Acrobatic Anole

As Charleston’s weather warms, interesting creatures emerge, including the colorful Green Anole. Pronounced “anowlee”, this crawling critter is biologically known as Anolis Carolinenis, and is often confused with the gecko or the chameleon. Anoles can change colors, and pigments vary from green to brown, apparently adapting to the foliage in which they live and hide. Anoles are predators of small insects and spiders, but their tiny toothless jaws are hardly a threat to human fingers, as I often show on my tours when I can manage to grab one and display its features before letting it go to scamper back into hiding.
At the Historic Charleston Foundation building where I begin each tour, anoles can be seen climbing vertically along brick walls, aided by an adhesive pad on their feet. One in particular seems to show up and crane his neck as if listening to my opening remarks, so I’ve begun to call him “Cornelius” and point him out to guests. Cornelius is recognizable as a male anole by virtue of his “dewlap”, a section of skin under his chin that flares out in a bright red protrusion when showing off. This is a means of making himself attractive to female anoles and threatening to male competitors, and Cornelius rarely disappoints.
Anoles can be acrobatic, jumping from vertical surface to vertical surface, such as one did the other day on the famous gate at 37 Meeting Street. Being cold-blooded creatures, they seek surfaces warmed by the sun, such as gates, gas meters, and walls, and will often squeeze through tiny gaps in window screens looking for prey, ending up darting across some of Charleston finest historic floors.
Any creature that can be so colorful and entertaining, while at the same time helps rid us of bugs, should be welcomed, and rather than killing it, can be caught and let go back into the wild.