You should consider yourself lucky that 50% of your lizards are still GREEN Anoles. Once the Cubans arrive, they generally take over and drive the Greens into local extinction. However, there is one ray of hope for the Greens. Years ago I discovered while camping in a wooded area that while the Cuban Anoles are the ones in plain sight at ground level, the Green Anoles are trying to hang on high in the treetops. From my observations, the Cubans don't care to climb very high in trees and prefer to live out their lives at ground level. I didn't know that the Greens were up there until two males who were fighting lost their grip and fell from a high pine tree onto the ground right at my feet while I sat in my camp. They quickly recovered their composure and scrambled back up the trunk until they climbed out of sight. Until that moment I had no idea there were any Green Anoles left around here!

When we moved from Tampa to Brooksville 5 years ago, I realized with horror that we had also moved both the Cuban Anoles and Cuban Treefrogs with us in some garden junk. Thankfully, the cold has ridden the property of Cuban Treefrogs, (gets much colder here) but the Anoles remain. I do still see the native green ones around, though, also we have fence lizards here which we never saw in Tampa. Our property is just under 5 acres, so I hope the foreign lizards don't take over. I only see them close to the house.

Cubans in my yard go up high - & sometimes startle me by flinging themselves down out of the trees & bushes. They are everywhere! I haven't spotted a green anole for decades. This is my Granpa's house & I remember him helping me catch green anoles here back in the 60s; miss him & them....

I don't see as many green anoles in my yard as I used to but they are still here. The grackles eat the Cuban anoles so there may be some help there.

My green anole this year:

A Cuban who suffered an injury:

The Cuban-eating Grackle:

I'll bet the native green anoles are still around; they've just gotten more shy.

Julie in West Palm Beach

Great pics Julie! I love the green anoles. Unfortunately, where I am in SW Florida I don't see them very often anymore. I have LOTS of Cubans though!

To all the people worried about the Green Anoles, I had a number of them overwinter in each of my heated greenhouses. Every day I see a goodly number of them trying to hide on my plants. Lately they are in their display mode and are flashing their red throats as they look for mates. Soon there will be itty bitty lizards everywhere.
The Anoles will climb to the top of the screens and panels to display, and the birds come swooping down to feed on them only to bash into the screens and panels knocking themselves out cold.

Lou

Actually, what I'm trying to find out is whether anyone else in N Fl has noticed a shift in population. I am seeing VERY few Cuban as opposed to green anoles after two cold winters. Has anyone else witnessed this?

Ventura,
Yes, I agree, I think the Cuban Anoles were repatriated back to Cuba. LOL
The same with those dang croaking tree frogs too, they are as loud as ducks quacking. One is in my gutter down spout and it echoes.

The itsy-bitsy tree frog
climbed up my gutter spout
Soon the summer rains will come
and wash your croaking butt out
Out will come the summer sun
and dry up all the rain
then that freakin tree frog
will climb back up to his domain

Lou

I live just north of Gainesville in NW Fl. and yes, I have noticed the number of Cubans has decreased substantially this year! We used to have huge ones with ridged backs, now we see only occasional small brown ones. I love the green ones! Carol

I'm here 10 yrs. and this is the first time I have ever seen a green lizard. Maybe this is a sign they are making a comeback.

I've been here 11 years and I just saw my first native green lizard at Lowes of all places climbing on a fruit tree.

I am seeing more greens than ever this year and so far, fingers crossed, no Cuban Tree Frogs!

Lol Lou! I have one of those tree frogs in my rain barrel overflow drain and it drives me nuts. It is so loud!

I've been in my house for 6 years and this is the first year I have seen the green ones. I have only seen 1 cuban tree frog and no natives. I am thinking about going to someones house and bringing some home.

Gosh! You guys are so very lucky!!! I wish I had the native green lizards! I've only seen one and that was at a friend's house over in Safety Harbour.

Downtown St. Pete, we don't even have bunnies, but, apparently we now have coyotes! I worry about my neighbors' cats and small dogs because their owners think nothing will happen to them.

Well, I live off the Island, in Yulee. I am seeing only our green anoles this year. I worked at the city golf course for many years and we were over-run with the Cubans. We also had the common geckos come out in the kitchen at night & have seen them at night on houses. I have not seen any Cubans in my yard this season!

Two shades of green in my yard.

I have so man green anoles around my garden you guys can come relocate some if you like. The must really enjo my garden. I have not see a cuban yet but I've seen a skink!

Sis3, love your pics! Looks like the natives are more cold resistant which supports Ventura43's point. There are some really great videos of green anoles on YouTube. The natives go up into South Carolina, I understand. It's just us South Floridians who might lose our beloved natives.
Julie in WPB, praying for rain

Here is a link that might be useful: green anole with hummingbirds