Southwest Florida is home to some amazing critters! The Green Anole Anoles are sometimes called chameleons. This is undoubtedly due to the green anole’s ability to change its skin color, much like its Old World cousin, the true chameleon. While the green anole isn’t able to change colors as noticeably or rapidly as the chameleon, it is able to alter its color from green to gray to brown, depending on light, temperature and mood. You will find these lizards climbing on nearly any vertical surfaces such as walls, fence posts, trees and leaves. Green are generally about 5 to 8 inches long. The long, slender tail of the anole (which makes up about half of its length) may break off at the slightest pressure and continue to wiggle on the ground, distracting would-be predators. But, no fear, the lizard's tail grows back over several weeks to once again serve as a quick get-a-way aid. Bottlenosed Dolphin You’ll often see these wonderful animals cruising the shoreline along the coast and in the Bay waters, Charlotte Harbor and Pine Island Sound. There are numerous companies that have “dolphin tours” One is called Sunset Ride. Florida Panther An endangered species, the Florida Panther is protected. Encompassing 24,600 acres, the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge is located within the heart of the Big Cypress Basin in southwest Florida. This subtropical ecosystem covers more than 2,400 square miles of diverse wetland and upland habitat types. The refuge encompasses the northern origin of the Fakahatchie Strand, which is the largest cypress strand in the Big Cypress Swamp. Orchids and other rare plants are found within the refuge. The refuge contains a diverse mix of pine forests, cypress domes and strands, wet prairies, hardwood hammocks, and lakes. Besides the panther, 24 other species of mammals, birds and reptiles found in and around the refuge are state or federally listed as threatened, endangered or of special concern. The Florida black bear, limpkin,, wood storks, swallow-tailed kite, indigo snake, Everglades mink, and Florida Alligator are a few examples. Other resident wildlife include white-tailed deer and feral hogs, which are prey for panthers. Wild turkey and bobwhite quail also can be found on the refuge.
 West Indian Manatee live in coastal waters, estuaries and bays. Florida manatees may live to be greater than 60 years old in the wild. The females normally have one calf every 2-5 years, and the calf and mother remain together for 2 years. The biggest single threat to Florida manatees is death from collisions with recreational watercraft. Zebra Longwing Butterfly  The zebra longwing butterfly (Heliconius charitonius) was designated the official state butterfly of Florida in 1996. The zebra longwing butterfly is found throughout Florida in hardwood hammocks, thickets, gardens, and particularly in the Everglades National Park. Visit the Butterfly House on the island of Sanibel. Sea Turtles For millions of years female sea turtles have been coming ashore to lay their eggs on beaches of Florida. From Sanibel to Fort Myers Beach and especially south, from Bonita Beach to Naples Beach, these warm gulf shores are very important nesting grounds to a variety of sea turtles. The species that visit these beaches are the loggerhead, green, leatherback, hawksbill and kemp’s ridley. Have you noticed the general lack of light on the beaches these days... or the plentitude of yellow or low wattage lights in the area? Well, artificial lights near the beach can deter females from nesting and disorient hatchling sea turtles who instinctually travel away from the dark silhouettes of the dune vegetation and toward the brightest horizon, which should be the light from the sky reflecting off the gulf. Turtle nesting season is from May to the end of October. There are licensed “turtle watchers” who mark turtle nests and monitor egg counts and hatchings. All Sea Turtles are protected by state and federal law. Most are either listed as threatened or endangered species. A good local website for more information is the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Federation http://sunsetride.com/http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=41545http://www.sccf.org/content/81/Butterfly-House.aspxhttp://www.sccf.org/content/43/Sea-Turtles.aspxshapeimage_4_link_0shapeimage_4_link_1shapeimage_4_link_2shapeimage_4_link_3