The Hitchhiker

[Nanci]

Here's a little anole who my friend discovered while riding her bike. I was horrified that she didn't remove him immediately- but she eventually put him safely back in the wild- before he fell off!

Nanci

[crazycanuck]

hey, that's quite cool...any idea how long it was on the handlebar before she noticed??

you do seem to see cooler wildlife than I do nanci....kangaroos just don't stack up to baby gators....

c

[hibiscus09]

Very cool photograph!

[Brandi]

You know it is funny that it was Nancy who posted this! Sence she is th reptile lady. Were you really scared? I thought you had or liked snakes and stuff?

[Lise]

awww! Very cute! I used to have a couple of anoles as pets, but they were smaller than this guy. When I lived in Jamaica for two months, there were lizards everywhere. I like lizards a lot--they're interesting, clean, and eat bugs. The Jamaicans, in general, were creeped out by them, though. There was one tiny anole who lived in the water spout. He was black--I've never seen another black one. The water spout was just that, a pipe at the bottom of the stairs going up to the room I lived in. I'd go down to fill my water containers, and he'd be there, poking his little head out. So, so cute.

Were you horrified that she didn't immediately remove him because she was taking him away from his home? That's what I assumed.

[Nanci]

Brandi, I was afraid for _him_!! He could have fallen off, and if he survived the fall, been run over by another bike!!

He was on there for the whole car ride from her house, and then several miles of actually riding the bike. At one point he was out on the top of the brake lever pointing forward like a figurehead on a ship.

I would _much_ rather see a kangaroo than a baby gator. _That's_ a cool animal. (I still get pretty excited by armadillos- since I grew up up north and am still not accustomed to them).

[Nanci]

I have an anole living on my water spout right now. He's black in the morning, but green in the afternoon.

Nanci

[Lise]

I have an anole living on my water spout right now. He's black in the morning, but green in the afternoon.

Nanci

Hmmm....I'm trying to remember if I ever saw him at different times of the day...don't know. There were so many of them. I may well have seen the same little guy being different colors. I only remember a black little head peeking out of the water spout, though.

Do you think that being transported many miles away and released would be a problem for a lizard? Would he just make a new home, or would he need to find his way back to where he was? Or am I anthropomorphizing again?

PS: Kangaroos? Very cool! Squirrels? If you think those are cool, then Chicago is the place for you.

[DrBee]

Do you think that being transported many miles away and released would be a problem for a lizard? Would he just make a new home, or would he need to find his way back to where he was? Or am I anthropomorphizing again?

After going that far, he'll probably just set up a new territory. Snakes can make their way back home from a pretty good distance. Some herps (and fish and other critters) are philopatric - i.e., return to their natal home when breeding time comes around. Pretty cool!

And I think kangaroos are pretty darned cool.

I was thinking of Nanci this morning when I was riding. I saw a big red-eared slider crossing the road in the park. He made it to the lake safe and sound. The duck and geese were quacking/honking at me. I quacked back. People must think I'm nuts on my bike. I also saw a ring-neck dove and wondered if Nanci sees them around where she lives. I would guess so. They're not too exciting, but are really big! They're like 3 morning doves put together.

[luv'nAustin]

very cool, thanks for sharing the photo with the rest of us!

[dachshund]

Lizards are cool... and so athletic, always doing push-ups!

That's a great picture.

[kimct]

How cute! I love reptiles and stuff, but it would have scared me when I first spotted it! He looks rather comfy...lol.

Kim

P.S. Lise, I'm a squirrel magnet! LOVE them and they seem to love me! We're currently raising an orphaned baby. If he keeps having seizures he'll be with us for his lifespan...if not, he'll be rewilded!

[margo49]

Wow! How big is this lizard and what family is it.
I love small lizards but I am not terribly geeky about them (eg Latin names)
I like how they move.
I even have a pair of sandals from a company called "lizard". They have "lizard" in Chinese woven in the fabric of the straps. A Chinese woman read it by chance. In Chinese "lizard" is 2 characters: "wall" and "tiger"; which is quite appropriate.
I have currently a small one (called "smamit" in Hebrew) in my work test-kitchen. This is a gecko type lizard in light pinky -buff -beige tones.Regarded as lucky, you never throw them out of your house or office. They eat flying insects so are helpful

[Nanci]

http://www.wildherps.com/species/A.carolinensis.html

It's an Anolis carolinensis - Green Anole. (They change color, which is why they are mistakenly called chameleons).

Here's a pic I took on my steps:

[Brandi]

[QUOTE=Nanci]I have an anole living on my water spout right now. He's black in the morning, but green in the afternoon.
That's so cool! you get all these different reptiles where you live that are cool. Our's are kinda boring, unless it is a rattle snake!now that is exciting. Good thing they aren't around our house though , I would never go outside!