Freakin lizards! (Mango, Sanibel, Matlacha: rental, insurance, houses)

[New York TomKat]

Or at least, it looks like a lizard. Just spent a lovely week on Pine Island renting a house with a pool under a lanai. Had a little guest in the bedroom that wouldn't leave and was impossible to catch. Also, its friends and family were hanging out all over the screen of the lanai..

What the heck are they?!?!?! Geckos? Lizards?

Harmless and almost cute, but they were every where...

At least it wasn't snowing!

[mnpedwards]

LOL! If it was shorter than 8in, it was probably a gecko. If it was longer than that, probably an alligator or a Nile Monitor Lizard.

My little grandaughter catches & plays with geckos when she visits - she thinks it's a hoot when she looks at them face:face & they stick their tongues out at her!

I have a family of them that hang out in a short cabbage palm. They love plantain chips!

[Samiamnh]

Awww...don't even worry.They are cute little buggers and don't carry any diseases or anything harmful.The kids have fun chasing them around.
Until the cold spell hit last year,we had 4 foot iguana's crapping on our sea wall...not a big problem,just hosed it off.Monitors can be a problem because they like to snack on small dogs and cats but they are mostly in areas that are not heavily populated.

[New York TomKat]

Maybe I should have asked them to give me an insurance quote!!!

[coastal chic]

They're not geckos, they're anoles and they are harmless. They eat bugs. Hope you had a great visit!

[New York TomKat]

Ah ha...Anoles. I knew they didn't have Australian accents! And any creature that eats bugs is a friend of mine!
Our visit was awesome. Stayed for a week on Pine, just around the corner from the marina. Captain Tom took us out twice on the Tom Thumb, I got a round of golf in, looked at a couple houses, brought fresh seafood, veggies and fruit in Matlacha and grilled a lot, took many walks and did many laps in the pool... was very difficult to come back home where there was still snow on the ground. I'm trying very hard to develop a business plan for what I think will be a viable business down there and then will prepare to relocate. Doesn't seem like it'll happen soon enough!
Did I mention I really like Pine Island? We've been going to Sanibel once or twice a year for almost 14 years, and discovered Pine 2 years ago. Did a weekend at Tarpon Lodge last year (and hit Mango Mania ) and opted for a house rental this year...loved it!

[hiknapster]

Great thread. I love those little anoles. If they are in your house they may not make it back out. That use to freak me out so I would try to catch them to let them out. Occasionally I would break their tail. But it grows back.

Snow still on the ground...my mother is 76 and swears this is the worst winter for the northeast in memory. I think she's right.

Happy house hunting!

[New York TomKat]

I'm pretty sure I'd be a little freaked out if I broke a tail off!!!!

[TamRE]

I always call them geckos too. A home inspector told me the other day that they aren't called geckos. They just eat bugs and are harmless. Kids love to chase and play with them as well as my dog. She spends hours and hours watching for them to climb the outside wall and then she chases them. It is her little game. She catches them sometimes and plays with them in the yard. I think they are cute. But at certain times of the year them seem to be everywhere.

[justNancy]

So nice to hear you were able to enjoy one of Florida's favorite small residents. They are very beneficial to our ecosystem, since they eat lots and lots of insects. Like others have written, most lizards you see running around SWFL are harmless. However, sometimes they chirp at night which can drive you crazy. They'll do everything to avoid contact with humans, so there's nothing to be afraid of if one is in your home.

The best way to remove a gecko or anole from a house is to coax it into a box, usually with a broom. Spraying cold water on it won't hurt it at all, but it will disorient the anole and it will stop running. Then you just put it in the box and place it outside. The reason the tail breaks off is because it's a defense mechanism to release itself from a predator trying to eat it and it takes about 2 months for a new one to generate.

However, if they're already running around outdoors, please teach children to be fascinated with our amazing Florida wildlife by watching them in their natural state. The stress many animals experience when people try to "play" with wildlife is often harmful and cruel. The word play suggests that both parties are having fun. Geckos and anoles freak out when people & pets chase & catch them, the same way you'd be if a grizzly was playing with you.

Thank you.