Anoles, like many other animals on Guam, are an introduced species. This is a green anole (Anolis carolinensis), which is native to the southeastern U.S.
Green anoles are often confused with chameleons because they can change color and their eye, although not as protrusive, has a shape similar to chameleons. However, anoles are in a different family. For more information on herps found on Guam, check out this link: http://www.mesc.usgs.gov/resources/education/bts/impacts/herps.asp
Ritidian Beach, next to the building where I work.
I was taking some sunset photos on the beach when this CH-60S (I think) helicopter flew right above the sun. It looked like a scene out of Apocalypse Now. One of my friends flies these beasts here on Guam. I'm pretty sure this wasn't her flying since she's often away on deployment, but I think she would like the photo. She's an officer in the Navy with the HC-5 squandron: https://www.andersen.af.mil/HC5/
Anna and I woke up really early the other morning to go take some photos. We really lucked out with an awesome sunrise and a beautiful morning overall. Unfortunately, the battery died on my camera and I didn't have spares with me. Whoops! Well, next time I'll be sure to stock up with spares.
Another introduced species, the mangrove monitor lizard. This guy is actually very young. He was about 14'' long, but they can get very large. We currently have one at the lab that's probably around 5 pounds. It's a large and seasoned adult, rife with scars.
Check out that Gene Simmons tongue!
I think this is a species of ghost crab, but I'm not sure. These guys are all over the place on Ritidian Beach. I've seen them mainly in the late afternoon once everyone has gone for the day. They hang out along the wet sand and they go tearing into the water at full speed if approached.
A congregation of crabs.
This is a young female Mariana fruit bat (Petropus m. marianus), an endangered species being held in a temporary outdoor pen at the Guam National Wildlife Refuge where I work. She's going to be released back into the wild by a method called soft release. It's basically a way of slowly getting her acclimated to the wild. Right now she is still being fed by biologists. I'm not sure of how long she will be kept in the pen, but they will eventually release her and possibly keep food out for her temporarily after she is released. The main people working with her right now are Anne Brooke, Dusty (the bat man), and Jenn, who has worked with fruit bats in Australia.
Let us not forget why we're here on Guam: to strangle... and be strangled... by the brown treesnake.
Merry Christmas, from the plastic Foremost Dairy cow. This is appropriate, since I think all of Foremost's milk is made from powder. It's probably the nastiest milk I've ever had. There are no dairy farms on Guam... that I know of, anyway... and Foremost makes that abundantly clear.
Posted by Isaac at December 31, 2004 11:31 AM