Have I ever shown you the Cuban Anole lizard?

Another import from the island – probably a stowaway on cargo ships, back in the day – these guys can get to be about 18-24 inches long. More of an iguana, really.

This is a mere youngster – probably no more than about 12 inches long. They hang out in the trees, mostly, eating insects and whatever else might come along, including other lizards…

For all of their size, though, they are incredibly shy. This “baby” anole (pronounced “uh-no-lee”) was sunning on my fence one morning. When he spotted me with my camera, he slowly slid down behind that pole. When I backed off, he slid back on top of the pole. We did that dance about half a dozen times, until he got tired of the game and casually sauntered off to the shrubbery.

“Don’t look at me! Mom! She won’t stop looking at me!”