Florida has one native species of anole, the green anole, and at least nine introduced species. The Knight anole is an impressively large and formidable-looking Cuban species. These two are both juveniles, but even as juveniles they are much bigger than the adults of the green anole or very common brown anole. The pronounced stripes on the first fellow here will be gone by adulthood.

My wife Monica and I were driving home from a delicious pizza lunch when I noticed something in the road up ahead. "That leaf reminds me of a Knight Anole", I thought to myself, before looking elsewhere. Then we passed over it, and Monica said "I think that was an iguana or something". I made Monica turn around and drive back, and I jumped out of the car and grabbed this beautiful adult Knight Anole, who showed his gratitude at being rescued from the street by twisting his head and biting the side of my finger with the side of his mouth. Yow, what a bite! It healed in a couple of weeks though, and I came away with some nice photos of a Knight Anole, so I guess we're even.

They don't look particularly happy. You would think that they might look happy.