I'm here in central Florida and have a ton of Gecko and Anole lizards.Now that I'm trying to get a Hummingbird/Butterfly garden started I curious about the lizards eating the very thing I'm trying to atract. Anybody have any thoughts?
Don
Do gecko and anole lizards eat butterfly's or Cats?
Yes, I read that they do...but I like to think they will eat far more bad guys than good guys.
The geckos come out at night here - I've seen them around the light pole munching on crickets, moths and whatnots that are attracted to the light.
The green anoles seem to stay close to the house as I have gobs of plants and vines all around the house. Am sure they've managed to snag a few butterflies and caterpillars but they seem to focus in on moving prey that stays pretty much in the same area - like beetles and bugs crawling on the ground or up the wall.
They would have to be at the right place at the right time to nab a butterfly on a flower...well aside from those in a greenhouse or cat house where the caterpillars would be sitting ducks.
Am hoping that the swallowtail cats out here are scary enough looking or camouflaged enough to escape becoming mini-dino din din.
You can do a google search for green anole and read about the buggers feeding habits - very interesting! :o)
~ Cat
Consider where you place larval plants. I have two pipevines. The one next to the fence (where the brown lizards meet) gets cats and then they disappear young. The Pipevine that is placed in a more central location has cats that seem to mature to a large size and then disappear- at a time appropriate for pupation.
Maggie