Monday, September 30, 2013

Anole

When I was a child I was fascinated by the little bright green lizards that ran around my grandparents' rear boardwalk, crawled up the sides of the wooden cistern, and often found their way inside the house.

We called them chameleons because they could change color to match their background. Today I recognize them as "Carolina Anoles" (Anolis carolinensis).

They still fascinate. Below is a photo of one of several I encountered on the Hammock Hills Nature Trail recently.


















Our most recent Ocracoke Newsletter is a compilation of humorous stories told by or about islanders. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092113.htm

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous5:08 AM

    As a kid, did you or your peers ever try to catch these little critters? I've seen them on Ocracoke, albeit rarely, when we once rented a home right on the sound.

    I remember as a youngster corralling the occasional snake, lizard, toads/frogs, and (as I've detailed here before) bats roosting behind the shutters on our house, captured in large peanut butter jars.

    Even as an adult, when my own kids were little, I recall briefly detaining a garter snake in a Mason jar so they could get an up-close look, as a way to help foster an interest in--and a respect for--nature, and to help minimize any needless concerns or fears (while also addressing legitimate reasons to keeps one's distance) about such creatures.

    And I ALWAYS practice capture-and-release, even when I once wrangled 10 feet of black rat snake--a mating pair, a four-footer and a six-footer.

    As always, Philip, appreciate your efforts here.

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