This brown anole is a resident of our wishing well in our front butterfly garden. My daughter calls it “tail-less” and every day looks to see how much the tail has grown. It never ventures too far from the wishing well, so it is easy to find.

According to the University of Florida, the brown anole was the first documented reptile introduced to Florida in the late 1800s. Apparently they arrived accidently in a cargo shipment originating from Cuba.

The lizard can grow to up to 9 inches and can vary in shades from brown to gray to black. This lizard is a male, as it has a bright, reddish-orange throat telling us his presence.

Thankfully I have not noticed the lizards caring too much about caterpillars and butterflies. There is definitely an abundance of lizards in our gardens.