Frozen Brown Anole Lizard in Florida

Video: Frozen Brown Anole Lizard in Florida

Cold Lizard. Found this little Brown Anole Lizard (pronounced“uh – knol -ee”) hard asleep in one of my shoes that I left out on a recent night when it got cold enough to have a little ice in the birdbath. A tip – never put your shoes on without checking inside first when outdoors, especially in Florida – a lot worse things can seek shelter in your shoes! Invasive Brown Anoles are less cold tolerant than the native Green Anole  Lizards, but it hasn't been cold enough to really slow down the Brown Anoles  since the winter of 2011. This little cold snap didn't hurt them. When they are in a helpless state of torpor like this they depend on the kindness of strangers. I'll put her – I think – out in the sun to warm up. These lizards make up a good portion of the nesting Screech Owls diet.

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Video: Frozen Brown Anole Lizard in Florida

Lizard Shedding and Eating It's Skin

Video: Lizard Shedding and Eating It's Skin

Brown Anole Lizard molting (moulting) its skin by sitting and drying in the hot Florida winter sun and rubbing itself on wood to loosen the skin and then eating it which provides calcium and other nutrients. The whole process took about an hour - these are just the highlights. Oddly the lizard loses its grip and falls to the ground trying to eat the last bits of skin. Makes you want to reach for the skin lotion.

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 Video: Lizard Shedding and Eating It's Skin

 Video: Lizard Shedding and Eating It's Skin

Anole Lizards Eating Deadly Fire Ants

Video: Anole Lizards Eating Deadly Fire Ants

Video: Anole Lizards Eating Deadly Fire Ants

 Five Brown Anole Lizards feeding voraciously on venomous Fire Ants in the backyard. I'm not sure this phenomena has ever been filmed before. Amazingly the common, but invasive, Brown Anole Lizards living in the backyard have evolved to enjoy a treat of invasive fire ants, probably because they have been around together for many years now. The YT videos of fire ants eating lizards are all staged for shock value with dead lizards that people have probably killed and thrown on the ants, and of course the ants eat all the lizards. But lizards can take care of themselves if left alone. I  Recently treated for fire ants which causes the colony to break up into little ones from the survivors - I picked up a palmetto branch and a small colony of fire ants with eggs and winged adults was hiding under the branch. I went to get some bug spray and by the time I came back a group of lizards were literally feasting on the eggs. I got my camera set up and they continued to feast on mostly the winged fire ants and stood right among them. This would normally be hard to see as the lizards almost blend in with the ground and this kind of action probably goes unnoticed. "Adventure is as near as the backyard"

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Video: Anole Lizards Eating Deadly Fire Ants

Video: Anole Lizards Eating Deadly Fire Ants

Brown Anole Lizard

Brown Anole Lizard

Brown Anole Lizard, sometimes called Cuban Anole Lizard has spread across much of Florida and competes with native Green Anole Lizards. The more aggressive Brown Anoles typically rule the ground and lower levels and the Green Anoles move higher.

Lizard Wrestling Moves

Video: Lizard Wrestling Moves

Slow motion clip of an Anole Lizard wrestling match. Only in slow motion can you appreciate the speed and strength of these lizards. Watch carefully and see that the lizard that is thrown is not the one that ends up pinned. The thrown lizard puts on an amazing twist move whipping its tail for leverage that results in the tables being turned! Shown at 1/8th normal speed. Actual time 16 seconds.

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Video: Lizard Wrestling Moves

Brown Anole Lizard Fight

Video: Brown Anole Lizard Fight

Epic Lizard battle for control of the backyard patio! These are the bad-boy invasive Brown Anole Lizards in central Florida which are obviously quite aggressive and have forced the mild-mannered native Green Anole Lizards up off the ground and into the trees were life is a little calmer. This dispute went on for over 30 minutes of posturing and brief, but very violent wrestling for  breeding and territory rights until at the end one of them retreats into the shadows conceding the prime territory. Wrestling technique and strategy is quite evident in their actions, in fact it kind of reminds me of a professional wrestling performance - a lot of show and bluster and a little violence.

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Video: Brown Anole Lizard Fight

Green Anole Lizard Surviving in the Trees

Video: Green Anole Lizard Surviving in the Trees

A rare sighting of a big native male Green Anole Lizard looking to mate in the Loquat trees in the Backyard. Agressive and invasive Brown Anole Lizards have pretty much taken over the patios, house, tree trunks and ground areas of the backyard. See for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO9urKRcmoM

But it is encouraging to see a few true native Green Anole Lizards surviving higher up in the trees. Hard to believe, but the classic green lizard of Florida is becoming a rare sight in residential areas. Hopefully this one will find a mate!

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Video: Green Anole Lizard Surviving in the Trees

Wild Florida Red Rat Snake Swallows Lizard

Video: Wild Florida Red Rat Snake Swallows Lizard

Video: Wild Florida Red Rat Snake Swallows Lizard

A young Red Rat Snake (also called a Corn Snake) captures and squeezes a Brown Anole Lizard not much small than itself and spends the next 15 minutes slowly swallowing it. Florida Red Rat Snakes are constrictors just like their large exotic cousins such as the invasive Burmese Pythons and they capture, kill and eat their prey the same way, just on a much smaller scale. This one does it all while hanging upside down from a backyard outbuilding. Mostly nocturnal, the snakes learn that the outdoor lighting attracts lizards and that is prime hunting ground. Unlike the invasive pythons that kill and displace native wildlife, this snake is a native and performs an invaluable service by keeping the lizards, mice and rats in check. The Brown Anole Lizard being eaten is itself an invasive species that is relatively larger than native lizards and more agressive and rapidly displacing Green Anole Lizards and timid Gecko's. These snakes should not be killed. Unfortunately finding a small snake like this doing its job in the backyard too often leads to the killing of the snake. This little backyard drama allows us a closeup look at the process. The camera was only 3 or 4 inches from the snake the entire time. This snake is undoubtedly the offspring of this large Red Rat Snake filmed earlier this summer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z577-h9JiAQ&list=SP9ODW2GQ3n8J3CB3zRtWfRjQphAFUqpSA&index=1

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Lizard Moves into Woodpecker Nest Box - Choice Real Estate!

Video of Brown Anole Lizard Staking his Claim to a Woodpeckers Nest Box

Video of  the same nest box being inspected by a Red-Bellied Woodpecker

There is just something inviting about bird nest boxes  - squirrels, rats, snakes, lizards, bees and of course birds love them . The woodpecker box has already been checked out by a male woodpecker with the intention no doubt of nesting there later this spring. A Brown Anole has recently claimed squatters rights to the box and while possession may be nine tenths of the law I have a feeling that the woodpecker just may eat this lizard if it finds him in the nest box the next time he stops by. The nest boxes are choice real estate and always seem to be a focal point for activity. 

We're looking forward to seeing little woodpeckers in there this spring.