Brown Anole

Even though an invasive species is taking its territory, Florida’s native green anole lizard won’t go down without a fight. It’ll go up. Scientists have shown that as a result of pressure from the invasive Cuban brown anole lizard, the green anole evolved stickier feet to help it climb higher in trees within 15 years. The invasion of the Cuban lizard, which competed for the same food and ate the green anole hatchlings, forced the native anoles up higher into trees, where the branches are smoother. The lizard’s toe pads became larger and their feet grew more sticky scales within 20 generations, about 15 years. “We did predict that we’d see a change, but the degree and quickness with which they evolved was surprising,” said Yoel Stuart, a postdoctoral researcher in the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin and lead author of the study. “To put this shift in perspective, if human height were evolving as fast as these lizards’ toes, the height of an