Blue Belly Lizard vs Tomato Hornworm Both Die
Like 3 Dislike 0 Published on 9 Sep 2014
Walking outside the greenhouse I saw a Blue Belly Lizard in the shade, still. It appeared a bit strange, though, with something black in it's mouth. I approached and it didn't run away in spite of eyes being open. It became clear it was dead and had tried to eat something large. I pulled it out of it's mouth, gently, and out came a huge tomato hornworm as large as the lizard itself.
Apparently it had died trying to eat something that fit into it's mouth and all the way down into it's stomach, but didn't clear it's throat and it must have suffocated.
Amazing that it attempted to eat such a huge caterpillar. I have a bunch of skinks in the greenhouse, a longer lizard so perhaps they are eating hornworms too.