We should all take some time to smell the roses – because as it turns out, you never know what you might find inside of them!
Cuteness Overload
A Texas family recently captured a picture-perfect moment – a tiny green lizard who curled up and fell asleep inside of a fluffy, fragrant rose. I mean holy anole, have you ever seen anything so cute?! D’aawwwww! It gives a whole new meaning to the song lyrics “I want to lay you down on a bed of roses”… This little lizard dared to ask: why simply lay on a bed of roses when you can lay inside of the rose?
The family’s daughter found the flower, and by pure chance decided to pick it as a gift for her mom. She had no idea about the cuteness overload that was tucked away inside of those luscious red petals. The daughter’s mother – who goes by the name of Cmycherrytree on imgur – took a closer look and snapped some heart-melting photographs.
Ugh, I just can’t get enough of it! He looks so sweet and comfortable. I wonder what he is dreaming of…
Lizard Dreams
Yes, lizards really do dream too! In fact, they share a very similar sleep pattern to humans – including the REM sleep stage (the stage where dreams occur). Prior to a recent discovery by scientists, it was thought that the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep cycle was only seen in mammals and birds. (2) However, there are still some differences. “While humans typically go through four or five 90-minute cycles of slow-wave sleep and REMs, the lizard sleep rhythm is faster and more regular, resulting in hundreds of much shorter cycles” (2)
Roses are red,
Lizards are green,
Snuggled between the petals,
Having the sweetest of dreams ♥
Anole Lizards
The little cutie in the photo is called an anole lizard, technically named Anolis Carolinensis. However, they often go by the ‘street name’ of American Chameleon, because they are able to change the color of their skin much like a chameleon can.
They are mostly green in color, but are able to adjust their skin to reflect different shades of greens and browns. This is because they are tree-dwelling lizards, where being green and brown comes in handy for camouflage. The anole’s color may also indicate their mood. When they are happy and relaxed, it is most common to see them as a dark shade of green. However, if they are feeling a little stressed, sick, or threatened, they turn their color to different shades of brown. The brown shade will get darker and darker, depending on the level of stress. (1)
Anole’s are merely 4-8 inches in length, with a long nose and even longer tail. They prefer to live in regions that have humid climates, such as: Texas, Virginia, and Florida. (1) They are quite territorial creatures, and males have been known to fight and attack each other. It’s hard to believe they can be so aggressive when this guy looks so sweet and cozy!
I don’t know about you, but I have a new life goal: to be as comfortable as this lizard when I sleep.
