mystery lizard

Question
hello,
 recently i won a small lizard on the boardwalk in New jersey. At
fist i thought it was the typical green anole. It is not green, but
brown. It is fater than an anole, and tail is much thicker. It is about
the same length as an anole. Any idea what it might be? Thanks!

Answer
Hi Andrew!
That's pretty cool, a lizard on the boardwalk! Well, I have a few ideas on what your mystery lizard might be.

It could still be an Anole. Anoles can change color from bright green to dark brown in just a few seconds, and can be any shade of green or brown it wants to be. They change color for a few different reasons...
**Green when happy, brown when angry
**Green when warm, brown when trying to get warmer
**Green when passive, brown when aggressive
**Either color when trying to blend in with surroundings.

So it could still be an anole that is just fat. It could also be a different type of anole that is brown, like a bahama anole.

If it is a lot fatter than an anole and the tail is a lot fatter, it could even be a gecko. Anoles have more of a pointed head, like an alligator or crocodile, but geckos have more of a rounded head, with less of a snout. Some geckos have a fat tail, and most of them have fatter bellies.

Another animal this might be is a cuban anole. Cuban anoles get bigger than regular anoles, and tend to be fatter. Their heads are much larger as well, but still in the pointed shape.

It could also be a baby bearded dragon, or even baby iguana. If it is one of these guys, they are going to get pretty big, especially iguanas. If this is the case, you are going to have to get a pretty big cage.

Go onto www.google.com, and goto images. Type in all of these seperately:
   *Green Anole
   *bahama anole
   *Cuban Anole
   *Fat tailed gecko
   *gecko
   *Iguana
   *bearded dragon

Try to base comparing on shape instead of color, since a lot of these animals have many different color variations. I think seeing some pictures, you will have a pretty good idea on what it is, but you will have a clear idea on what it isn't. For example, if your lizard doesn't have a small ridge of spikes going down it's back, it's not an iguana.

But, if you are still unsure of what it actually is, send me another message, and tell me as many more details about the lizard that you can, and all of the lizards you know it isn't. Also, if you want to know the exact species (for example, you find out it's a gecko but you don't know which kind) then send me another message. Also, try sending me a picture of the lizard...I don't know if sending pictures work on this website, it might have to be done on email.

Good luck figuring out your lizard! If you have any more questions on what your lizard is or figure out what your lizard is and want to know things about it, write me back.
Good luck! Best wishes, Chelsey