Journal Entry #11—Green Anole Lizard -

This afternoon I noticed the green anole lizard, lime green and with a pink dewlap puffing out in front of his chest, walking along the fence. I settled into the lawn chair, propping my legs up, trying to catch elusive sunrays in between the cloud cover. The temperature is only 67 today. I like it warmer and love when the sun finally pokes out through the clouds. My daughter says I’m half-lizard, as I’m always seeking the sunny spots outside.

I love watching for the little green anoles when I’m out and about. The one in the backyard comes down out of the treen in the afternoon. The one in the front yard will climb in between the window frames of the living room and look in on me while I’m in the recliner.

And when my son and I go out to walk, I’ll see them on tree branches, peering through the leaves, or skittering sideways around the tree trunk away from me as I walk by.

Recently, when we were out fishing at Catfish Pond, a young green anole dropped down onto the handrail of the little footbridge I was on, right next to my hand. He wasn’t afraid but still kept an eye on me.

I took some pictures of him and then he climbed up into the small tree next to me. He was at eye level and meandered through the leaves, selecting one here, then one there, to stretch out on in the sun’s warmth. It was fascinating to see that he was lightweight enough for a leaf to hold him without drooping at all. I could look up at him from underneath the leaf he was sitting on and see the outline of his little toe pads.

He let me take several pictures and then finally let me get closer within a couple of inches to take a close-up picture of his head. The detail of his head is absolutely beautiful.

This little lizard has shown up everywhere I’ve gone since I’ve been here in North Carolina. I’ve been learning a little about them and thinking of setting up a bioactive vivarium when I get back to Texas and put it in my study. I think I will unbox all my naturalist knickknacks and decorate the room with them. And add the bioactive enclosure with a few green anoles to bring more life into the room. It will add so much to the room where I spend time writing and working and will keep memories of North Carolina with me.

Here’s a video that shows the green anole lizard changing its color.

Carolina Anole Lizard Changes Color