Exceptional Hunters

If you have been keeping track of our trip, you know by now that Leiocephalus is a major player in our study. I have commented before on a few aspects of their behavior, including their foraging. The movie below (exerts from a longer movie), courtesy of Dave, shows that Leiocephalus are exceptional hunters. Having the behavioral flexibility to forage on bugs, lizards, flowers, and fruits is already pretty impressive. But this observation tops all the previous ones. Furthermore, if you had thought that anoles might be able to escape from the jaws of a Leiocephalus, you might need to reconsider. The video clip is from a curly-tailed lizard that was foraging at the intertidal zone and came a across a "mangrove crab". Mangrove crabs have somewhat square & hard carapace, can move relatively quickly, and can use their claws effectively. However, curly-tails are the "tigers" of the cays, although their diets might be a little more diverse.