Interesting article from BBC Nature describes an Anole which has demonstrated actual problem solving skills.

“The results, published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters, suggest that reptiles are more intelligent than previously thought.”

Ah, but we already knew lizards are awesome.

Read the full article here:

• Lizard has Problem-Solving Skills By Victoria Gill

Cold-Blooded Cannibals: Extreme Adaptations to Island Life from Day's Edge Productions on Vimeo.

Filmed, written, and edited by Nathan Dappen & Joris van Alphen; narrated by John Astbury — illustrates the amazing adaptations of these remarkable reptiles.

Produced by Days Edge Productions (daysedgeproductions.com) & Joris van Alphen photography (jorisvanalphen.com).

Or at least he plays one in this movie…

(screen capture from The Daily)

A movie starring Johnny Depp … about a lizard. I’m so totally there. This is going to be fun.

How many turtles can you spot in this picture?

My friend Delilah down in Texas has lizards all over her yard, and she sent me these pictures back in May 2010. Yeah. And here I am about 8 months later FINALLY getting around to posting them.

I wonder if the anole (above) thinks its blending in with the green of the wire mesh?

Below – what is this brown thing stalking Delilah in the foliage?

Better watch out – it’s eyeing you!

Oh!  It’s merely a brown skink.  An old and battle-scarred one at that.

It’s defending Delilah’s yard from invasions of cockroaches and mosquitos.  Bold, sun-worshiping skinks are good to have around.

Thanks again Delilah for sending the pictures!  Sorry they sat in my in-box for so long!

Photo by Lee Grismer

I happened upon this over at National Geographic.  This previously undescribed lizard was “discovered” in a Vietnamese restaurant … on the menu.

The first thing I thought was, if this lizard’s temperament would make it a candidate for a pet, it would be easy to breed them — especially considering they’re all female and don’t need to mate in order to have offspring.

The second thing I thought was, despite all the information in this excellent National Geographic article, nowhere does it mention what they taste like.

(Probably chicken.)

Read the full article here:  New Self-Cloning Lizard Found in Vietnam Restaurant

UPDATE:  Even more in-depth article and video on Discovery.com here: http://bit.ly/bHM7ew

Baby horned lizards!

Chameleons, dragons and geckos, oh my!

I wish I could have taken them all home with me. 

This was in Wheaton, IL on November 6, 2010, at the DuPage County Fairgrounds.  The “Scott Smith’s All Animal Expo.”

The fire ants are forcing the lizards to evolve.

One head is known to attack the other.  That must suck.

Read full story at BBC Online.

“My daughter, Emily, took this in September. See? Lizards like kiddie playhouses too!” – My friend Delilah Peeler

Anolis carolinus