Invasive Species: Chameleon?

[Pomai]

I'm trying to find out what this reptile species is. Do you know, or have you seen them in your yard?...

http://www.96seven44.com/images/hawaiikai_inv_chameleon2.jpg
This guy (I'll name him "Taildragger" for his broken/regrowing tail) measures approximately 5" in length

http://www.96seven44.com/images/hawaiikai_inv_chameleon3.jpg

Check out this cool shot I got of one, using the extent of digital zoom on my camera...

http://www.96seven44.com/images/hawaiikai_inv_chameleon1.jpg

In fact all those shots had to be taken using the extent of my digital zoom, as if I got any closer, they'd scurry away.

Whatever this reptile species is, it's quite aggressive and seems to be breeding rapidly in the yard at mom's place in Hawaii Kai. They only came around in this area, oh, in the past 3 years, I'd say. At least that's when they became prolific.

Because of that balooning throat action, I'm thinking it's related to the chameleon, although they don't change colors camouflage like the typical chameleons around Hawaii do. I never did observe "tongue action" going on. lol

The typical adult size is about 5" in length, with juveniles averaging about 2-3". They have a "skinnier" profile in comparison to the typical chameleon.

They're mostly afraid of humans, but when there's an opportunity for a meal (small bugs), they show no shame in their game, and will run right in front of you to grab the opportunity.

These suckers can run fast too, and are quite agile on trees and other vertical or complex surfaces.

If you walk in the backyard in the morning just after sunrise, it looks like 100's of them scurry across the grass, like a bunch of Jurassic Park's Velociraptors.

The good part is there seems to be much less pesty bugs around the yard. I'm just concerned what they could be doing to offset the ecosystem. Especially at the rate they seem to be multiplying. If so, I'm wondering what's a good strategy to control or kill them off.

Surprisingly the common houshold geckos around the house are doing fine, so they obviously can hold their own against these tyrants.

Wherever they came from, you can't blame the SuperFerry, because these guys arrived much earlier than that venture.

Any knowledge about these guys would be great. Thanks.

[Da Rolling Eye]

Kewl. Looks like Journey to the Center of the Earth. :)

Invasive. Never noticed them around till about the late
70's? Got lots of them out this side. Been that way for years. Lots in the yard, but none come into the house. Sure wish the geckos would do the same. All they do is crap all over the place and lay huge clutches of eggs in the electrical junction boxes and light fixtures, which are almost impossible to remove. :mad:

Don't really know if they're harmful as, like most Hawai'i residents, I don't know what kind of bugs are indemic to Hawai'i. Bugs'r bugs. :D

Kinda like the Poison Dart tree frogs in Manoa. They've been around for decades and no one has noticed if they've done any damage.

[Eric]

Looks like a brown anole. I saw one in the hills above Kalihi a while ago (http://www.hawaiistories.com/eric/2005/04/10/kamanaiki-trail/). They're related to the green anoles that we all know as the local "chameleons" but they're bigger and, well, brown.

[LikaNui]

We've got a gazillion (or so) of them here in Kaneohe. And yes, brown anole is what I've heard too. They're pretty agressive and fight with each other a lot, and they also aren't very afraid of humans and will stand their ground much longer than geckos will. You almost have to step on one before it'll move.
Nice photos, by the way!

[Jim75]

Looks like a brown anole. I saw one in the hills above Kalihi a while ago (http://www.hawaiistories.com/eric/2005/04/10/kamanaiki-trail/). They're related to the green anoles that we all know as the local "chameleons" but they're bigger and, well, brown.Great photo journal of your hike above Kalihi. I looked at your Gigapan pic of Haunama Bay too at gigapan.org. Pretty amazing.

[Pomai]

Looks like a brown anole. I saw one in the hills above Kalihi a while ago (http://www.hawaiistories.com/eric/2005/04/10/kamanaiki-trail/). They're related to the green anoles that we all know as the local "chameleons" but they're bigger and, well, brown.Hmmmm. Looks similar, but the body markings, size and profile (girth) on the one you have pictured (cool write-up about that trail BTW!) is a tad different from the ones breeding in mom's yard. Then again, we're talking two evolutions of family and location here. For the most part, the one you show looks like it, so I'll go with that.

Brown Anole. Is that a Hawaiian name? "Anole"?

Likanui, you're right, these guys do some serious battling. But it can't beat the geckos we have. They're nuts. I've seen a big 'n fat adult gecko eat a baby gecko in two gulps. Something even Geico doesn't cover. lol

I wonder if Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods (http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Bizarre_Foods) would eat an Anole or Gecko, grilled teriyaki style on a stick? Unless we're talking a million buck$ minimum, I sure as hell wouldn't.

[scrivener]

I'm pretty sure that's a brown anole, too, and no, of course it's not Hawaiian (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anole). I know a high-school girl who wanted so desperately to catch a few for pets some months ago, but she has since obtained a Jackson's chameleon. For more than a year, though, brown anoles were all I heard about from her.

[cyleet99]

Saw some at the Zoo today; according to the Wikipedia link, it looks to me like the Cuban brown anole. I expected it to be bigger, but when I saw it on the rail today, it was like, "Oh, yeah...that's one of those things on HT!"

See, I'm scouting the territory for you.:D