Florida is home to diverse wildlife, with lizards being a particularly varied group. These reptiles are a common sight across the state, adapting to various environments and contributing to its rich biodiversity.
Identifying Florida’s Most Common Lizard
The most frequently encountered lizard in Florida is the Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis), a native species found throughout the southeastern United States. They measure between five and eight inches, with their slender tail often accounting for over half their length. They have a pointed snout, narrow head, and specialized footpads for climbing. While known for vibrant green, they can rapidly change color to shades of brown in response to temperature, humidity, and mood. Adult males display a prominent pink or red dewlap, a retractable throat fan used for territorial displays and attracting mates.
Why the Green Anole is So Prevalent
The widespread presence of the Green Anole in Florida is due to its adaptability and ecological advantages. These lizards thrive in various humid habitats, including swamps, forests, wooded beaches, urban parks, and yards. Their arboreal nature means they are often seen basking on trees, shrubs, and fences. Green Anoles are insectivorous, feeding on spiders, flies, crickets, small beetles, moths, butterflies, and worms.
Their reproductive strategy also contributes to their abundance. Green Anoles breed from March to September, with females laying a single egg approximately every two weeks, often burying it in moist leaf litter or soil. Males establish and defend territories through visual displays like head bobbing and dewlap flaring, ensuring reproductive success. Their agility and ability to change color provide effective camouflage, aiding in both hunting and evading predators.
Distinguishing the Green Anole
Differentiating the native Green Anole from other similar lizards, especially the invasive Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei), is important as both are common in Florida. While Green Anoles can shift color between green and brown, Brown Anoles are brown or gray and cannot turn green. The dewlap color is a key distinguishing feature; male Green Anoles display a pink or red dewlap, whereas male Brown Anoles have an orange or yellow dewlap.
Green Anoles have a more slender body, a longer, pointed snout, and smoother skin. Brown Anoles often have a rougher texture and may exhibit a diamond or scalloped pattern down their backs. Green Anoles tend to occupy higher perches in trees and shrubs, while Brown Anoles are more frequently found closer to the ground, though they can also climb. This vertical niche partitioning helps the two species coexist.
Other Frequently Encountered Lizards in Florida
Beyond the Green Anole, several other lizard species are commonly observed across Florida. The Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei) is particularly prevalent, introduced to Florida from the Caribbean in the late 1800s and now widespread as an invasive species. They are often characterized by their brown or grayish coloration, sometimes with yellow spots.
The Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) is another common native lizard, identified by its smooth, shiny body, typically gray or brown, with five white or yellowish stripes. Juveniles often exhibit a distinctive bright blue tail that fades with age. The Knight Anole (Anolis equestris), an invasive species from Cuba, is notable for its large size, often reaching 13 to 20 inches, and its bright green color with a wedge-shaped snout, sometimes mistaken for a small iguana. These larger anoles are found in trees.