Wearing of the Green

Lizards of all sizes are very common in My Florida Backyard. With the exception of the very occasional skink, these lizards are all anoles (pronounced ah-no-lee). Generally, as in most of Florida, our yard is overrun by the exotic Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei sagrei), a species accidentally introduced from Cuba and now much more successful than its arguably more beautiful cousin, the native Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis). But today, a Green Anole was showing off in the late morning sun.

Note that his tail is slightly duller than his body - anoles shed their skin in pieces... and then often eat it for the minerals it provides. Actually, there are quite a lot of interesting facts about the Green Anole. For instance, they're not always green. They can turn brown if they need to blend in. They also tend to be green if the temperature is above 70, and brown when it's cooler, so in winter it can be more difficult to tell them from the Brown Anole. Additionally, when two males fight for a female, the winner takes on an even brighter shade of green, while the loser turns brown. (Is brown the color of shame or sadness in the anole world?)

Lizard eggs are a common sight to most Florida gardeners, as you come across them buried a few inches down in sandy soil. If you do find them, it's best to just recover them and let them hatch (it takes about 60 - 90 days). You'll be rewarded by teeny little baby lizards that generally seem to be all eyes and tail in the beginning. This little fellow is a male, because he's lacking a white stripe down the back, but he's probably still young, because he hasn't yet developed a crest on his head and back.

The native Green Anole is cold-tolerant and can be found as far north as Tennessee. The Brown Anole, also called the Cuban Anole, is not cold-tolerant and lives mainly in peninsular Florida. Some said this past harsh winter would take a large toll on the Brown Anole population, giving the Green Anole a chance to make a bit of a comeback, but we haven't seen any numbers or studies yet to support that assertion. At any rate, Green Anoles are still relatively rare in My Florida Backyard, and we always enjoy the chance to see one up close!

See You Later, Alligator

After living here for over two years, we've finally seen an alligator in our pond! Neighbors have mentioned seeing them occasionally, but they're not very numerous in our urban area, so we've never managed to spot one. Today, though, this fella was just floating there in the afternoon sun.

I couldn't help noticing all the ducks and wading birds were keeping their distance - in fact, most of the ducks spent the afternoon on the banks instead of in the water. Considering the water temperature is still pretty cool, I can't imagine this cold-blooded creature having a lot of energy for chasing ducks today, though.

People from other places sometimes ask if we aren't scared to live in a place where alligators hang around. The answer is - of course not. In general, if you leave alligators alone, they'll leave you alone. Of course, you still shouldn't walk your tiny dog along the shore of lake at dusk... that's just asking for trouble. As long as you keep your distance, alligators generally will too. We're just happy to have them around, yet another indicator of the thriving ecosystem of which My Florida Backyard is a part.

Little Bitty

As the hot days of summer approached, the screen of our back porch seemed to be the hot lizard pick-up spot. If I had kids, I guess I'd have spent a lot of time saying, "Well, when a mommy lizard and a daddy lizard love each other very much..."

At any rate, it's clear the lizards went forth and multiplied. Today, when I came in from the store, I realized a tiny little lizard had come in with me. After living here several years, we've come to accept that lizards will occasionally get into your house in Florida. However, we don't really like the idea of waking up to find a lizard curled up on the pillow next to us, and besides, the cats consider lizards to be the ultimate plaything. So, we always catch them immediately and set them free outside.

This little guy was so cute, though, I had to snap a few pictures first. He was barely an inch long, with another inch worth of tail, and very eager to get as far away from me as possible. Still, I managed to catch him in the lizard-catching cup (yup, we have a cup specific to that purpose - an old plastic souvenir cup from the Toledo Mud Hens) and then grab the camera.

Check out how big his head is! Well, anyway, I set him free in My Florida Backyard, and hopefully he'll stay outside where he belongs!

Who Are The People In Your Neighborhood?

Here in My Florida Backyard, one of our favorite things about finding a new visitor is determining just what that visitor might be. We know all the wading birds by sight, but new song birds and migrating water birds send us running for the Sibley Guide to Birds. Each new butterfly prompts a frantic search through Florida's Fabulous Butterflies & Moths. Our National Audubon Society Field Guide to Florida is a constant companion at home and abroad, and we treasure our copy of the out-of-print Florida: Ecotravellers Wildlife Guide.

But every once in awhile something comes along that stumps us, and quite frankly - that drives us crazy! While out mowing the lawn this morning (with the reel mower, of course!), we discovered this little guy:

He was just hanging out in the little bit of grass we have in our front yard, and jumped out of the way as the mower approached. He was about an inch long, and due to his bumpy rather than smooth skin, I assumed he must be a kind of toad. Out came Florida's Fabulous Reptiles & Amphibians. Then the Ecotravellers Guide and the Audubon Guide. Then there was an exhaustive web search.

Ultimately, we decided - we just don't know. He could be a small Southern Toad, but it doesn't seem to quite match the pictures we saw. He somewhat resembles the invasive Marine Toad (also known as the Cane or Giant Toad), but he's far too small, unless he's a baby.

Whatever he is (and we will find out!), I was glad to see him. Frogs and toads are indicators of a healthy ecosystem (unless it's that darn invasive cane toad) and I'm happy to have them around. We even have a few "toad houses" scattered around the property:

These are very easy to make, although you can buy them ready-made and whimsical if you prefer. These provide shelter for toads from the hot sun and from predators.




So, I'm glad to find amphibians hanging around My Florida Backyard (well, front yard, but you get the point). Now if I could just figure out what the heck this little one is!

The Rainbow Connection

My heart leaps up when I behold

A rainbow in the sky.
-William Wordsworth

P.S. Not in the mood for rainbows? Here's a little lizard mating for you. It's beautiful in its own way, right?