Comparison of the Foraging Habits of Juvenile Anolis sagrei and Anolis carolinensis Males

Overview

The purpose of this experiment was to examine the different foraging habits of Anolis sagrei and Anolis carolinensis juveniles to observe how an invasive species could affect the foraging habits of a native species. It was hypothesized that Anolis sagrei would perch at lower heights (0-1m) than Anolis carolinensis with perch types that fell into the category of "ground," while Anolis carolinensis would perch at heights above ground level (1-2m) with perch types that fell within the categories of "fence" and "tree." Twenty juvenile individuals of each species were located and filmed for twenty minutes. The initial perch height and perch category of each individual was recorded. It was found that most Anolis sagrei juveniles were found on the ground and perched at levels below one meter. Most of the Anolis sagrei juveniles were found on bushes and trees and perched at heights closer to one meter. The results indicated that the two species partitioned the environment, and although they did share space, the native Anolis carolinensis juveniles were more likely to perch at higher locations than their Anolis sagrei counterparts.