Red-bellied woodpecker bashing an anole. Photo by Jacques Rifkind.
Brown anole eating a ringneck snake. Photo by Jacques Rifkind
On December 4, 2025 I observed an Anolis (probably A. sagrei) preying upon an adult or subadult ringneck snake (Diadophis punctatus) in a relictual hardwood hammock forest in Miami, Florida, USA. The lizard was in a vertical head-down position on a narrow tree trunk approximately 2 m above ground, and had the snake’s head in its jaws. Unfortunately, as I photographed the encounter, the anole became disturbed and released the snake, so I was unable to confirm whether the lizard would have been successful at killing and consuming the rather substantial prey item. I examined the snake (approximate length 20 cm) and it appeared not to have suffered damage to its head or neck, and was able to crawl normally. Ringneck snakes are terrestrial / fossorial, so presumably the lizard initially attacked the snake on the ground, then subsequently ascended the tree with its prey. Much has been written about the effects of non-native lizard populations on endemic lizard species through competition and predation. This observation suggests that other endemic vertebrate populations may also be affected by these invasives.
On April 21, 2025, in the same hardwood hammock as the above observation (nature trail at A. D. Barnes Park) I watched a red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) repeatedly beating an adult unidentified Anolis sp. lizard against the trunk of an oak tree approximately 25 m above the ground. Presumably the woodpecker was attempting to pulp the lizard preparatory to dismembering it or consuming it whole. I observed the bird for 10 minutes before it moved out of view. Melanerpes carolinus was previously recorded feeding on an individual of Anolis carolinensis in South Carolina, so this behavior may not be unusual. I have identified A. carolinensis at Barnes Park on several occasions, and it seems to prefer elevated arboreal habitat (a pattern noted in these pages by Ambika Kamath), by contrast with the more commonly encountered A. sagrei which is abundant on the ground or low in bushes and the bases of trees. Because Melanerpes carolinus is most frequently observed in the canopy, it is at least likely that the woodpecker’s prey in this instance was Anolis carolinensis.