Brown Anoles: the New Lizard in Town

Brown Anoles: The New Lizard in Town

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service — Galveston County Office December 30, 2020

Dr. William M. Johnson is a horticulturist with the Galveston County Office of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Ser- vice. Visit his website at http://aggie- horticulture.tamu.edu/ galveston.

News column printed in the Galveston Daily News, The Post, and other Galveston County Newspapers.

PHOTO CREDIT: Margaret Canavan Over the past few years brown anoles (pictured) have displaced our once familiar green anoles.

On a rather warm day last week, I become inactive during cool to be noticed are brown anoles spotted a green anole lizard weather. with a diamond pattern and a (Anolis carolinensis). This was the ridge on their back. These are first and only occasion of my Until a few years ago, most gar- brown anoles (Anolis sagrei), an spotting what once was a familiar deners and many residents have invasive species that first entered sight for many decades. I had at some point noticed bright lime- the United States many decades been on the lookout for these dis- colored lizards scurrying along ago. In the last 30 years, the tinctive lizards all through the fence tops or basking in the sun brown anole population has year. Whether forecasts indicate on a warm brick wall. These are spread from Florida to Louisiana. the last two days of December our native species of anole lizards, Over the past few years brown will be on the cool side, so I do called green anoles. anoles have displaced our once not expect to encounter any more familiar green anoles. green anoles this year since they Nowadays, the most likely lizard Page 2 Brown Anoles: The New Lizard in Town Brown vs. Green: How They anole’s food supply is in jeopardy. Brown anoles were first docu- Differ However, adult brown anoles will mented in the Houston area in often eat hatchling green anoles, 1987. The first documentation of Brown anoles tend to stay closer a behavior that may be affecting brown anoles in Montgomery to the ground while green anoles green anole populations in the County occurred in 2015. are more arboreal (living in trees). United States. One common means of spread is Brown anoles are always gray, on potted plants sold at nurseries. light brown, or dark brown, never Brown anoles have also been re- green. Green Anoles can turn Sensitivity to Cold temperatures ported to spread by “hitchhiking” from bright green to dark brown on vehicles. I can personally verify depending on environmental con- Brown anoles are cold sensitive that last report. Last September, ditions. and can survive only in a limited after returning to my car in a temperature range. That means parking lot which was well- Male brown anoles have a bright the population of brown anoles landscaped, I noticed a brown orange-red dewlap with a cream crashes when a hard freeze oc- anole was resting on the hood of to yellow border. Male green curs, and it takes a long period of my car. The scientist in me want- anoles have a pink dewlap. time for their numbers to recover. ed to find how well the critter could cling to a smooth painted Brown and green anoles are The green anole, on the other surface. It managed to cling onto about the same size, but green hand, has evolved to better able the hood until my car reached a anoles have a larger and longer to withstand lower temperatures, speed of 47 mph. head. so their populations are not as severely impacted by a freeze. Brown anoles are an invasive spe- However, it is taking less and less cies, not native to the United time after a freeze for brown States. They are natives to Cuba anoles to recover, which means and the Bahamas and first ap- they’re already beginning to peared in the U.S. in Florida. In adapt to our Gulf Coast weather contrast, green anoles are native conditions. The mild winters of to the southeastern parts of the the past few years likely account United States. Green anoles range for the explosion in the visibility as far west as Austin, Texas and as of the brown anoles. far north as North Carolina (green anoles are also all called Carolina How did Brown Anoles Spread to anoles in some regions). Texas?

Brown Anoles were most likely What do They Eat? introduced to Florida by escapes made by pets and as stowaways Both types of anoles eat the same on planes and ships in the 1940s. things: insects, spiders, worms, By 1970, the brown anole was snails, slugs and other inverte- well established in urban areas all brates. There is plenty of prey so over Florida. it’s improbable that the green