Anolis carolinensis from North Carolina. Photo by Graham Reynolds.
In response to a previous post on North Carolina anoles, AA reader John Philips asks:
Anyone notice a significant reduction in the population of anoles in SE NC? I live on Bradley Creek in Wilmington, NC and I have noticed very few this year. Used to see 3-5 per day sitting on various surfaces in the sun while walking my dogs, especially because my shihpoo is always “hunting” them. However, this year I probably only see 1 per week.
I assume this could be due to the cold winter? Any other predators that might have reduced the population? We have seen an increase in brown thrashers in the area and thought since they forage on the ground they might be a predator?
Professor of Biology and Director of the Living Earth Collaborative at Washington University in Saint Louis. I've spent my entire professional career studying anoles and have discovered that the more I learn about anoles, the more I realize I don't know.
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Ryan Bowley
Just anecdotally, I have noticed a drop in both brown and green anoles here in Houston so far this year. Some of the usual spots where they would hang out (and force me to tread carefully) in good numbers are almost anole-free.
Chris Thawley
A very rough answer based on citizen science data is: it seems like there are fewer being detected this year in NC.
A quick look at iNaturalist for green anoles in NC in 2018 shows 90 observations. There were 91 during the same period last year (almost exactly the same!). But, if we use the # of vertebrates to control for survey effort, we see that while there were only 5,347 vertebrates seen during that period in 2017, there have been 10,071 in 2018. Therefore the encounter rate for green anoles in NC has been about half in 2018 what is was in 2017! So maybe there has been some effect of the winter on anole populations in the state.
Rebecca Ake
We live in southeastern North Carolina and have also noticed a significant drop in anole population. Have lived in our home for 12 years and before could count on seeing at least a dozen a week. So far this summer we have seen ZERO although there are a lot of skinks and various types of frogs. We had terrible winter and lost plants. Hope anole population will return!
Sally
I, too, live in eastern NC (Lenoir County) and have always seen plenty of anoles sunning on my deck and other places around the yard but not a single one this year. What a disappointment. As others have commented, I see plenty of skinks and the larger brown lizards with reddish heads. Frogs have been rarely seen on my property for a good many years now. Does anyone know for sure if last winter’s cold, wet weather and late spring accounts for the absence of anoles?
Bill
We live in Atlantic Beach and have seen many more anoles this season! Tonight we saw the youngest and the smallest one I have ever seen! We have several territorial males in different areas of our deck and yard. We have seen the usual turf wars and even have photo of two copulating. So here, at least, we are having a great season for one of most popular reptiles!!!
Mary McLean-Monroe
Zero green anoles for us also in southeastern, nc. Usually are very abundant and even on hummingbird feeder by this time of year. No green tree frogs either. Have observed both for 17 years at our home. Their absence is scary.
Kimberly
I have lived in Hampstead, NC for close to 20 years and on any given day I would see at least a dozen or more anole lizards in the yard. This year ZERO lizards and there also seems to be a decline in native birds. It is sad and scary!
Mirjam
I also live in Hampstead, NC and have not seen a single one this year. Usually there were always at least a handful living in my screen porch. I miss them 🙁
Jennifer
I have noticed the same lack of anoles in north eastern south carolina, as in not seeing even one when I usually would see one almost every day in summer. There still are plenty of skinks , however. It’s a bit concerning.
Elissa Robin Dellosso
I, too have noticed a severe decline here in the Triangle. I haven’t seen one all summer, and just a couple in Spring. Abs, yes, many more brown thrashers than ever before. No monarch butterflies, either.
Doug Menke
My impression is that there have been fewer green anoles out and about in Athens, GA. Similar impressions from several others in Athens.
Mary McLean-Monroe
Green Anoles, three to four inches, reappeared after TS Florence. The critters are smaller and fewer than usual and appeared just prior to mosquito invasion. Rained frogs in TS Michael.
Jonathan Losos
What do you mean, “rained frogs”?
Rebecca Ake
We have had small fish appear in rain barrel. Apparently they are sucked up by strong updrafts prior to storms. They were still alive!
SJ Waller
June 23, 2019, Lenoir County NC: After many years of seeing anoles on my property, last year I saw not a single one. A friend in SC says it has been the same for her. So far this year, I still haven’t seen one, although I’ve seen blue skinks and red-headed brown lizards. Are other people seeing anoles this year? If not, any ideas on why not?
Rebecca Ake
We always saw dozens of anoles around our Bladen County, NC, home until after the very cold winter of 2018. So far (summer 2019), we have not seen any. I wonder if population is recovering anywhere? Has this happened before? Does anyone have ideas? I really miss all of our anoles even though broad headed lizards have moved into their niche at our house.
Rick
As of August 2019, I have seen only 1 Anole this year on our property on Bogue Sound. Past years there were many on the deck and walls.
Rebecca Ake
We have had NO anoles at all at our Bladen County home since cold winter of 2017-2018. We used to have dozens. Broad headed skinks have moved in which is fine but we really miss the anoles.
P. Selby
I’ve noticed a dramatic decline in anoles around my home in Richland County, SC in this 2019 summer. I used to see dozens a day and have only spotted a few all summer. Skinks seem as abundant as usual. We had a fairly mild 2018-2019 winter. Rainfall this summer has been about 20% less than average from May to mid-August.
Tom
We had green anoles in Charleston, SC in the summer of 2018 even after the heavy snow fall we received in 2017.
This summer (2019) there was an abundance of them around my yard until about 2 weeks ago (early August) Now it’s “0”.
Trying to figure out what happened to them! Though I have seen them in other parts of town.
Dora Meulman
I live in Gastonia NC. I’ve noticed a big increase in green and brown anole populations this year. I find them everywhere including inside my house, inside outdoor lights, in pots, flowerbeds and on my deck. I literally have to check outdoor chairs before I sit down because they hide behind pillows and I don’t want to sit on them. They’re funny little creatures to watch.
John
I live in New Bern NC. I to have noticed very few anoles this year. Usually we would see them all the time on our back porch during the summer. See a lot of skinks and toads.
Another thing I noticed this year. There is a peculiar type of spider that makes this
zig zaggy strip on the middle of the web. They get almost 2 inches long by the end of the season. This year have spotted only 1.