Last week, my sweet daughter-in-law noticed that we had a lovely, albeit unusual, skink by the front door. Joanna pointed out that the skink had two tails or at least an odd growth on its tail. I had seen the lizard before but got nothing more than a quick glance. The skink was fast to hide either under the steps or in the hollow tree nearby. Sweet Joanna, however, was able to get close enough to the lizard to describe the tail in detail! By her description, the tail was more of a crooked Y than actually two tails. I needed to photograph the lizard so I could get a better view.
Then a young friend of the family came calling. "You have a two-tailed skink!" he said excitedly. Christopher has been a life-long friend of Son's so he feels free to roam about the place. Before he even announced his arrival at the Little Bayou House, he had already tried to capture the skink. "He is quick and ran into the hollow tree." Yep, that is my skink! I really had to get a picture of that critter.
This morning, Mark called my attention to the bizarre lizard. This time, the skink did not dart away but sat on the steps as I photographed it. Joanna was right. The tail is not actually two tails but rather a rather pointy growth on the side of the original tail. How did that happen?? Well, there are two scenarios that may have occurred. One the tail was deformed while the skink was still in the egg. Something could have damaged the egg slightly yet abruptly enough to disrupt the growth process. Since lizards (skinks included) regenerate lost tails, this could happen even as the young skink is developing. Once the tiny lizard emerged from the egg, the tail was already shaped. Another possibility is that somewhere, somehow the lizard was hurt by a predator. The "drop" mechanism kicked in and its tail was partially pulled off. The "regenerate" message was processed and a new tail started to form at the injury site.
While a bit ungainly, the lizard will not feel any ill results from its unusual tail. Obviously, the skink can still hunt as it is growing quite large. It hunts by both day and night and has decided the front step is a delightful home. I am elated as I love the skinks and their voracious appetites! Bugs beware! My Y-tailed Skink is on the loose and will hunt you down if you darken my doorway!
It is a common bit of knowledge that certain critters have the power to regenerate body parts. While this is mainly evident in animals such as lizards and starfish, even humans can do it to a certain extent. Our bodies have the ability to mend broken bones and heal open wounds. Frogs and toads can regenerate some when they are tadpoles but adults cannot. Crustaceans usually are remarkable at regrowing lost limbs but fish and birds can only heal their bodies. Lizards, however, are a prime example of regeneration of entire body parts! A lizard can "lose" its tail at will when a predator threatens.This behavior is called Autotomy or self-amputation. This detached body part wiggles and thrashes about causing a distraction so the (wounded) lizard can make a hasty escape. Most of the time this defense mechanism works but then the poor lizard has to go through a major healing process. Although, a lot of folks cram alligators and snakes in together with lizards when discussing "reptiles", neither of these can do the magical regeneration that the lizard does. And that is where we stand today....lizards regenerating!
First off, I made a remarkable find today while cleaning up a bit in the back yard. Mark had been working on the old crab traps and left a few remnants on the shed deck. A lizard (yes, this was my remarkable find!) had taken refuge in one of the old traps. Ms. Nycto, the Bayou Princess Cat, was eyeing the poor critter so the trap was acting as a fort for the lizard. Two things made this lizard remarkable from my point of view. One....this was a Brown Anole. So? Why is that important? Well, up until this guy, no BROWN Anoles had called the Bayou home. We have Green Anoles. Although the greens do have the ability to change to brown they should not be confused with Brown Anoles. They are a whole different critter. Saying the two are one and the same would be like mistaking a Rat Snake for a Cottonmouth. The lizards are completely different. Why? Well, the main reason is some scientific stuff about families and species but my reason is Brown Anoles just do not live in Mississippi...or at least until now. These lizards are actually found in Cuba and the Bahamas. Those places are a far piece from the Bayou! But lately, the lizards have found their way to Florida and then migrated on to Georgia. I am assuming that they are on the move again and have found their way here. Actually, I sort of have a hint of how this particular one came to the Bayou. Even though it seems to be quite the bizarre scenario, I think the critter actually took a boat ride here. Recently, Mark bought a boat and towed it here from down near Florida. Obviously, a Brown Anole hitched a ride and now has no return ticket. So, the critter settled in and made itself at home.
The second remarkable thing about this lizard is the fact that, obviously, Ms. Nycto thought the thing looked delicious and attacked. Her attempt at securing supper resulted in the "de-tailing" of the lizard. (She has yet to master the fine art of hunting.) This is not my first encounter with the Brown Anole either. A few weeks ago, I noticed the strange looking lizard clinging to a piece of plywood. It looked a bit worse for wear and was missing its tail. Fast forward to today and the anole is appearing to be healing right fine. Its tail is regrowing! The wound has healed and a fine, albeit, darker tail is sprouting! In a few more weeks, this tail will be an exact replica of the amputated one. In the meantime, however, the lizard has to be careful. It dares not take the chance of losing its tail again. That would mean weeks more of being vulnerable to Ms. Nycto's and other predators' attacks.
Should I allow this "alien" invasive critter to take up residence on the Bayou? Do I want my poor Green Anoles to have undue competition for food and livelihood? Should I just allow the cat to devour this one and hope that no others rode along on the boat? Personally, I do not plan on making any rash decisions on whether one critter lives or dies. The Brown Anole has already had one wild ride and has met with dire circumstances when it faced the cat in battle. Besides, it eats plenty of bugs and the Bayou seems to have a never-ending supply of those. I need every helping hand I can get. If I can tolerate the invasive Nutria Rats that found their way here, I suppose a lizard can stay. Live and let live is a good motto in this instance.
