the number of arthropods collected at the screw pine was not larger compared to those on other plant species examined.