Ya Just Gotta Love This Kind of Stuff

This little female Brown Anole was exhibiting some odd behavior. I just had a feeling that something was up. And something was up. She was about to deposit an egg into the soil of a succulent container sitting on my patio table.

Cuban Brown Anoles are a species of lizard that are native to Cuba and the Bahamas. They were brought to South Florida many years ago, probably in cargo ships, and have steadily spread all over the peninsula of the state. By the way they have nearly wiped out the population of the less aggressive and native Green Anole.

We have probably thousands here on Cedar Key. They like a hot and sunny climate and probably think they're still on Cuba. Males are bigger than the females and average around six inches, I'm guessing. The male exhibits the odd behavior of pumping up and down as though he's doing push ups and he also displays what is called a dewlap. This is a bright orange and intricately designed fan like object which he projects outward from his throat skin. Very impressive to me. I can imagine how impressed is the object of his attention, the female anole.

After mating the female lays one or two tiny white eggs in  the warm soil and goes on her way. In 30 to 40 days the egg hatches and the tiny creature is on his own to fend for himself by catching insects, the anoles primary food.

A side note here. Couple years ago I was digging in the soil up close to the house and discovered one of the anole eggs. I picked it up and while holding it in my hand it began to hatch. In less than a minute the tiny little creature had escaped his shell, stepped out onto the palm of my hand, shook himself, and darted up my arm. He was a fully formed and perfect little brown anole completely ready to take on the world.

So for those of you who aren't familiar with the Anole lizard; now you are at least somewhat acquainted.

So back to the event I witnessed today. The female had chosen the little succulent planter and was about to deposit her egg. I sat across the porch and watched with my binoculars. I know what you're thinking..."what a nerd" well maybe but I also have another side that you'd not believe if I told you. But back to the story. She, what I call, rooted her nose into the soil going deeper and deeper till i estimate the hole was slightly over one inch deep. This took time for she appeared to be designing the repository for her egg in a specific manner. She would dig a bit then step back and take a look then dig more and withdraw and observe. Finally done she turned her tail over the opening she'd made and wait for it...popped out a tiny white egg which she nudged into the hole with her nose.

Then she quickly filled the opening in and covered the egg with soil. She even finished by replanting a tiny succulent that had been uprooted in the process. 

The female brown Anole then cleaned all the dirt from her face by sliding it around on the flat surface and then went on her way to find lunch. In a week or so she will do it all over again. Hey, that's what Anoles do.

The tiny little Anole egg.

She covered her egg & repotted the plant

So in a few weeks I'll try and get a look at her offspring. Maybe even get a photo. Stay tuned.