Anolis smaragdinus
Picture this: I’m walking back to my room in Marsh Harbour, Abaco, Bahamas and as I approach the building, a green anole (A. smaragdinus) that was on the side of the fence enclosing the air conditioner (marked x) runs down the fence to the sidewalk, then hightails it on the sidewalk–legs cycling furiously–running straight towards me. It gets to the palm tree just before I do, then dashes furiously up to the top of the palm tree. What a sight! I could read it in his eyes–“gotta’ get to that tree before that big lunkhead does. Gotta’ run, fast, fast fast.” Didn’t anyone tell him he’s not terrestrial? Couldn’t he have just run up the building wall?
The escape route
Professor of Biology and Director of the Living Earth Collaborative at Washington University in Saint Louis. I've spent my entire professional career studying anoles and have discovered that the more I learn about anoles, the more I realize I don't know.
Latest posts by Jonathan Losos (see all)
- New Article on Anolis roosevelti and the Question of Its Survival - March 16, 2024
- Lizard Diving Champions: Trading Heat For Safety Underwater - March 15, 2024
- Do Large Brown Anoles Get the Most Mating Opportunities? - January 6, 2024
Martha Munoz
I can understand why he’d want to get home to the safety of his palm tree, but what the heck was he doing on the low fence in the first place? Air conditioner = heat = bugs = food?
Rich Glor
Looks like you guys have really been roughing it over there on Abaco:)
geneva
Let’s be honest with ourselves. The Glor lab would get kicked out of that place in less than 24 hrs. Need I remind you that we had to buy air fresheners to make our last field room bearable?
Martha Munoz
I have heard… stories… scary stories…
Rich Glor
Every one of them is true!
Jonathan Losos
Like they always say, it’s better in the Bahamas!
Robert Powell
We’re currently on Eleuthera and just found three subadult smaragdinus on the ground (gravel substrate) in an area without any high vegetation and even some distance from the nearest building. I often remind my students that lizards don’t read textbooks and consequently don’t know how they’re supposed to behave. I guess these observations bear that out.
Rich Glor
I’m very jealous that you’re out in the field. Since you have internet access, I hope that you and your group will consider posting an update to Anole Annals on what you’ve been seeing down there!
Jonathan Losos
There’s a famous story about a now-very prominent anole biologist who was freaked out when he saw an Anolis cuvieri, a crown-giant, on the ground.