I am fascinated by evolution and the genius of Charles Darwin who postulated the theory through just abstract observation of nature much before we even knew about the molecular
fundamentals behind it. And there is nothing more fascinating to see it happen in real time. I live in the Houston area and we have a small yard where we grow vegetables and have
some fruit trees. When we moved into this house in 2011, we encountered these really cool looking green garden lizards called the Green Anole. These are native to this area and are very
shy. They change colors depending on if they are on vegetation vs. on a wooden fence. Then from late last year I started to find them everywhere - under the patio furniture cushion, on
top of the garbage cans, in the vegetable beds - they where running amok and there were a huge number of them. Apart from their new behavior, they also looked somewhat different. That is
when I chanced upon this informative article from Houston Arboretum on
what is really going on.
Turns out these new lizards are not the Green Anole at all! They are an invasive species called the Cuban Brown Anole and have been spreading from Florida
going north over the last few decades. They don't even change colors like the green ones. This has created a rapid evolutionary pressure on the Green Anole which now inhabit higher areas like taller tree branches and top of trellises.
Which is what I was seeing in the garden. I could only find the green ones on top of the trellises, fences and trees. While sad, it is fascinating to see evolution in action. Usually most
evolution happens at a slow place, seeing something happen so rapidly is really cool. That said I still hate the Brown Anole. They are ugly, aggressive and they creep me out hiding under patio
furniture.
And that is what brings us to this picture. I found this Great Egret stalking something
in the garden this afternoon, which was kind of strange since I see them usually hunting like this for fish in the ponds. And then in a flash it struck with its long neck and had something
in its beak. And voila, it was a Brown Anole. Justice served! The circle of life was complete. Harm my poor Green Anole and the Great Egret will strike thee with a vengeance.
I hope this magnificent bird visits us more often!
