Abstract
Pollen and nectar are eaten by a wide variety of animals including geckos, skinks (Whitaker, 1987) and lacertid lizards (Elvers, 1978; PerezMellado and Corti, 1993; Saez and Traveset, 1995). This feeding behavior suggests potential pollen transport and the possibility of pollination by lizards (Elvers, 1978; Whitaker, 1987; Saez and Traveset, 1995). Here we show the role of the Balearic lizard, Podarcis lilfordi (Sauria, Lacertidae) in the pollination of a Mediterranean Umbelliferae, the sea fern, Crithmum maritimum on the islet of Nitge (surface area 10.6 hectares; Perez-Mellado, 1989), close to Menorca Island (Balearic Archipelago, Spain). Lizards from Nitge are Podarcis lilfordi fenni, isolated on this islet at least 9000 years ago (Perez-Mellado and Salvador, 1988). The population density is very high (Perez-Mellado, 1989; Brown et al., 1992; Brown and PerezMellado, 1994), with marked annual fluctuations.
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