In the natural world, females select their mates in many ways. Interestingly, in the world of the green anole, the males that bob their heads the most often are the ones that are most likely to get a chance to breed with females.
3 thoughts on “BACKYARD SECRET – HEADBOBBING HELPS GREEN ANOLES SELECT MATES”
I was in elementary school when my 3rd grade class took a field trip to the Shrine Circus, in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was so exciting for a young person, to see such a fantastic show. My mother gave me $3.00 to spend on refreshments, or souvenirs, etc. (This was in 1964, when $3 was not small change!).
There was an intermission halfway through the show, and there were souvenir vendors hawking their wares. It was a huge decision for an 8 y.o. to pick the best choice! I chose….a little green lizard, (yes, it was alive!), that the seller said was a chameleon. Price? $3.00! I bought the cute little fella and carted him home in a little cardboard box.
My mother, when she recovered from fainting, (not really, lol), immediately called my grandfather to come help. Grandpa set to work to build a cage, and a nice one it was. Me and my 4 siblings couldn’t decide on a name. Finally, G-pa suggested, “Lunger Oscar”. We loved it! We loved the little green fella, too. He lived for 3 1/2 years. We caught flies and gave him dried meal worms to eat. We would take him out and play with him.
When he (sadly) died, we buried him under the apple tree in our back yard.
It was YEARS later I learned he was NOT a chameleon (although he did change colors to match his background). He was an anole.
What a great story. I really appreciate you sharing the heart-warming tale. I am surprised that the anole lived that long. You obviously properly cared for it. Thanks again!
I was in elementary school when my 3rd grade class took a field trip to the Shrine Circus, in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was so exciting for a young person, to see such a fantastic show. My mother gave me $3.00 to spend on refreshments, or souvenirs, etc. (This was in 1964, when $3 was not small change!).
There was an intermission halfway through the show, and there were souvenir vendors hawking their wares. It was a huge decision for an 8 y.o. to pick the best choice! I chose….a little green lizard, (yes, it was alive!), that the seller said was a chameleon. Price? $3.00! I bought the cute little fella and carted him home in a little cardboard box.
My mother, when she recovered from fainting, (not really, lol), immediately called my grandfather to come help. Grandpa set to work to build a cage, and a nice one it was. Me and my 4 siblings couldn’t decide on a name. Finally, G-pa suggested, “Lunger Oscar”. We loved it! We loved the little green fella, too. He lived for 3 1/2 years. We caught flies and gave him dried meal worms to eat. We would take him out and play with him.
When he (sadly) died, we buried him under the apple tree in our back yard.
It was YEARS later I learned he was NOT a chameleon (although he did change colors to match his background). He was an anole.
What a great story. I really appreciate you sharing the heart-warming tale. I am surprised that the anole lived that long. You obviously properly cared for it. Thanks again!
What a sweet story, Virtual!