Florida is plagued by exotic species. With a climate that ranges from temperate to tropical, we have a huge variety of habitats. The result is that animals and plants from all over the world have found some part of Florida to colonize. Some of them are benign, but most are causing harm by displacing a native species that really does belong here. This is a brown anole, a Caribbean lizard that is just about everywhere in Florida. Individually, they are an alert, kind of endearing lizard. As a species, they are apparently causing a dramatic decline in our native green anole population by out competing them. They've finally made it to my place, probably coming in on a new plant. I'm hoping that I offer enough lizard habitat that my native green anoles will survive the invader.
4 comments:
Cute little thing. My cats are always bringing lizards into the house. I hate it when I open the curtains and find one clinging to the inside of a window.
If you don't mind, I'd like to add a link at my website to your blog. I think it is a wonderful blog and I hope some of my friends visit you.
Hick,
I don't mind a bit. I am flattered and feeling a little guilty about adding your site without asking you. Oops!
Do you do the clever drawings on your site?
Thanks for stopping by!
Those anoles are cute, but I can just imagine how if they overpopulate, they could drastically alter entire ecosystems. Seems as if every time there's an invasive species, it takes over over the habitat of the natural species.
I've learned that in other circumstances, some species thrive only because they've been taken out of their natural habitat. Years ago I dug up an evening primrose that was growing in the middle of a wilderness road, and had been slightly run over. Others were growing alongside the road, but they weren't very big, so I thought this little guy I rescued wouldn't get very big either. Well, I planted it at home, and it became so tall and thick, some of the other plants around it were being killed off. Finally I had to pull it out.
Do you have any of those light orange ladybugs that were imported to the U.S.for pest control? They've become a real pest. Not only do we see less and less of our original deeper-orange ones, but the imported ones congregate on sides of buildings, inside homes along windowsills... and they bite--animals and people!
I agree with thingfish23. I've lived in Central Florida my entire life and when I was a kid all we had were green anoles. they've now become rare, replaced by the browns. It's the same with tree frogs. I keep a few fish tanks on my back porch and I'm constantly chasing the Cuban tree frogs out of the tanks. I can't even remeber the last time I saw a green one. On the bright side, Their tadpoles make great fish food!
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