[LeRoySmith]

Originally Posted by Vleka

Skinks are a protected species.

I just read all about them. It turns out they eat primarily cockroaches, this is now a protected species on my pool deck too! Wikipedia says this type only live in 3 countries in Central Florida.

[PugMom]

but they aren't spiders. leave them be & devote time to more worthy subjects. try to learn to live with them, they ARE cute & mine have names

[PugMom]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Yup. Most lizards of that size will eat insects, spiders, beetles, and even smaller lizards. Skinks are omnivorous and like berries as well.

Reptiles are awesome! (I once had a job working in the reptile room of an exotic small pet shop back north, feeding snakes and cleaning lizards' cages)

me too! i worked part time @ a Magic Pet, then All About Pets in Wallingford. wasn't it a great job??

[ThirdOfFive]

ALL species are "invasive" when they first appear. It is just the way nature works.

Up North (Mississippi River basin and surrounding areas), Asian (silver) Carp moved in and of course became the cause du jour for the environmental watchdogs among us. Large fish--reproduce like crazy--and baaaaaaaaaad for the environment! Many outlandish plans and Rube Goldberg types of inventions were concocted and implemented to stop their spread. All had one thing in common. They didn't work. They're firmly established now in thirteen states and further spread is inevitable.

But...is further spread bad? Silver carp unfortunately bear the name "carp" but there is very little resemblance between them and our native species, and as time goes on more and more of their positive attributes are coming to light. They're omnivores and primarily bottom feeders. One of their favorite foods happens to be Zebra and Quagga mussels, themselves also invasive species which have come in for more then their fair share of criticism. They can grow pretty large: 20 lbs. on average but they can get as large as 80 lbs. They also spook easily, having a habit of jumping high out of the water when boats with motors appear.

Oh...and they're also delicious. I've eaten them in Asia (where they're farmed for just that purpose) and can attest to that. Other positives: as they're primarily bottom feeders their flesh contains very little mercury compared to fish in the same waters that eat each other. Their habit of jumping in panic when they hear boat motors has led to many "redneck" fishing tournaments where boats containing folks with landing nets on large handles and probably a plentiful supply of beer crisscross waters containing the carp and snatch them out of the air. And ironically, some Illinois entrepreneurs are catching the critters, processing them and selling them not just to American markets but also to China!

So...they're big. And plentiful. And delicious (and safe) to eat. Bottom line is that they're a cheap and abundant source of protein that we're only just beginning to discover what an invaluable resource they may prove to be.

Now I'm not suggesting that Cuban brown anoles are going to be appearing in restaurants any time soon, but just because a critter is "invasive" does NOT necessarily mean it is bad for the environment.

[MandoMan]

Originally Posted by Windguy

Hi,

We recently had a discussion about dealing with the invasive brown Cuban anoles. There were some pretty divided opinions about what to do with them and no general concensus. So, I decided to get an official ruling. I went to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission web site to ask them. Here is their response to my question:



Some of you want to control these illegal aliens and others wouldn’t want to kill these cute lizards. I wonder if people would feel the same if they looked like spiders.

You can use this information however you like.

The most humane way of killing they is to step on them. Instant. Pain free. Also vigorous exercise.

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by MandoMan

The most humane way of killing they is to step on them. Instant. Pain free. Also vigorous exercise.

Do you step on honey bees also? like we see them nowadays…

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by PugMom

me too! i worked part time @ a Magic Pet, then All About Pets in Wallingford. wasn't it a great job??

Wallingford Connecticut? You mean the All Pets Club next to Staples? That's where I got most of my cat food when I lived up north! I used to work at that Staples.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive

ALL species are "invasive" when they first appear. It is just the way nature works.

Up North (Mississippi River basin and surrounding areas), Asian (silver) Carp moved in and of course became the cause du jour for the environmental watchdogs among us. Large fish--reproduce like crazy--and baaaaaaaaaad for the environment! Many outlandish plans and Rube Goldberg types of inventions were concocted and implemented to stop their spread. All had one thing in common. They didn't work. They're firmly established now in thirteen states and further spread is inevitable.

But...is further spread bad? Silver carp unfortunately bear the name "carp" but there is very little resemblance between them and our native species, and as time goes on more and more of their positive attributes are coming to light. They're omnivores and primarily bottom feeders. One of their favorite foods happens to be Zebra and Quagga mussels, themselves also invasive species which have come in for more then their fair share of criticism. They can grow pretty large: 20 lbs. on average but they can get as large as 80 lbs. They also spook easily, having a habit of jumping high out of the water when boats with motors appear.

