Anolis carolinensis (Carolina Green Anole), 04 February 2012

Alas, the Dust Tracks frog micro-run of early February 2012 has hopped its course. We’re back in a free-for-all south Georgia run for the next few days. Valdosta: represent! And what better way to start this little south Georgia run than with Anolis carolinensis, the Carolina green anole?

I’ve probably posted more photos of green anoles than any other species on this blog. In the long run, the Nerodia watersnake species may collectively challenge this single species, but it would still be a tight run. I never grow tired of photographing them, of watching them, of studying them. I also apparently never grow tired of writing and posting about them. If you are one of those dreadfully lost souls who actually hates anoles, my apologies to you. Trust me when I say there is no shortage of Anolis love on this blog. Dissent if ye may, but rest assured: thar be dewlaps ahead!

Hugging the rim; prime real estate.

Anyhow, these individuals were photographed at Grand Bay Wildlife Management Area just northeast of Valdosta. As I mentioned in an earlier post (somewhere), the water is returning to form at Grand Bay. With the gradual rising temperatures of spring, anole activity is also on the rise. It was a relatively quiet winter, but there was no shortage of Carolina greens at Grand Bay on the 4th of February. Trick was, once again, they were lowriding.

As I noted previously (here), I keep seeing Carolina green anoles much, much lower than expected (especially in contrast to Floridian green anoles). Anolis carolinensis is a trunk-crown ecomorph, meaning they typically inhabit trunks of trees up to the crown of trees (or, alternatively, buildings — from the screens to the roofs). They’re moderate highriders, if you will, in the tangles of the American southeast.

In contrast, the Cuban brown anole (now established in parts of the southeast), Anolis sagrei, is a trunk-ground ecomorph. These lowriding trunk-ground ecomorphs typically have longer legs for dashing about toward prey and away from predators. Whereas the Cuban brown anole often dodges predators laterally, around trees, through bushes and the like, Carolina greens take to higher ground – higher ground being defined as higher in the trees or on the walls. Thus, when I see Carolina green anoles hanging out in the grass, I have to pause. What the hell are the Carolina greens doing in the grass?

Lowriding in the grass.

And in the grass they were at Grand Bay on 04 February 2012. Adults and younger individuals alike. They were also clustered around some old, rusted waterworks lining the edge of one of the arterial canals in Grand Bay. Now, these metal-hugging anoles (featured on this post) made more sense to me. Given the still-moderately-cool weather, I’m not surprised to see anoles near or on metal in direct sunlight. The metal heats up with the sun. A bonus boost of warmth in the early-February morning, not to mention a likely denser population of early-spring arthropods. But that doesn’t necessarily explain the other low-riders, the ones in the grass and on the ground. Perhaps they were coming and going from the metal works, hanging low in the grass, working on strategies to claim that prime early-February real estate of metallic goodness? Still, there was no shortage of vegetative perches exposed to crisp, direct sunlight. Perches, I might add, that were seemingly devoid of any anoles whatsoever. Strange. On my little hike I only saw them on the metalworks and in the grass or on the ground. I didn’t see a single individual where I’d expect them to be: in the branches and on the trees.

The shady side of the dirt road.

I suspect weather is the most likely factor here. Off the beaten path of the main drag into and through this part of Grand Bay, an old dirt road, the ground is densely shaded — and thus, significantly cooler this time of year. Perhaps the anoles along the edge of the old, dirt road find themselves drawn to that prime metal real estate and are simply ignoring the branches and foliage that do provide direct lines of sight to the sunshine? The metalworks are Anolis-magnets, if you will. Perhaps. There could also be an entire food angle I’m missing here — maybe at Grand Bay the prey is simply down low? I’ll watch for that.

I’ll be curious to see how this little area pans out with the anoles as spring develops and summer eventually thickens. When, if ever, are these anoles going to take to the branches?

Also, for the record: I still have not positively identified a single Cuban brown anole in Grand Bay or residential/downtown Valdosta. I’ll start checking near the interstate in a few weeks. When they arrive –and they will arrive eventually, if not already– the region around the interstate will likely be home to the first colonies. Cars driving north from Florida carrying lovely little Cuban brown anole hitchhikers… Oh yes.

~ janson