Wow, is that what I think it is?

[Pedaling Fool]

Sierra Echo, this is a pic from your gallery
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/2/7/6/2/3/p1010006.jpg (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=43129&original=1&c=member&imageuser=27623)


Curious where you took this pic and at what evelation and time of year?
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This looks very much like a brown anole, which is an invasive species and well known in florida because it seems to be replacing our indigenous green anole http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/ReptilesAmphibians/Facts/FactSheets/Anole.cfm

What's surprising to me is that the brown anole seems less tolerant of cold weather; this last winter here in Jax took a toll on them (extremely cold winter) and for the first time in many years it seems that the green anoles out number the browns.

Here's a little info on the brown anole:http://www.forestry.uga.edu/outreach/pubs/pdf/NHS-6.pdf (http://www.forestry.uga.edu/outreach/pubs/pdf/NHS-6.pdf)

An excerpt:

Like several other introduced
Caribbean anoles, it was able to flourish in the
sub-tropical climate and habitat of the Florida
peninsula, but unlike the other invaders, the
brown anole is the only species that has steadily
increased its range into other southeastern
states. Today brown anoles are common
residents of several southern Georgia counties
along the Florida border and Atlantic coast.
There have also been colonies of brown anoles
found as far north as Houston County in central
Georgia, but it is not known if these colonies
survive the winter or reform during the warm
months.


BTW, I also have a pic of the brown anole in my gallery eating a roach. You'll notice that the shade of brown is different, but that is typical to brown anoles. Also they are somewhat similar looking to the green anole, when the green anole turns brown. However, the brown anole can not change colors; also brown anoles, in addition to displaying differnt shades of brown, can also have various stripped markings on their back.

Another characteristic is that a brown anole's tail will break away if you catch one by the tail, but green anoles don't have that capability.

[Pedaling Fool]

I've been looking at the pic some more and comparing it to others online and now I believe I was incorrect. I now believe that SE's pic is a Green Anole.

Most of the time it's easy to discern between a green and brown anole, because the brown usually is a lighter brown and have more striking markings on its back. However, on ocassion I've seen brown anoles with very little markings and a darker shade of brown, much like a green anole. The easy way to tell them apart then is to look at the jaw line, the green anole has a much longer head. But not so easy to tell when looking at a picture.

So a green anole being in northern Georgia is no surprise, their habitat extends up to Virginia, but still curious what elevation this was taken and time of year?

[Sierra Echo]

Anoles up here can change colors!
Lets see. I took this on the Laurel Ridge Trail at Lake Lanier back in September. Google Earth has that elevation at about 1118 ft.
He was a fearless little dude. I just love reptiles!

[Pedaling Fool]

Same here, with the Green Anole, but the brown anole can not.

September at nearly 1,200 feet, that's interesting. I never saw an anole on the trail, but did see other species. I always wondered if they were around.

They are very curious and very smart. You can not see it well in my pic that I copied from your gallery, but if you zoom into you gallery photo, you'll see that it looks like he's looking at you -- he is. They look right at you (same with the brown anoles). Very smart lizards.

When I water my plants under the live oak it forces little bugs to come up from the mulch at which time the anoles jump down and grab them. Over time they've learned to associate me with food. Now when I walk out there with the hose they come running, funniest thing:)

[moytoy]

I have both the green and brown anole on my property but except for the color I have not learned to tell them apart. Unless this little guy (gal) hitchhiked during the summer it must surely be a green anole. Any hard freezing conditions lasting over a few hours would surely kill a brown anole.

[moytoy]

Yes they are quite brave. I do a lot of digging and they will run into the dirt to grab a bug or grub while my pic or shovel is still in action.

[Pedaling Fool]

The brown anole is an invasive species and said to be replacing the numbers of the green anole, which by my observations just in my yard that does seem to be the case. However, this past winter was a record-breaking cold ass winter. And it really took a toll on the brown anoles; for the first time, this year, I've seen far more green anoles than brown anoles. But the browns are coming back, it's probably about 50/50 now (just in my yard).

As for telling them apart, look at their jawline, the green anole has a much longer jaw/head. (but of course if it's green...:D)

An interesting theory:

One theory why the browns are replacing the greens is because the brown mostly hunts along the ground, but the greens spend more time on vertical surfaces. So this characteristic enables the brown anole to more readily come across the nest and eat the young. (Note, both species build nests in the ground litter. And both species will eat young nesting anoles, it's just that the brown spends more time on the ground and thus comes across nests more often).

Just a theory, but seems plausible to me since in all other respects they're practically identical.

[Sierra Echo]

I knew he was looking at me cause I had my face wayyyy down close to his. I just had to scoot back to get a pic in focus.
as a kid, I use to have anoles as pets. Of course, we called them chameleons. They could get to be very tame.

[Luddite]

I haven't seen a Green Anole down here in at least 10 years. Now it seems like the curly tailed lizards and the iguanas are taking over.


Yes they are quite brave. I do a lot of digging and they will run into the dirt to grab a bug or grub while my pic or shovel is still in action.

I had one run up and eat an ant off my shoe the other day. They're good hunters.

[DrRichardCranium]

"Leave the gun. Take the anoles."