Oh...and they're also delicious. I've eaten them in Asia (where they're farmed for just that purpose) and can attest to that. Other positives: as they're primarily bottom feeders their flesh contains very little mercury compared to fish in the same waters that eat each other. Their habit of jumping in panic when they hear boat motors has led to many "redneck" fishing tournaments where boats containing folks with landing nets on large handles and probably a plentiful supply of beer crisscross waters containing the carp and snatch them out of the air. And ironically, some Illinois entrepreneurs are catching the critters, processing them and selling them not just to American markets but also to China!

So...they're big. And plentiful. And delicious (and safe) to eat. Bottom line is that they're a cheap and abundant source of protein that we're only just beginning to discover what an invaluable resource they may prove to be.

Now I'm not suggesting that Cuban brown anoles are going to be appearing in restaurants any time soon, but just because a critter is "invasive" does NOT necessarily mean it is bad for the environment.

Smoked carp is also a Jewish delicacy. We would sometimes get a 1/4 pound of it from the M&T kosher Deli in Westville to share among the four of us when I was growing up. Just a couple bites. I can't get smoked carp OR smoked sable near me now but I do sometimes pick up some smoked sable when I visit my dad. That stuff is like $38/pound so I just get 1/8 of a pound. Insanely expensive.

[Glowing Horizon]

Originally Posted by Nana2Teddy

We have a variety of lizards. I have to admit when we first closed escrow on our new home here in DeLuna in Dec 2022, I was worried that we had no lizards or frogs because I love critters. Well, almost two years later and they have exploded. All colors, including many green ones, and all sizes. We’ve seen ones so tiny their tail was still just a nub, which I at first thought was an insect.

We only occasionally see a green tree frog, but have several native southern toads that come out only at night. We can hear them chirp occasionally during the day behind our rock waterfall where they hide. We started with only one last summer, and this year have at least three. They’re cool!

Weird lizard fact: when anoles are caught by the tail, the tail can simply snap off & the anole will live the remainder of its life with just a stub. The part of the tail that snapped off continues to wiggle for a while. Gross, IMO! but its a defense mechanism to get away from predators. Some reportedly can grow a new tail but I’ve never seen that happen.

[Glowing Horizon]

Originally Posted by LeRoySmith

I just read all about them. It turns out they eat primarily cockroaches, this is now a protected species on my pool deck too! Wikipedia says this type only live in 3 countries in Central Florida.

The birds, raccoons & other predators of the anoles need food too.

[Bonanza]

Originally Posted by Windguy

Hi,

We recently had a discussion about dealing with the invasive brown Cuban anoles. There were some pretty divided opinions about what to do with them and no general concensus. So, I decided to get an official ruling. I went to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission web site to ask them. Here is their response to my question:



Some of you want to control these illegal aliens and others wouldn’t want to kill these cute lizards. I wonder if people would feel the same if they looked like spiders.

You can use this information however you like.

And the purpose of your comment is . . . . ???

[tophcfa]

What’s not to like about the little critters, that don’t bother humans, they eat bugs, the birds eat them, they don’t try to sell you insurance, and they are kinda cute.

[nn0wheremann]

Originally Posted by LeRoySmith

And New Yorkers! Please don't pith them, they don't mean any harm.

By all means, don’t pith them off. They might get unruly.

[LeRoySmith]

Originally Posted by Glowing Horizon

Weird lizard fact: when anoles are caught by the tail, the tail can simply snap off & the anole will live the remainder of its life with just a stub. The part of the tail that snapped off continues to wiggle for a while. Gross, IMO! but its a defense mechanism to get away from predators. Some reportedly can grow a new tail but I’ve never seen that happen.

I would have gladly left my tail behind if it had helped me escape my first wife, I did leave about 60% of my donkey behind but that wasn't good enough.

[Blueblaze]

Originally Posted by Rocksnap

I’m thinking a little more research on your end would change your tune. Many invasive species decimate their environment of normal critters.

You might have a point there. I've noticed that you hardly ever see a teenager at McDonald's these days. And, when I was a kid, American cars were made in America by Americans. I think the work environment must have got decimated or something.