Hanging out with the Green Anole

 

The Green Anole

Camera Phone Quality Picture...

 I see this awesome animal very often. Right outside my house I see anoles climbing on the building and through the bushes. I love to sit outside and watch them perform their curious and entertaining activities. My cat is also a very big fan of watching the anoles but I assume she does so for a different reason. The anoles that are displaying the brilliant green coloration and the vibrant pink dewlaps are such a good looking lizard. While brown or green they both blend in so well to the bushes outside my house. It really is amazing how hard it could be to see one in the bushes. That is, until they move around. Once they move I spot them and I enjoy watching them crawl effortlessly through the bushes. Often times I see their territorial displays. Sometimes there are so many that it is hard to keep track of which one is  located where. I'm sure if I grew up down south I might not find them as interesting and entertaining as I do, but I didn't have the luxury of abundant lizards crawling around my house as a child. If I were to nominate a 'class mascot' I would chose the Green Anole. Mostly because of the fact that I like them so much but also because they are very interesting and very common in our area.

The Green Anole, the only anole species in South Carolina, is identified by its green and/or brown coloration and the throat fan. The scientific name of the species is Anolis carolinensis. Both males and females have a throat fan called a dewlap. The dewlap can vary in colors which include pink and white. This anole had just climbed down the building and was signaling another anole which was of the brown coloration at the time. It was using head bobs and displayed its' pink dewlap to another anole nearby. This would tell me that it was a male because they often use these mechanisms to display their dominance and to protect their territory. The anole can most often be seen climbing in trees, bushes, buildings, and fences. The anole is seldom is found on the ground. They have toe pads which allow them to be an efficient arboreal lizard. I'm glad for the abundance of anoles at my house due to the fact that they eat lots of insects and spiders.  The Green Anole ranges in size from 5-8 inches long. The one in particular, pictured earlier, I would guess to be a younger anole because it seemed to be around 5 inches long. Hatchlings are reported to be about 2 inches long, so this would tell me it was not a very young anole.

Reference - Patterson Field Guides: Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, by Conant and Collins.