Just what are those creatures crawling on the patio, scurrying up the side of the house and darting from bushes? These small, somewhat prehistoric-looking reptiles vary from a textured lime-green exterior to soft brown with exotic triangular markings. Some maintain a shiny black appearance with stripes and snake-like tongue, while others have striking metallic blue bellies.

 

They are Central Florida's wild collection of local lizards.

 

Amy Raub, program coordinator for the Seminole County Natural Lands Program in Geneva, said the green anole — pronounced uh'no-lee — six-lined racerunner, five-lined skink and Southeastern five-lined skink are all native to the area, along with the broadhead skink and Southern fence lizard. 

 

The Cuban brown anole, Indo-Pacific gecko and the Mediterranean gecko, Raub explained, are not native to Florida and were most likely brought here in shipping materials.

 

Pat Burkett, president of the Friends of the Environmental Studies Center in eastern Longwood, said the non-native lizards are aggressive and are killing the green anoles. "Unfortunately, the invasives will take the best display perches, putting a hitch in the courtship of the green anoles. In some places, the green anoles are entirely absent," Burkett said.

 

While a bit creepy to some, especially when they're unexpected, these insectivores have played an important role for decades with their large appetite for insects and bugs.

 

"The benefits of all of these lizards are that they will help keep down the pest population," Raub said. "The negatives about the non-native lizards are that they could out-compete our native lizards for food and habitat and could have a negative effect on their population." 

 

One of the most unusual characteristics of a lizard is its survival mechanism. Because of a single natural weak point in the vertebrae, a lizard's tail can break off easily and will continue to wiggle on the ground after separation. It is believed the movement of the detached tail distracts predators. Luckily, for the lizard, a new tail will grow back within several weeks as the result of regeneration.

 

Burkett said people sometimes mistaken the green anoles for chameleons because they have the ability to change from green to brown to blend in with the background.

 

"They are also not geckos," Burkett likes to remind people. "Geckos have specialized toes that hang on to things with molecular forces, it has been discovered. Our anoles have plain toes, some with toenails."

 

Summer is an ideal time to take a closer look around the backyard and have some fun identifying what may be lurking in the crevices or in the brush …

 

 

 

Description: The green anole is the only anole native to the United States. They can grow to 8 inches in length and have longer snouts than the brown anole intruders. They can change color rapidly from green to brown. 

 

The anole has different feet than most lizards. Each toe has adhesive pads called lamellae on its central portion, which allow the anole to cling to vertical surfaces.

 

Food: Anoles eat only live prey such as insects and bugs, sometimes stalking and grabbing prey. They also may eat brown anole hatchlings.

 

Habitat: The green anole prefers to live in bushes, in rock walls, patio plants, and trees below 15 feet.

 

Breeding: Female green anoles can lay single eggs every two weeks and breed from late March to early October. These small and leathery eggs are buried in the soil.

 

Description: This shiny creature is one of several species of skink in Florida, including the broadhead skink. It generally has short legs compared to other lizards and grows to a maximum length of 8.5 inches. It is very fast and can flick its tongue similar to a snake. The younger skinks are dark bluish-black with bright blue tails while adults are more brown in color. The males lose most of their lines with age.

 

Food: The skink prefers insects, spiders, snails and earthworms.

 

Habitat: This ground dweller can be found in dry to damp woods, dead leaves, rotten logs, and boardwalks of nature trails.

 

Breeding: The skink lays nine to 12 eggs from May to July in rotten logs, stumps, or loose damp soil.

Description: This very fast lizard can grow to a maximum length of 10.5 inches. It is identifiable by three light-colored lines along each side of its dark back, and a tail that is twice the length of its body. Male racerunners have blue coloring underneath the head and throat.

 

Food: The six-lined racerunner prefers insects, spiders and snails.

 

Habitat: It is always found in natural dry habitats at ground level and prefers sandy or rocky soil, short grass and dusty roadsides.

 

Breeding: The racerunner lays between one and six eggs from June through August under rocks or logs, or in holes in sandy soil.

Description: The Southern fence lizard, also known as the Fence Swift, can grow to approximately seven inches in length. Its rough body is gray and black with zigzag patterns along its back. 

 

Adult males may be very dark gray in color and are identifiable by their patches of metallic blue along the undersides of their bellies and throats. They like to show off their bright colors by doing what looks like push-ups to attract the attention of females or to defend their territory.

 

Food: The Southern fence lizard eats mainly insects, but will also eat other invertebrates.

 

Habitat: These lizards prefer to live in pine flat-woods, hammocks and Longleaf Pine or Turkey Oak areas.

 

Breeding: The Southern Fence Lizard can lay about eight to nine eggs and will either bury them in loose soil or place them in a cavity in a log or under a rock.

 

 

Description: The brown anole, also called the Bahaman anole, is native to Cuba and the Bahamas. It is said to have arrived in South Florida and Mexico between 50 and 60 years ago. They are typically between 5 and 8 inches long, with the females a bit smaller. One of its most obvious features is its brightly-colored dewlap, or throat fan. Male anoles display their dewlap when defending their territory and to attract the attention of female anoles, accompanied by a series of head bobs and what look like push-ups. While the green anole prefers to spend time on foliage, the brown anole prefers the ground.

 

Food: Anoles eat only live prey such as insects and bugs, sometimes stalking and grabbing prey as big as they are. They may also eat the green anole and lizard eggs, along with their molted skin.

 

Habitat: While the green anole prefers to live in foliage, the brown anole is more of a ground-dweller.

 

Breeding: The brown anoles breed in late spring to early summer. The eggs are laid under decaying vegetation on the ground.

 

Description: This brown or gray gecko native to Southeast Asia with pale spots grows to a maximum length of 5 inches. Its unusual toe pads and bulging eyes with vertical pupils distinguish it from anoles. It's also capable of vocalizing by making a barking noise to protect territory or ward off a predator. 

 

Food: This gecko eats insects, spiders and other invertebrates.

 

Habitat: It is primarily nocturnal but said to be most active around dusk when rocks and walls are still warm from the heat of day. They can frequently be found feeding near insect-attracting lights.

 

Breeding: The Indo-Pacific gecko is unisexual. All individuals are self-fertilizing females, which allows for large populations.

 

Description: The Mediterranean gecko is most common in Southern Europe and Northern Africa. It shares similar traits with the Indo-Pacific gecko and is most easily distinguished by its bumpy or warty skin. Its unusual toe pads and bulging eyes with vertical pupils also distinguish it from anoles. It's capable of vocalizing by making a barking noise to protect territory or ward off a predator. 

 

Food: This gecko eats insects, spiders and other invertebrates.

 

Habitat: The Mediterranean gecko is almost completely nocturnal and hides during the day in cracks, crevices, and under tree bark.

 

Breeding: Female Mediterranean geckos lay several clutches of two eggs throughout the summer. Instances of communal nesting have been reported, with several females laying their eggs together under bark, in crevices, or in moist soil.