Male broad-headed skink ( Eumeces laticeps ). Photo by J . D Willson . The bright red head of a male broad-headed skink signals the arrival of the spring courtship season .
ebony-colored body . Adult females have a more subdued pattern , a brown body with faint lines visible . An adult male broad-headed skink is a marvel to find on a back deck or oak tree during the spring breeding season . They develop shiny , coppery brown bodies , and the head and neck turn brilliant red , making them look somewhat like a Valentine heart moving through the forest . Although formidable in appearance , these impressive reptiles are utterly harmless to humans and provide lively colors from birth to maturity .
One of the most obvious reptiles on Kiawah is the green anole . Male anoles use a throat fan , or dewlap , to challenge other males and sometimes even people . The dewlap display is often accompanied by the male lizard doing push-ups and bobbing its head . Next time you see one with a red throat , stop a moment and watch the performance . The dewlap is bright red in the native anole . If you see a lizard performing the same ritual with a dewlap that is yellow , orange , or a combination of colors , it might be one of the introduced anoles from another country . Several kinds are now found in Florida , and occasional reports have confirmed their appearance in other areas as hitchhikers from the Sunshine State . Green anoles have another color oddity as part of their repertoire : they sometimes turn brown or drab gray , especially during cool weather . When picked up and gradually warmed in your hand , an individual will often change progressively from brown to green as you watch .
Hidden Biodiversity : The Value of Camouflage Many animals use color not to attract attention but to avoid it . Camouflage is characteristic of animals whose survival may depend on being challenging to see . The brown-spotted coats
of bobcats and the white spots of fawns help conceal them from the eyes of other animals — from prey in the first case , from predators in the second . The mottled coat of a bobcat hunting at dusk lets it meld into its surroundings , ready to pounce on unsuspecting prey . Anyone who has startled a fawn with its mother knows that a frequent response is for the young deer to lie down , curl up on the ground , and remain immobile . In a wooded habitat with dappled sunlight on fallen leaves , fawns seem to disappear , blending perfectly into the scenery .
Although the purpose of the spots is quite different for bobcats and deer , both are clearly adapted for surviving certain situations by being hard to see . Numerous examples exist for which the environment dictates the color pattern , whether for protection ( prey ) or stealth ( predator ). The bobcat is now a top predator on Kiawah . Unfortunately , rodenticides may threaten its continued existence on the Island because of poison ingested by the mice and rats the bobcats prey on .
One of Kiawah ’ s common reptiles , the rough green snake , is a master of camouflage . Humans out on a nature walk and predators looking for a meal undoubtedly come within grabbing distance of hundreds of green snakes each year . A green snake , whose body resembles a greenbrier vine , may go unnoticed in a tangle of green vines or leafy shrubs . The green snake ’ s slow , deliberate crawl attracts no more attention than a gentle breeze brushing across vegetation .
Coloring works in various ways . Kiawah Island reptiles may use bright colors to attract , in concert with dark colors to conceal . Where such advertising occurs , false advertising is sure to follow . Two of Kiawah ’ s snakes , copperheads and
40 Naturally Kiawah