Ever have that feeling something is staring at you? As I was chatting with some fellow coworkers at the botanical garden where I work, I had that feeling something was lurking. I look over and there it was, the Knight Anole, or also known as, the Cuban Knight Anole(Anolis equestris). He was resting comfortably camouflaged in a palm tree keeping a very close eye on us. One of my coworkers, who is really into reptiles and who also raises them, told us that this is one of the largest species of anoles and are known to be quite aggressive. According to Wikipedia, ‘It is fiercely territorial. Aggressive to anything that enters its territory, the knight anole will face almost any intruder it perceives to be a threat (from a distance). During its display, a lizard will sit high on all fours, gape menacingly, turn green, and perhaps bob its head.’ These lizards are native to Cuba but have been introduced to South Florida where they are reproducing like rabbits apparently. It’s actually about
to get pretty chilly here in south Florida right now believe it or not, and they do not survive very well with freezing temperatures, kind of like iguanas. Hopefully this guy finds a warm spot tonight!
This knight Anole was found at the garden on a morning when it was 40 degrees. He is so cold that he just is resting on my co workers warm arm and showed no aggression what so ever.