Meet Affable Anole, a gardener性视界传媒檚 friend!
Anolis carolinensis, commonly known as the green anole, is native to southeast United States, including the eastern third of Texas up to Dallas-Fort Worth. It is a small to medium size lizard, which changes color from dark brown to bright green.
Even though it is commonly called a chameleon, the color changes do not seem to occur to match its background, but rather are because of its mood, stress level, activity and as a social signal, for instance to show dominance. The anole is more closely related to iguanas and are not true chameleons.
They prefer to move by jumping and have adhesive pads on their toes to facilitate climbing. The adult males are five to eight inches long with 60-70% of that being tail. They are strongly territorial and will fight each other to maintain their 35 square feet of territory, which usually includes two to three females. The male also displays a bright pink or red dewlap, a flap of skin under their chin, when fighting or to attract a mate.
The females have a white dorsal stripe and lay one to two eggs per clutch in a carefully hidden spot like a tree hole, beneath a log or in a crevice. Once hatched, they are on their own!
These friendly lizards are harmless to humans and prefer greenery such as open pine forests with dense shrubs and occasional shade with a moist environment. They remain active all year but are most active in the spring and fall.
In my garden, they can be found climbing my garden arbor and I encourage them as their diet consists of small insects such as crickets, grasshoppers, flies, butterflies, moths, cockroaches and small beetles. Their predators include snakes and birds and the occasional cat in urban areas. They are enjoyable to spot and seem to have a faint smile while they are perched on a structure, as if they have a hidden secret.
One interesting feature of these creatures is their autotomic tail. When caught by the tail, the tail breaks off and continues to wiggle to distract a predator. They can grow a new tail; however, it will not be as long and may be a different color and texture and will be made of cartilage rather than bone.
I encourage you to be on the lookout for these fascinating, helpful creatures and encourage them to visit and stay in your garden.
