Observations of the West African Rainbow Lizard, Agama Picticauda Peters, 1877, Fro Hana Feedin on Bread

Herpetology Notes, volume 11: 955-957 (2018) (published online on 14 November 2018) Observations of the West African rainbow lizard, Agama picticauda Peters, 1877, fro �hana feedin on bread Benjamin Yeboah Ofori1,*, Princess Martey1, and Daniel Attuquayefio1 Feeding ecology is directly linked to survival and that this species is a generalist insectivore, preying fitness and consequently shapes the life history of mainly on spiders, grasshoppers, beetles, ants and organisms. The choice of prey can influence interactions termites, butterflies and moths, and flies (Harris, 1964; among species, prey composition and abundance, and Anibaldi et al., 1998; Akani et al., 2013). Secondarily, ultimately the transfer of energy and matter within they also consume other types of invertebrates, small ecosystems (de Ruiter et al., 2005). Consequently, vertebrates, and even plant materials (Chapman and knowledge of the dietary niche and trophic patterns of Chapman, 1964; Yeboah, 1982). Studies have also organisms is important for understanding their ecological shown that animals in urban areas opportunistically interactions and the factors that promote coexistence consume anthropogenic food items due to their ease of of species at the community level (e.g., Pianka, 1974; access, relative abundance, high caloric energy levels, Brown and Gillooly, 2003). Although many reptiles and ease of digestion (Murray et al., 2015; Reher et al., and most amphibians are generalized insectivores (e.g., 2016; Cronk and Pillay, 2018). Here, we present the Parmelee, 1999; Van Damme, 1999), recent studies first documented record of A. picticauda feeding on suggest that species living within human habitations anthropogenic, processed food. are opportunistic feeders and include non-insect food in On 5 July 2018, between 1150 and 1200 h, we their diets. For example, Weterings (2017) reported that observed a dominant male A. picticauda (identified the insectivorous gecko Hemidactylus platyurus fed on by its blueish body, orange head, and tricoloured tail) rice, cucumber, and egg in garbage bins. Additionally, feeding on white bread (Fig. 1) in an open area with the anthropophilic and insectivorous gecko Gehyra hedges, ornamental plants, and a small pile of concrete mutilata has been reported to feed on nectar from flowers slabs behind an office building at the University of (Tanalgo and Hughes, 2017), while the insectivorous Ghana, Legon-Accra (5.654°N, 0.188°W; elevation 106 Gekko monarchus was observed feeding on white bread m) (Fig. 2). This sighting confirms that this species is on a kitchen table (Weterings and Weterings, 2018). The West African rainbow lizard Agama picticauda Peters, 1877 is now considered as distinct from A. agama (Linnaeus, 1758) and recognized as a common and widespread lizard in sub-Saharan West Africa (Wagner et al., 2009; Leaché et al., 2014; Leaché et al., 2017). Its geographic distribution widely overlaps with human habitations (Yeboah, 1982; Luiselli et al., 2011; Akani et al., 2013). Previous studies have shown 1 Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, University of Ghana, Legon-Accra, Ghana. Fiure 1. Dominant male Agama picticauda feeding on white * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] bread. Photograph by Benjamin Y. Ofori. 956 Benjamin Yeboah Ofori et al. Fiure 2. (A) Geographical location of the observation site (red dot) in the University of Ghana, Greater Accra, southeastern Ghana. (B) Habitat where the West African rainbow lizard was observed eating bread. Photograph by Benjamin Y. 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