A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Anolis sagrei
This one shedding it's skin. I read somewhere that the young ones sometimes have red heads. The brown anole (Anolis sagrei) is a lizard native to Cuba and the Bahamas. It has been widely introduced elsewhere, by being sold as a pet lizard, and is now found in Florida and as far north as southern Georgia, Texas, Taiwan, Hawaii, Southern California, and other Caribbean islands. This species is highly invasive. In its introduced range, it reaches exceptionally high population densities, is capable of expanding its range very quickly, and both outcompetes and consumes many species of native lizards. The brown anole's introduction into the United States has altered the behavior and triggered a negative effect on populations of the native Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis), which have generally been relegated to the treetops. SHEDDING: Brown anoles molt in small pieces, unlike some other reptiles, which molt in one large piece. Anoles may consume the molted skin to replenish supplies of calcium. In captivity, the molted skin may stick to the anole if humidity is too low. The unshed layer of skin can build up around the eyes, preventing the lizard from feeding and leading to starvation. This can be prevented by maintaining high humidity.
Found in my Florida back yard.
3 Comments
Looks like he is wearing an overcoat for winter.
Thanks YukoChartraw!
Nice spotting!