Diving with Slug and Kelsey: Brown Anole Natural History

This past week I had the pleasure of diving in a natural sink hole called Blue Grotto in Williston, Florida. In between dives, I came across a little brown anole (Anolis sagrei), whom I have dubbed Slug, after my dive instructor on the trip. Though no dewlap is discernible in the photograph, Slug has very visible light lateral and vertical lines. With this pattern and his large size, I can reasonably conclude Slug is a he. Slug was first spotted scuttering along this boat rope that acted as a railing for tired divers -like me- at the resort. If it were not for his movement, I likely would have missed him. Look how well his dull brown color and scattered light patterning blend into the rope! Slug is an excellent example of a terrestrial/arboreal wanderer. After his glamour shot, he scampered along the rope and sailed onto the ground out of sight- shy little guy. Nonetheless, his profile shot reveals his long, thin tail and toes, which help him navigate quickly and effectively away from giants in mask and fins. Slug was so quick I had no chance to get better acquainted with him, but he apparently did not like me stepping into his territory because he began bobbing his head before he left. Maybe he also saw a neighbor encroaching a little too far into his space, maybe he saw a cute she-anole, or maybe he just had a really good rock song stuck in his head. Later that evening, I met his female friend, Kelsey, named after my dive master. I spotted Kelsey outside our cabin hanging out on a wooden post. She was a great deal smaller and less patterned, and also less active. A cold front swept in that night, so Kelsey chilled with me while I called my mom to say goodnight. Slug and Kelsey live in an ideal environment for anoles. Blue Grotto is surrounded by pine and oak forests with plenty of ground foliage for coverage and hunting. As I learned from several mosquito bites and a cockroach scurrying out of the dresser, there was no shortage of crawly foods for them. Slug and Kelsey were great friends during my trip to Blue Grotto. If you ever visit, be sure to say hi to them… ‘I-nole’ they’ll love the attention.