Here are a few Grand Case-related photos. First, a spider that had captured a fly. These spiders are very common on our balcony. I believe they are jumping spiders, which doesn’t narrow it down that much as there are over 5,000 known species of jumping spider. Next is a view of Grand Case from Goat Mountain. In the distance you can see the Terres Basses area of St. Martin and part of the lagoon. Our apartment is in the white building with the light green roof directly below the swimming pool, behind the larger white building which is the Les Alizés motel. Last is a photo of some ships sailing in the Heineken Regatta sailing competition. Plans are currently underway for the first annual Presidente Dinghatta dinghy race.
A few days ago I returned to Goat Mountain (a.k.a. First Stick Hill) and found it considerably drier than previous visits. Many trees were losing their leaves, which some species do to preserve moisture during dry periods. Of course, since then we have had some substantial rain so it remains to be seen how permanent the change will be. On my visit I saw a few interesting things, including a green caterpillar that was shaped like a fuzzy oval. The head and all the legs were hidden under the large abdomen, making it relatively featureless on the dorsal side, which was a very good, green, fuzzy match for the sage-like leaves of the shrub it was eating.
Here are a few photos of some creatures and plants I encountered at the summit of Pic Paradis, the tallest point on the island of Saint Martin. The most interesting was probably the large slug I found crawling across a tree trunk. Compared to slugs I have seen in North America, this had a peculiarly flattened shape and seemed less moist, no doubt an adaptation to the drier climate here. I was also able to spot several dwarf geckos in the leaf litter of the forest, including this Sphaerodactylus macrolepis. There were a number of butterflies as well, including several skippers and a very pale, small sulfur that I did not capture on film (or memory card as the case may be).
Also, I almost forgot to mention that I saw an indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) running across the road. It looked a bit like a reddish-brown squirrel with a scraggly tail. Apparently the mongoose was introduced to the island in 1888, and since then it has been implicated in the demise of various local species of animal.
I happened to look into a hole in a tree near the road at the top of Pic Paradis and found a pair of blue eyes looking back at me. A gentle prodding with a small stick prompted this grasshopper to partially emerge from his hiding place to pose for photos.
While Anolis pogus are typically seen on the ground or in the lower areas of bushes and trees, these two males began fighting on an elevated perch in some trees near the roadside. After facing off while displaying threatening coloration, they locked mouths and began to fight in earnest. Over the course of more than ten minutes with their jaws continually locked around each others’ head, they pushed and clawed at each other. Several times they fell to a lower branch whilst remaining joined in battle. During the fight, their coloration changed considerably as you can see from the photos and video below. The battle ended when they fell to the ground and the loser scampered off into the forest.
On a rock wall near the southern lookout point on the top of Pic Paradis I spotted first one, then another Anolis gingivinus that displayed striking coloration and a pronounced dorsal ridge. A few moments later, the two anoles were engaged in battle, presumably over choice territory on the rock fence. (I did not notice any nearby females.) The photos below show: the combatants facing off, the distinctive coloration of each lizard, the battle and the victor enjoying his successfully defended perch.
While Anolis gingivinus is considerably more common than Anolis pogus in the lowland areas of St. Martin, it is also present in smaller numbers even at the summit of Pic Paradis, the island’s highest point. Unlike Anolis pogus there is not much difference in the markings and coloration of these lizards, although they do seem to be more likely to stay on the ground than their lowland brothers.
Yesterday I took a trip to the summit of Pic Paradis, the highest point on the island at approximately 1400 feet. Near the summit, Anolis pogus was very common and I found a wide array of color and pattern variations while I was there. Previously, the specimens I had encountered conformed entirely to the published descriptions I have read: light tan with few visible markings and a turquoise patch around each eye. This time, I saw many color variations, some clearly linked to behavior.
While some individuals sported the “typical” Anolis pogus coloration, others varied wildly. The trademark blue around the eye was often not present at all. In some individuals, there was a clearly defined, white dorsal stripe. In others, there were dark bands across the back. The overall color varied from the typical tan to dark gray. Often, this was combined with a dark red on the top of the head. Yellow patches on the sides of the chest were also common. In males preparing to fight over territory, two dark spots appeared behind the eye.
These wide variations were seen in a myriad of combinations, and individuals could be found at varying points in between. From watching a pair of males fighting, it seemed that these color variations were likely to be temporary, related to the emotional states of the lizards and potentially as camouflage as well.
Here are a few photos from our new apartment. The brown pelican resting on the Seadog seems more proportionate than the heron in the dinghy. Unknown neighbors have a rooftop herb garden and their only crop is, um, Jamaican Oregano. Madam J found a very small beetle in the bathroom and trapped it under her contact lens solution lid while I went to get my camera.
