October 21 is National Reptile Awareness Day, a day that promotes education, conservation, and appreciation for reptiles. I figured one easy way to celebrate the day is to share these images of a Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) lizard I captured at home.
Although these cute reptiles are usually green, they can change color from green to brown depending on mood, stress level, or if they’re cold or warm. The one in the photo is likely cold because it rained heavily on July 5, 2025. It is also noteworthy to see some molting around its head. This process, called ecdysis, allows them to grow and remove old, damaged skin.
These next two photos were captured only forty seconds apart. You can visibly notice the color changing to green. As for the dewlap in the featured image, it is a male communication feature. It can attract mates, assert dominance, and ward off rivals, often accompanied by head and body movements.
Green anoles are very beneficial to any garden. They can eat insects and invertebrates like crickets, spiders, and cockroaches.
That is the story behind the shots. If you liked this post, you may also be interested in others featuring Green Anole Lizard, Macros, Teravista, Texas, and Wildlife. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.
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SoyBend
What a pretty lizard! I love their colors.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks. I love seeing them around.
Amy
Wow… Not easy to capture these images, especially the first one!!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Amy. There are several of those lizards in our yard. So, it just takes some patience and luck. They seem to be ok with humans as long as you don’t move abruptly.
Tra Italia e Finlandia
Che meraviglia questi piccoli animali!
Egidio Leitao
Grazie.
Steve Schwartzman
Speaking of ecdysis, H.L. Mencken coined the word ecdysiast for ‘a stripper’ [https://www.etymonline.com/word/ecdysiast]
Egidio Leitao
That’s hilarious and appropriate.
Wandering Dawgs
Egidio, wonderful captures of the green anoles. I really like the ones where he is changing colors. I always enjoy seeing them in our yard and on our deck because I know they are eating bugs. I’ve seen them hanging on the hummingbird feeder trying to drink the nectar. Yes, they are fascinating and fun to watch.
Egidio Leitao
Beth, thank you for this feedback. I have some photos of one of these green anoles in our hummingbird feeder. So interesting!
Toonsarah
That’s a beautiful lizard! I didn’t know any species other than chameleons changed colour like that.
Egidio Leitao
It is really cute. Because of its color-changing abilities, some people think they are related to chameleons, but they are not. They are related to iguanas. I had read about its color changing, but had never witnessed that until this year.
shoreacres
Your photos of one of my favorite reptiles are splendid. I’ve never seen one change color as dramatically as the one you show here; what a great experience that would have been. I did happen upon one shedding its skin a few years ago, and spent a good amount of time watching the process.
I’ve never thought about it before, but when I looked at those photos tonight, and read again about the anoles eating their skin as it’s removed, I thought about something from my youth. The crowd that I ran with often spent too much time in the sun, and many of us got sunburned. When our skin began to peel, some kids would consume the skin as it came off. It seemed odd or a little gross at the time, but now I’m wondering: could that human habit be a remnant behavior from aeons ago? We tend to forget that we’re animals, too!
Egidio Leitao
Linda, thank you very much. It is also one of my favorites. Being able to observe it here at home is so rewarding. The human behavior you described is new to me. I had never heard of it until you wrote here.
Terri Webster Schrandt
What beautiful images of the anole, Egidio! How amazing to watch it change color before your eyes! I love reptiles, glad there’s a day of awareness for them. 🦎
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Terri. I was mesmerized while watching that happen. I enjoy sitting on the deck and watching these lizards. From drinking at the bird bath or hummingbird feeder to just moving around, they are fascinating.