Robbery in the Dark: Nocturnal Foraging of a Madagascan Diurnal Gecko, Lygodactylus tolampyae

Abstract

Foraging behavior of a diurnal gecko, Lygodactylus tolampyae, was observed during the night in the field in Ankarafantsika National Park, Madagascar. An adult L. tolampyae was observed to stay near the nest of an ant, Aphaenogaster swammerdami. The gecko attacked a worker ant carrying a pupa and ate only the pupa by robbing it from the worker. This observation suggests that typically diurnal geckos may shift foraging time to the night under natural conditions.