As I was walking a trail through dense growth in Peveto Woods yesterday, I noticed a twitch in the tip of a goldenrod stalk a few yards ahead. I held still, waiting to see if it would twitch again. When it did, I started to wonder if a skulking warbler, perhaps a Common Yellowthroat, was working the stalk. I watched as the twitch moved over to the next goldenrod stalk, but I couldn't locate a bird. Finally, dialing through the layers of vegetation, I noticed direct movement. It took a few seconds to realize that what I saw moving was a lizard with long, thin stripes, a six-lined racerunner.
A few of these lizards have popped up at Peveto lately. To be honest, I don't remember them ever being there in the past, but others seem to remember their presence. Unless someone is seeding the sanctuary with reptiles, the increase in lizard numbers would seem to be part of the recovery in species diversity on the cheniers following the destruction of the past decade's hurricanes.
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