Gardener captures once-in-a-lifetime photo of rare backyard visitor: 'I used to have those all over'

A gardener spotted a special visitor in their plants and turned to the internet to learn more and discovered they had a friendly, native species on their hands.

In the r/gardening subreddit, the OP shared a rather stunning photo of a little green lizard perched among the leaves of their plant.

"Is this my friend?" they asked the subreddit, and they were met with a resounding yes.

"Oh yes that's a keeper there! He's gonna snack on all the bugs you don't want around your garden," one person wrote.

Several people identified it as a green anole, a species native to the United States and commonly found in the southeastern region of the country, particularly at home in the Everglades, per the U.S. National Park Service. 

"That is 100% a Green Anole. I used to have those all over the exterior of my house, but the Cuban Browns have run all the native Greens off," one person explained.

Green anoles are being overtaken by their invasive cousins, the brown anole (also known as the Cuban or Caribbean anole). According to the Louisiana Illuminator, the brown anole first came to the U.S. in the 1940s, traveling easily through human means. They're known for being more aggressive, outcompeting greens for food on the ground, and even preying on them. 

The lizards have apparently been adapting, moving into the trees and evolving larger toe pads rather quickly, but the Louisana Illuminator pointed out that the brown species taking over on land is more sensitive to extreme weather events and heat, meaning as they die off they leave their environments more prone to disease spread as pests like mosquitoes go uneaten.

That's why it's important to support native plants in your garden and yard. Planting natives provides habitats for native species like the green anole, and they, in turn, make your life easier by eating insects and pests that would damage your plants or irritate you.

Planting native species and wild plants also saves you money. You'll cut down on having to buy things like pesticides and fertilizer to aid in your garden's health, and you'll also save money on utilities like water. According to the California Native Plant Society, native plants require 60-80% less water than their non-native counterparts.

Which of these benefits is your biggest motivation in gardening? Getting outside more 🌱 Growing healthy food 🥕 Making my yard beautiful 🏡 I don't garden 🚫 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

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