Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My sons friend found this small lizard in his house. He is very small, about 1" from nose to tip of tail. He is brown with reddish brown patterned legs and diamond shaped pattern on body. My guess is brown anole, though they are not native to my area. We live in NW Indiana. 40 miles East of Chicago. Here is a pic. Sorry so small, but he is soo very tiny and it was hard to get a good pic.....

It might be a brown anole which hitchhiked in a potted plant. They often do that, either as lizards or as eggs. Or it might be (hard to tell from photo!) a Mediterranean gecko, which has become established all over the U.S. and could also have hitchhiked in the soil of a potted plant.

Its some sort of baby gecko we have them all over here in texas, it is not a anole. They eat lots of bugs and are great for the enviroment so release it if possible where you found it. scott

The geckos you're referring to in Texas are probably Mediterranean geckos (Hemidactylus turcicus). Though common in cities in the southern US, they can't survive outside this far north--if that's what this is, releasing it is unwise.

But I don't think that's what this is. An anole would be my guess, but can't be sure without a better view. Whatever it is, it isn't native here in Indiana.

Patrick Alexander

This is definetely a brown anole. I've caught many that were that small when I lived in florida, and that is exactly what they look like. The pointy head (not rounded enough to be a gecko) and the long toes (not stubby with pads like a gecko) plus the pattern you describe on its back makes me 100% convinced that it is a brown anloe. One other thing, does it have round pupils or slitted pupils(sp?). If they are round, it is for sure an anole.