This is a very pretty male red-cheeked mud turtle.
The turtles of the genus Kinosternon are distributed southward from extreme southern New York and North Carolina to northern Argentina. The common name—mud turtle—aptly describes most not only in color (muddy brown or gray—some species do have contrasting colors—white, yellow or red-- on the cheeks) but in preferred habitat as well.

A profile of a 5 foot long green anaconda in Amazonian Peru.
“Anaconda!”

That word always brought an excited response from our tour clients in Amazonian Peru. As a matter of face, the finding of one of these potentially giant water boas brought feelings of excitement from us, the tour leaders.

It is the green anaconda, Eunectes murinus, that occurs in our region and unlike some areas of northern South America where the species is considered common, we always considered ourselves lucky if we found an example on any given trip.

The large-headed anole is very locally distributed in South Florida.
This is a confusingly variable, sexually dimorphic (males being the larger (to 8 inches) and bulkier) trio of anoles. Several anole species lack the ability to change colors from brown to green or vice versa, and these 3 are among the “unables.” Two of these, the Puerto Rican crested and the large-headed anoles may occasionally assume an olive gray blush, but they are unable to become the bright green that is so often associated with anoles.

The green bark anole, Anolis distichus dominicensis, may still be seen in a few isolated Florida hammocks.
The established alien anoles in Florida range from Lake Okeechobee southward to the Keys and in size from the 4 ½ inch long bark anoles, A. distichus ssp., to the gigantic, foot and a half long, knight anole, Anolis e. equestris. However most are in 7 to 8 inch range with females a bit the smaller gender. All are capable of at least a little color change and some make dramatic changes. Let’s take a quick look at 3 of the rather typical smaller examples.

Native or not, that is the question. The Florida bark anole, Anolis distichus floridana.
Of the Baker’s dozen (maybe 14) anole species that are still listed as being present in the USA, there are probably at least 2 taxa that no longer occur. And of those listed only 2 are native. These are the color changing, arboreal, green (or Carolina) anole that has 2 recognized subspecies (the northern form, Anolis c. carolinensis, and the very questionable southern form, A. c. seminolus). And then there’s the primarily treetrunk dwelling Florida bark anole, A. distichus floridana.

The northern form of the green anole ranges westward and southward from southern Virginia to eastern Texas and southern Florida, surrounding the relatively small range (western Sarasota to Collier counties) of the southern race.

The subspecies of the the green anole are recognized and differentiated by dewlap (throat fan) color. The northern race has a red dewlap and the southern has a gray dewlap. I feel that the gray throated race is “questionable” because when utilizing the subspecies concept there supposedly cannot be 2 subspecies existing sympatrically. However throughout the South Florida range of the southern green anole one can also encounter green anoles with red dewlaps. Perhaps just calling the gray throated form an occasional variant would be more accurate.

Questions of a different kind are often raised about the Florida bark anole; is it or is it not a native form. It would seem that the current concept is either “yes” or “maybe” to that ques

This race of the bark anole (A. distichus is a Bahaman and Hispaniolan group) is found from southeastern Palm Beach County southward to Monroe County and in many areas has intergraded with the non-native but established green bark anole, A. d. dominicensis. In its purest form it is a gray or brownish lizard with dark dorsal chevrons and a yellow to orange dewlap.

These two are only the tip of Florida’s anoline iceberg. I’ll say a few word about the others in future blogs.



Native or not, that is the question. The Florida bark anole, Anolis distichus floridana.

Green anoles in southern Florida may have a red or a gray dewlap. Currently those having gray dewlaps are considered A. c. seminolus.


Red dewlaps are the more common color with the green anole, A. c. carolinensis.