Lizards as pollinators and seed dispersers: an island phenomenon

Olesen, Jens M.; Valido, Alfredo

doi:10.1016/s0169-5347(03)00004-1

Cited by 290 publications

(301 citation statements)

References 34 publications

(63 reference statements)

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“…At Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Euprepis atlanticus has high population densities and is preyed on by introduced vertebrates only (SilvaJr. et al 2005), which lends support to the above mentioned view (Olesen & Valido 2003). An additional support to our assumption that the Noronha skink visits flowers for both sugars and water may be the fact that most if not all instances of flower-visiting and nectar-lapping lizards are recorded from oceanic islands (Olesen & Valido 2003), mainly in relatively arid environments (e.g., Eifler 1995, Elvers 1977, Font & Ferrer 1995, Pérez-Mellado & Casas 1997, Perry & Lazell 1997, Traveset & Sáez 1997.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 53%

“…obs.). Moreover, the little dragon of Noronha is a very versatile and opportunistic forager (Silva-Jr et al 2005), and food resources on islands may be scarce for lizards (e.g., Pérez-Mellado & Casas 1997, Olesen & Valido 2003.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…), the diluted mulungu nectar may be regarded as a bonus in its daily feeding schedule. On islands, lizards tend to reach high population density and experience low predation risk, and thus may expand their diet to include nectar, pollen, and fruits (Olesen & Valido 2003). At Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Euprepis atlanticus has high population densities and is preyed on by introduced vertebrates only (SilvaJr.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nevertheless, there are several recent records of lizards that visit and supposedly or actually pollinate flowers, including species of Gekkonidae, Lacertidae, Polychrotidae, Scincidae, and Teiidae (e.g., Dearing 1993, Eifler 1995, Elvers 1977, Font & Ferrer 1995, Pérez-Mellado & Casas 1997, Perry & Lazell 1997, Traveset & Sáez 1997, Nyhagen et al 2001, Olesen & Valido 2003. Most if not all records of flowervisiting lizards are in islands, ranging in size from the Nitge islet in the Mediterranean (Pérez-Mellado & Casas 1997) to Tasmania in the Pacific (Olsson et al 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most if not all records of flowervisiting lizards are in islands, ranging in size from the Nitge islet in the Mediterranean (Pérez-Mellado & Casas 1997) to Tasmania in the Pacific (Olsson et al 2000). A recent review (Olesen & Valido 2003) stresses that lizard pollination is an island phenomenon. Not surprisingly lizards seek nectar mostly on inflorescences -an arrangement well suited for a climbing visitor (see Westerkamp 1990 for a discussion on flowers visited by perching and hovering birds).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Little dragons prefer flowers to maidens: a lizard that laps nectar and pollinates trees

Sazima

2005

Biota Neotrop.

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Lizards rarely visit and pollinate flowers, the few recent records being mostly restricted to island habitats. We report here on the Noronha skink (Euprepis atlanticus) seeking nectar in the flowers of the leguminous mulungu tree (Erythrina velutina) at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, off northeast Brazil. The mulungu tree blooms during the dry season, and each flower secretes copious and diluted nectar throughout the day. The Noronha skink climbs up to the inflorescences and laps the nectar accumulated in the flowers' base. While exploiting the flowers and crawling over the inflorescences, the body parts of the skink contact the anthers and stigmas and pollen adheres to the lizard's scales. The lizard visits inflorescences from the same and different trees, which renders it a potential pollinator. As the mulungu tree blooms during the dry season and the island has little or no natural freshwater supply during drought periods, we suggest that the Noronha skink seeks flower nectar both for its energetic, diluted sugars and the water content.Key words: Euprepis atlanticus, Scincidae, Erythrina velutina, Fabaceae, saurophily, oceanic islands. ResumoLagartos raramente visitam e polinizam flores, os poucos registros estando restritos a ambientes insulares. Registramos aqui a mabuia de Noronha (Euprepis atlanticus) buscando néctar nas flores da árvore leguminosa mulungu (Erythrina velutina), no Arquipélago de Fernando de Noronha ao largo da costa Nordeste do Brasil. O mulungu floresce na época seca, ao longo de quatro meses. As flores produzem néctar muito diluído e abundante, ao longo do dia todo. A mabuia percorre as inflorescências, lambendo o néctar acumulado na base da flor. Enquanto rasteja sobre as inflorescências da mesma ou outra árvore, contata as anteras e os estigmas e o pólen fica aderido ao seu corpo, o que torna a mabuia um polinizador potencial. Como o mulungu floresce durante a época seca, período em que a água é muito escassa na ilha, sugerimos que a mabuia visita as flores tanto pelos açúcares diluídos e energéticos, como pela água contida no néctar. Palavras

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