A common resident in my backyard is the green anole. I particularly enjoy watching them stalking insects among the stems and foliage of the plants growing in containers on my deck or basking on a plant or deck rail. Whenever I get too close to them, they quickly run away.
This prompted me to wonder how fast a green anole can move. It seems that while green anoles are able scamper away at a seemingly fast pace, when compared to humans, they cannot run very fast at all. The truth of the matter is the fastest a green anole can run is a little over 10 mph. In comparison, the fastest humans can sprint at speeds of more than 27 mph.
I have heard people say that green anoles will run faster if you scream at them. When I first heard this claim, I found it hard to believe. Much to my surprise, when I did some research on the subject, I found that the claim may be valid.
The reason I say this is in laboratory settings scientists have found that green anoles do indeed run faster in response to repeated loud noises. Could screaming prompt the small lizards to scamper away faster than normal? It does seem possible.
The next time you spot a green anole, yell at it and see if the lizard does scamper off quicker than you expected. If you do so, make sure your neighbor is not nearby. If you do not heed my advice, you may have a difficult time explaining why you are yelling at lizards.
