Anolis sagrei. Photo by Janson Jones.
I’m planning an in-depth behavioral study of Anolis sagrei for the summer and need your help finding suitable field sites in Florida.
My ideal location would have the following traits:
– Abundant A. sagrei in an area large enough to support at least 50 adult males
– Relatively open understory
– Not heavily trafficked by people (I’d like to minimize the frequency of behavioral trials being disrupted by inquisitive passersby), but still safe to work in
– Management receptive to researchers
Does anyone know of protected areas, biological or agricultural field stations, or other underutilized green spaces that might fit the bill? I’m open to locations throughout the state.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
Katie is a graduate student in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University.
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- Advice Needed: Field Sites for A. sagrei in Florida - March 6, 2014
Kenneth Barnett
If you’d like Broward County, border of Palm Beach County, in a restored pine lands, county run place that would be agreeable for study, with abundant sagrei, shoot me an email. Traffic is light, select areas would reduce this further. Kenny
Kenneth Barnett
A. carolinensis is at this site as well……..
Anthony Geneva
Take a look at that Atlantic Ridge Preserve State park in Stuart, FL. It is managed by the staff at the nearby Jonathan Dickinson State park, but gets far fewer visitors, often I was the only one on the property when I was doing work there. When I was last there (about 7 years ago) there was a healthy population of A. sagrei in a large disturbed area near the entrance. The habitat is mesic flatwoods, with an open canopy of slash pine and cabbage palms with saw palmetto, wax myrtle and various grasses and sedges in the understory. There’s some closed canopy hydric hammock on the western side of the entrance there that would also likely have some festive anoles. I know there are some AA readers from around there, does anyone know if sagrei are still abundant there?
cybokat
Katie,
you’re welcome to stop by anytime. I’m in Daytona Beach and you could visit nearby Tomoka State Park. They are hosting a lot of our research here.
Kat
cybokat
or really anywhere here. Even my back yard has a healthy population of both sagrei and carolinensis.
Philip
As both an academic base and field study area, I suggest the
University of Florida’s Fort Lauderdale Research & Education Center
3205 College Ave, Davie, Florida 33314 0 Phone: (954) 577-6300
This is in the greater Fort Lauderdale area.
Google the address and select satellite view to see that it has extensive field experimental areas for both horticultural and aquatic research. Area is full of Anole as wall as a variety of non-native lizards.
A second possible area is just a couple of miles to the west at: 2900 SW 87 Terrace, Davie, FL 33328 Again do a Google Map search, satellite view. To the immediate north west of the Google marker, see three undeveloped condominium lots. Two of these lots are bordered along the west side by an Areca palm tree hedgerow with the South Pine Island Road canal on the other side. This isolates the area from pedestrian traffic with only occasional dog walkers in the open lot areas. The tree line is heavily populated with both A. sangrei and A. carolinensis. One down side is area also populated with non-native Basilisk lizards that prey upon the Anole.
I am on the condo’s board of directors and can grant access to the area. As seen, there is easy vehicle access and parking.
My Web link shows Anole pics I have take outside my back porch area.
Katie Boronow
Thanks everyone for your ideas so far! I’m following up on all of them.
James Powers
Oakland Park has a good population, but they’re being pushed out by Bahamian Curly-Tails.
Growing up in the 1980’s I saw dozens per acre.
Browns are far more common and during the early 2000’s the Curly-Tails moved in and pushed out the Red-heads. Where I live now in West Miami-Dade, we have browns and Knight’s anoles, but no red-heads.
Janson
I can vouch for Tomoka State Park, as well as Bulow Creek State Park (also a Volusian, but in Ormond Beach just north of Daytona). Great, fantastic areas — and there’s tons of land that’s moderately easy to get to with minimal foot traffic. Heading inland, Volusia does have bountiful locales such as Tiger Bay State Forest and Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge. Lake county (west of Volusia) has many opportunities as well. I’m often startled (but not too startled) by the A. sagrei activity around Mt. Dora. Anyhow, that’s pretty much the whole of central Florida. You can basically pick a county in south or central Florida and find a great number of locales. If you’re looking toward Volusia or Lake county (or perhaps Flagler), feel free to drop me a line! jansonjones (at) icloud.com
cybokat
Janson, maybe we should get together sometime about anole-ing and anole-ability of volusia. you seem to know the area pretty well!
I’m trying to get my research going based in Daytona. Here is my website: http://www.herpadapt.com