What can I do to help the green anoles?

To help the Native Florida Anoles a good start would to plant many native tall trees. These are the plants that they love and flourish in. Even though they will never be as abundant as they once were but we can still raise their species' numbers.    

So where can I find you guys?

Habitat 

The green anole can be found in the Southeastern United States from southern Virginia to the Florida Keys and west to Central Texas and Oklahoma. It has been introduced to Hawaii.The little cuties thrive in a warm, humid, arboreal habitat.

How can we tell the female from the male lizards?

Post-Anal scales shown in purple found on the male anoles

female Anole

Female and male Anoles look very much alike. The one small difference is that  Females usually  have a light colored stripe on the back of most not all females. But males also have what are called post anal scales (shown above)

where I got my images

Brown anole eating:
http://desertlizardss.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Brown-Anole-Lizard.jpg

Green anole eating:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/73/Green_Anole_eating_moth.JPG

Chamelion:
http://youngagropreneur.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/chameleon-1.jpg

Green anole fanning his dewlap:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/readers/2008/12/02/2476836793f1bed5078cb_1.jpg

Green anole Sitting:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieC45-em03J0MrYiChat9thdBODjoID89x53XVT2JC5niMUUo1ZmkuSIVsNdX3oqb7FGMFI0jucSe9Kn4e2lz1OrU1bAAiCPfTntCa6sGUOPPG_a0HdMJ4lvdTKI-ZDmPrEsytf2qbFcze/s1600/GreenAnole.JPG

Brown anole fanning his dewlap:
http://uglorable.com/media/2008/0102.jpg

Brown anole with raised backcrest:
http://www.jaxshells.org/9612.jpg

Brown anole:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3237/2896950069_f0236f029b.jpg

Green anole:
http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/wildlife/greenanole7.jpg

Green anole on a log fanning dewlap:
http://www.floridiannature.com/greenanole.jpg

Brown anole on a log fanning his dewlap:
http://www.tampabay.com/multimedia/archive/00035/anole450_35684c.jpeg

Low lying shrubs:
http://www.alldredgegardens.com/images/lawn10.jpg

Tall trees:
http://mgonline.com/media/Images/p/palmsabal04.jpg

Female lizard:
http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/wildlife/greenanole1.jpg

Post anal scales diagram:
https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTUkLXXvSAc3e_cTDWB3O_P-ekqSGeGMZgXRHumIQCRJcgF3sg5fg

What do we eat?

All anoles eat insects, this makes them insectivores




Green Anole Diet

Green Anoles like to eat many different insects. The most favorable are ones that have wings, and big antennae. They also love small roaches, and if they get lucky, the really love moths. I think if they were food critics, on a scale one to ten (one being the worst ten being the best) a moth would probably score a ten, roach a close nine point five. The predatory movements of the green anoles are "Hunt and creep" witch means the hunt like a stalker.

Brown Anole Diet

Brown anole will eat anything without a stinger that they can fit in their mouth. But the also will eat baby green anoles. The brown anole are "stay and pounce" hunters, this means the wait for their food to come then the attack! 

So, how do I know anoles are not somthing else, say chameleons?



One of the most asked questions of all time about Anoles. The are not chameleons, I'm sure if the knew some people called the that they would be honored, after all the chameleon is the peacock of the lizards. But they are not chameleons, skinks, geckos, or anything but anoles! 

this is a chameleon

Anole Anatomy

Green anole antomy



This green anole is fanning his dewlap.

A dewlap (shown above) is a skin flap used to scare away other males when fighting or also to attract the females. The dewlap when not being used can be folded and hidden (shown below)

Brown Anole anatomy

The Brown Anole also has a dew lap that can be fanned out or tucked away, the dewlap is used for the same purpose. But the brown anole also has something that the green do not, they have a crest on their back (shown below) it is used for the same reason as the dewlap, it just adds some more flare.