By: Cor Hameete, head Education Carmabi
WILLEMSTAD – On August 14, International Lizard Day, these island residents briefly step into the spotlight. Because let’s be honest: not everyone on Curaçao is fond of these quick little creatures darting over walls, gardens, and patios. Yet lizards play a much bigger role in our ecosystem than most people realize—or might even want to know.
Lizards on Curaçao have a surprisingly versatile role in nature. From pest controllers to plant seed dispersers—without these scaly, long-tailed animals, our island would look very different. They are also an important link in the food chain: birds, snakes, and other predators rely on them as prey. The disappearance of lizards would not only mean more mosquitoes and other insects, but also serious consequences for the animals that feed on them.
In short: whether you find them scary or not, chances are you benefit from these scaly heroes every day without even knowing it. Here are a few interesting facts about some of our local lizards.
Iguana (Yuana)
As herbivores, iguanas play an important role on our island.
They eat fruits, flowers, and leaves. The seeds inside the fruits pass through their digestive system and are deposited elsewhere in their droppings, helping plants and trees spread across the island.
By grazing, iguanas help keep certain plant species in check. This prevents some plants from overgrowing and allows other species to thrive, helping maintain biodiversity.
Gecko (Pegapega)
A gecko’s feet work like super-adhesive tape—but without glue. This is thanks to millions of tiny hair-like structures on their toes. These microscopic hairs aren’t strong enough individually, but together they create enough force for a gecko to run effortlessly upside-down across smooth walls and ceilings.
What’s clever is that they can “switch off” this grip by lifting their toes at a certain angle, allowing them to detach and reattach quickly while moving.
They are excellent climbers and are most often seen after dark. Being nocturnal, they have large eyes to see well in low light. Geckos mainly eat insects such as mosquitoes, flies, and cockroaches—making them not only fun to watch, but also very useful.
Mispel Snake (Kolebra di Mispel)
Despite the name, the Mispel Snake is not a snake. It has tiny, almost invisible legs and white stripes along its back, which make it look like a snake, but it is actually a lizard.
It lives mainly in layers of dead leaves, feeding on the small insects found there. The name comes from the fact that these lizards are often found under mispel trees, where fallen fruit attracts insects.
You won’t see them often—they hide from larger lizards and birds that might prey on them.
Blòblò
The Blòblò is a true omnivore, eating fruit, insects, and eggs from nests. Adult males are territorial and will chase away other males, which is why you often see them running after each other in gardens.
Females and young lizards are brown, while males have a bright blue head and greenish-blue legs. Many people think these different colors indicate different species, but they are all Blòblòs.
Because males and females look so different, in Papiamentu the males are called Blòblò and the females Lagadishi.
Anole (Totèki)
Each island has different species of anoles. They are slender, brown-colored lizards with black stripes along their sides—a perfect camouflage. When defending their territory, males display a striking yellow throat fan, which is also used to attract females.
Anoles eat small insects and rely heavily on their camouflage, as they are prey for larger animals such as birds of prey, Blòblòs, and the Curaçao snake.
Our ecosystem
During Carmabi’s education programs, guides often get questions from children like: “What’s the use of this animal? I just find it creepy.” Many add that their parents use poison, kill animals, or set glue traps to get rid of “nasty” creatures.
Whether we find them cute or not, all animals—including those without a cuddly appearance like lizards—are vital links in the ecosystem, a system we humans are part of. Once we start removing or eliminating certain species, it can have unexpected consequences. There are plenty of examples of how a disturbed balance can lead to mosquito plagues or other nuisances.
So maybe these quick, scaly residents deserve more respect—if only for our own benefit. And if you take a closer look, you might find that lizards are more beautiful than you think.
International Lizard Day