In the past two days, I’ve gotten a shitload of images, at least four post’s worth, so I’ll be working my way down through them over the next few days (hopefully without adding too many as I go.) Right now, we’ll stick to a minor bit of drama.
Going past the fireplace last night, I thought something looked off, and a closer look revealed why.
Not really sure when or how the Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis) got inside, though it really is inevitable, but it was quite amusing to find it snoozing atop the fireplace screen. Luckily, it never attracted the attention of Monster, who’s an avid hunter even though she’s never allowed outside.
Enlisting the help of The Girlfriend, we got a cardboard box and gently approached, attempting to either get it in hand or shoo it into the box. This went well for a moment, since the awakened anole jumped down into the box quickly, and then shot back out again – they can climb damn near anything, and now disturbed, it was intent on achieving a good hiding place. It launched itself to the floor and thankfully set off in an open direction, so it was easy to track. I got down and cupped it within my hands, yet it escaped before they were fully closed, but again, went out over the open wood floor. Trying again, I attempted to close off all gaps immediately, but realized that I wasn’t feeling a damn thing in my hands. A quick check confirmed this: my hands were empty.
Now, the living room is naturally dark, but I was using my headlamp and The Girlfriend has a flashlight in hand, and neither one of us saw it escape across the open floor, at all. It appeared to have just vanished. Near as I can determine, when it slipped my grasp it went straight under one arm where my view was blocked, and apparently so was The Girlfriend’s. I froze and checked everyplace carefully, thinking it might have gone to ground under my knees or even climbed my leg; my arms were bare so I would have felt it clambering up them at least. Yet, despite our careful checks and subsequent search of the entire area, no further sign of the anole was found. Nothing for it but to see if it showed itself again, preferably to us and not to Monster.
It was about midday today when it did indeed show itself again:
Those are the stairs up – it’s only on the second step, and not far from the nearest window. It is also about two meters from where it was last seen, so presumably it found a hiding place nearby.
This time, I got a large, smooth plastic water bottle, plus a long-handled bait net, and approached again, working on my own this time since The Girlfriend was at a class. But the anole, quite complacent until actually nudged, gave one false start and then dove into the water bottle with exceptional cooperation. It was a simple matter to take it out onto the deck and place it unceremoniously onto one of the ginkgos thereon.
Since the nights have gotten chilly, the anole might have thought it had a good thing going until I returned it outside, but the access to bugs and water is significantly better out there, to say nothing of the freedom from Monster (the other two cats might have followed it and even batted it around a bit, but they aren’t hunters at all and likely wouldn’t have killed it. Monster, though…)
Even more anole schtuff is coming soon, but I’m going to space it out a bit – luckily I have several other subjects to work with.