OT: MGM little lizard

[crazee4mickey]

I know this is off topic but its been driving me crazy ...and believe me it doesn't take much!
I was sitting near some beautiful shrubs by the Sorcerer's Hat at MGM when all of a sudden a small lizard darted past! I looked in the trees and there were lots more of the "little critters"! Can someone tell me what kind of lizard these are?

 

[magicmouse2]

They are 'Anoles'. My DD loves them and spends most of our vacation hunting them. They dont like human contact and can lose their tale if threatened. They can change color from green to red/brown hough they are not chameleons. I like them because they eat all the pesky ants. The males often display a pretty bright red flap under their chins.

 

[DebbieB]

You see them more around the resort areas. I know there were always some outside our room at OKW last year.

 

[magicmouse2]

Her is a photo link to one DD caught anole

 

[crazee4mickey]

Her is a photo link to one DD caught anole

The link doesn't work, but I looked it up with our computer's search tool and yup that's what the little critters look like!
Our kids spent many hours hunting the lizards as well-thankfully they never caught any!

 

[Pocahontas1]

They must be common in the southeast. We have one that climbs up the cable to the satellite dish. Cats must be faster than kids as our inside kitties have caught several and left the offerings in surprising places (our bed to name one)

Kids don't try this at home...but, my friend told me they clamp down after that latch on to something. She assured me it didn't hurt. Also told me that when she was younger, she used to catch them and wear them as earrings. She is a little strange

 

[funkbucket007]

We were in line for a ride @ MGM & a group of older (18 or 19) Brazillian teenagers were in front of us. One of the lizards ran out & stopped beside one of the boys & he looked down & purposly stomped on & killed it. They all laughed & thought it was funny. They spoke english & me being 6'4" & 225 pounds, I asked if he'd like for me to do that to him. The laughter stopped then & there. It bothered my wife greatly.

 

[pjshaff]

My sister and I used to catch them all the time when we were younger and lived in Florida. We both have since moved to Georgia, and there are lizards up here, but a different species. I did see an anole while I was at work though, (I work at Home Depot) but it was too fast for me to catch.

My son and daughter, while we were staying at OKW this past Dec., saw a bunch at the quiet pool and tried to catch them, but never could.


Pam

 

[Abba98]

Kirsten Wow,someone saw one at OKW?That's awesome,can't wait to get there so I can look for these cute little guys.....Want to see one closeup!
Thanks for the info,I'll be on the lookout!

 

[Mom2RinJen]

We just got back today and we saw them everywhere! There are some living the train village in Germany in Epcot. DH tried to catch one but he was too fast. We saw them everywhere! The kids got a kick out them. They are hard to spot though unless you are looking for them.

 

[KathyTX]

We love seeing these little guys darting all over the grounds at the Polynesian! We also have them at home.

Here's one climbing on our house. You can see that his skin is shedding. In this photo he's brown:

Then he changed colors and decided to show off the little ruff under his neck:

You can see that his tail hasn't completely changed color yet- it's still brown toward the tip.

 

[PCFriar80]

Does anyone know what kind of bird (I assume it's a bird) makes the periodic screeching / wailing sound over by the dunes pool at BCV? It's the same area that the gator's been spotted.

 

[crazee4mickey]

Pocahontas1
I just can't imagine anyone having these clamp onto their ear ...excuse me but...YUCK!

funkbucket007
I am so glad to hear that you said something to those idiots! Why would someone think this was funny--and to do something like that at Disney makes it even worse! I can see why your wife was upset, that would really bother me as well!

 

[magicmouse2]

This is one DD caught

They do chomp down on you and have quite a grip!!

 

[Mermaid02]

We loved them! DH and I were waiting for the kids to get off of Dumbo and there were tons of tiny ones in the bushes around the ride. They were adorable. I can't believe anyone would stomp one on purpose.

 

[pjshaff]

Abba98


it was the quiet pool on Millers Rd where we saw them. But we also saw them going to and from the bus stop to our villa. We stayed in Bldg 18. The kids had so much fun trying to catch them. It's the little things, ya know?


Pam

 

[Ted and Holly]

There are actually more than one species of anole here. The green ones are native. They tend to be pushed out of territory (especially higly landscaped areas) by, most commonly, the brown anoles, which are not native. You may also find some other species of non-native anoles around. A cool site with pictures:

http://www.southalley.com/album_anoles2.html

While the green ones can turn to a slightly brown color, the really brown ones are the other species.

Interestingly, the green ones tend to prefer more vertical habitats, like taller trees, where the brown anoles tend to stay closer to the ground.

You won't have a problem seeing one, ANYWHERE on WDW property. Only the most newly developed land will be without them for any length of time.

Ted

 

[sodaseller]

They are ubiquitous in Florida and harmless. We take them for granted

 

[MickeyMonstersMom]

We (self, DD 8, DS 4, DGma) were exploring the grounds of WL one afternoon when we came across an entire family of these guys in the shrubs near the pool. We spent over an hour watching them and making up names and scenarios for them. The kids got downright attached to some of them - I'm glad they're hard to catch, or I would have been asked to bring a few home with us!

 

[kilee]

I've seen them every trip too. However, I have to say they caught me by suprise the first time. Usually around the resorts we're staying in we see dozens there. Especially in the quieter areas.