Brown Anoles Get Their Own Post - The Octagon, Post 3/3 - October 7, 2012

So I mentioned before that anoles in Florida are as common as houseflies up here in Chicago. Literally... you occasionally get one in your house in Florida, like we get flies in the house in Chicago.  But since I don't actually live in Florida, I find the fascinating and fun.  We just don't get free-roaming lizards in a state that freezes over for several months a year.  I've counted anoles in my list, so this isn't for that, but just fun pictures of these common little guys.

"As the insurance representative/mascot of the year, I welcome you to this gathering..."

Seriously.  Doesn't he look like the Geico Gekko getting ready to make a speech at podium?

I liked this guy for the way he showed off the coloring on his back scales.

Same guy, different view.  It looks like he has eyelashes from the way those scales above his eye are colored.

This picture is fun because it gives you an idea of exactly how small these little buggers are.  This is a standard chain-link fence.  He's not much bigger around than the wires.  I also love how his little 'hands' are wrapped around the fence.

This guy has awesome coloring.  His details are are so stark!  Also... the size of the wire fence.

This guy is 'scalier' than the others.  For lizards, the others seem pretty smooth.  This one is a bit 'toadier'.  He's also doing the splits, which lets us see the patterns on his leg.

And one of my favorites.  This lizard is a little confused.  He's not a turkey!

Wildlife at the Octagon - 10.07.12 - Post 2

So I can see that with 2012 winding down in a little over a week, I'm going to have to do massive amounts of editing and posting if I want to make my 100 species mark.  I'll try, but... it's not looking likely. :)  I'm pretty sure I've *seen* 100 different species, but getting them shot, cropped, edited and documented is another matter entirely.

But I'm going to try. ;)

Here are the critters that were not permanent residents of the Octagon, but were hanging out nonetheless. :)

Band-Winged Dragonlet Dragonfly (059 - 2012)

This is one of the larger dragonlet dragonflies.  It's a Band-Winged Dragonlet.  It's almost as big as the pondhawks, and has the same sexual dimorphism.  This is a male.

Now here's something I definitely won't be seeing here in Illinois.

It's a Southern Black Racer, and racing it was!  It was moving parallel to us as we walked, mostly by weaving itself in and out of the wires on the fence.  Unfortunately by the time I realized what it was, I was coming down from the fence.

Southern Black Racer (060 - 2012)

But then it ended up coming right at me.

Very, very good thing this guy is harmless.  My "this could puncture me, I should flee" instinct still isn't very solid.  I think I jumped when I first saw it, but then it was, "ooh, I need to chase it and get pictures!"

Turkey Vulture (061 - 2012)

Another guy who's pretty endemic in Florida - the turkey vulture.  Not what anyone would call a 'pretty birdie'.  They're scavengers and huge and just... not the friendliest thing ever.