Spring, summer and fall, they’re everywhere – green lizards. From backyards to office buildings, swamps to downtown streets, these lizards (or Green Anoles) are found everywhere in Baton Rouge; and, there are lots of them.
“The numbers are relatively large," says Dr. Christopher Austin. "There’s probably several hundred thousand Green Anoles living in the greater Baton Rouge area.”
But what happens to them in Winter?
Dr. Austin is the head curator of Amphibians and Reptiles for the LSU Museum of Natural Science. Maybe you've heard of him: he's the guy who discovered the worlds smallest known vertebrate.
As it turns out, alligators aren’t the only reptiles around these parts.
“The subtropical climate of Baton Rouge is fantastic for reptiles," says Dr. Austin. "Thus we see lizards and snakes around Baton Rouge.”
But, unlike the alligator, Green Anoles (Anolis carolinensis) aren’t found anywhere else on earth.
“They’re native to the Southeastern United States," says Dr. Austin, "this is their native range."
Predators regulate their population throughout the year, particularly snakes and birds like the Kestrel and Shrike. But, all it takes is one really cold winter.
“When we get temperatures in the mid 20’s or even low 20’s," says Dr. Austin, "that can result in the death, the mortality, of hibernating lizards. Which you’ll see as a reduction in the number of lizards you’ll see the next spring. So they just can’t take overly cold winters.”
Which is good news if you’re a Green Anole, because, conversely, a warm winter helps increase their numbers – kind of like this winter.
Right now, they’re in tree holes, crevices, and – don’t be alarmed – beneath your floor boards.
Dr. Austin says that if this record-setting warm winter keeps up the way it’s been going, you can bank on seeing more Green Anoles around your house this spring.