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!
A Cuban Tree Frog changes colors three times to be light, medium and dark to try and blend in with its surroundings. An athletic and attractive tree frog in the wild it has largely spread through central Florida and is considered an invasive species . It is said to have an irritating skin secretion that discourages predators, but I have seen young ones eaten by Red Rat Snakes. If you let the red rat snakes and other snakes live in and near your backyard ecosystem they will help keep the balance of nature! It is recommended to euthanize these frogs when captured ( http://ufwildlife.ifas.ufl.edu/frogs/cubantreefrog.shtml ) however, I rarely see or hear them in or around the house - this one was found in an old bucket and I couldn't bring myself to capture and kill the creature.
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:
