Cuban knight anoles, which prefer to perch head-down
in trees, are hard to miss with their neon-green coloring.
The lizard also has a brown phase. Both of these
were photographed in the same pigeon plum tree in Ocean Ridge.
Photos by Jerry Lower/ The Coastal Star
By Cheryl Blackerby
If you’ve seen a neon green lizard that looks a lot like the talking lizard in Geico commercials, it’s probably a Cuban knight anole.
First seen in Palm Beach County in 1997, the sleek lizards, about 18 inches long, have been breeding in Palm Beach County for less than 10 years, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
And those populations are expanding. Sightings now range from Key West to Palm Bay on the east coast and from Naples to Tampa on the west coast.
“They’re popping up in new areas in different counties more recently,” said Liz Barraco, spokesperson for Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The threat to native wildlife is fairly small, although they sometimes prey on smaller anoles, frogs and bird eggs, she said.
“There’s a problem with any non-native invasive species. But they’re not eating mammals. They certainly have some impact, but we haven’t been focusing on them. You have to pick and choose (what you try to remove),” she said.
It’s hard to miss an anole sitting in your flower bed — brilliant green with yellow flash marks below each eye and on each shoulder, big eyes and huge pink dewlaps. It also has a brown phase.
“They definitely catch your eye,” she said. “They’re very bright. It has a much larger jaw. It looks very different from lizards you’re used to seeing.”
They’re not harmful to people although they may bite if handled or if frightened.
“The Cuban anole can be aggressive if it feels threatened, but there’s not much interaction with people. They’re arboreal so they hang out in trees,” she said. In summer, they hang head-down on large tree trunks, supporting the front of its body away from the tree with its legs.
The knight anole, which is native to Cuba, has become established over much of the heavily planted suburbs of South Miami, where it is often called “iguanito.”
They are often mistaken for the much larger green iguana, which is a similar bright green. The green iguanas that proliferated in Palm Beach County starting in 2003, have been less noticeable since 2010 when a lengthy freeze killed off many of them. The iguanas are vegetarians and don’t compete for food with native lizards.
“The iguanas have been recovering some but we don’t have large numbers,” she said. “The biggest problem people have with iguanas is poop by the pool.”
The three non-native species FWC are most concerned about, she said, are Burmese pythons, nile monitors and Argentine black and white tegus.
If you see any of these three, or any non-native species such as the Cuban anole, take a photo, note the location and report or send it to 888-Ive-Got1 (888-483-4681) or go to IveGot1.org. This is a good way to help FWC keep track of non-native animals. If you don’t know what an animal is, send a photo, and an FWC expert will get back to you.
Do not attempt to capture a tegu, python or monitor. A list of trappers can be found at MyFWC.com.
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