Hobbies And Interests
Instructions
Consider the lizard's general shape, which, in the event of a fast-fleeing reptile, may be the only feature you get a good look at. A skink often has a slender frame with little distinction in width between head and body; its legs and feet seem extremely diminutive in relation to the animal's length. By comparison, the Florida anole species -- including the native kind, the green anole -- have flared, triangular heads that are large in proportion with the body.
Key into the coloration of the lizard. This can be confusing in the case of the anoles. The green anole is green some of the time. But in response to temperature and other factors, it may shift to dusty brown, much like the similarly proportioned brown anole, which itself mainly cycles between light and dark brown. The broadhead skink is a rather rich, vibrant brown-red, but many Florida lizards are drab-colored or heavily patterned to vanish into the camouflage of leaf litter, limestone or sand.
Pay close attention to the patterning of lizards. Certain species have bold stripes, though in the field these often serve not to highlight the lizard but to blend it with its surroundings. Examples include the southeastern five-lined skink, which may be distinguished from the similar-looking six-lined racerunner: Both have brownish mottled bodies with golden stripes, but those of the skink are thicker and fewer.
Cross-reference the lizard's physical appearance with its habitat. You'll encounter many in the scattered litter of the pinewoods or a tropical hardwood hammock, or in the dust of a prairie or scrub. You might spot a gecko in such a manicured surrounding as a South Florida garden or a campground restroom, or the striking, legless eastern glass lizard -- often mistaken for a small snake -- in some tall grass clearing in a pine woodland.