It seems an almost childish thing to mourn, but my beloved anole, Harriet, died this week. She brought a lot of happiness to our small household. She was a wonderful wife, soon-to-be mother, and cherished family member. An earlier post below already focused on how she brightened our lives, but also that of her mate, Carl. It isn’t uncommon for female anoles to die during the breeding season – they lay eggs too quickly for their bodies to replenish nutrients, especially calcium. Vitamin drops, dusts, and other concoctions seem sporadically effective (I’ve perused various reptile owner forum threads), while at least one Dartmouth-based research study focused on the morbidity rate of wild anoles.
Is it possible for animals to love one another? Sure, anoles are social creatures (as are many other species), but do they remember those deceased from their familial groups? Some animals mate for life, but is this indicative of a complex relationship structure akin to humanity with emotional bonds? Carl is a slightly grumpy, unmotivated lizard. Yet, he was always attentive to Harriet. When she was dying, he watched her carefully. When she stopped moving much, he turned dark brown – was this coincidental? When she passed, he looked for her in the usual spots where she slept and climbed, to no avail. It was a sad, depressing sight.
Harriet, hunting.
Yet, my observations come from a biased, firmly human perspective. I could very well force my interpretation of the situation on Carl’s behavior. Does he remember Harriet? Does he miss her specifically, or companionship? He may not. Female anoles are sacrificial, noble beings. Harriet had a lot of personality for such a small body, and conditions were enough to induce her to lay eggs, despite the inherent risk of death. Allegedly, female anoles can choose whether to let their eggs fertilize. Although sexually mature, she could have continued to live her life with Carl without reproducing. Some readers might point this as fact of the female condition, knowing that one’s life may be given for the sake of creating another; it’s also easy to argue that coupled pairs of animals are naturally driven to reproduce.
Either case is reflective of Harriet’s giving nature. She provided Carl with a firm social structure. She dominated him in a motivating way (since he ignores the most basic of survival instincts, like hunting). Descartes once stated, “I think, therefore I am.” All one can trust is that one exists – everything else could be an elaborate illusion. Yet, when given examples like the bond between a mere pair of lizards, one also realizes that there is a greater meaning to life incomprehensible to human consciousness and our supremacy over life on Earth, beyond understanding or scientific study. I believe that Harriet was conscious, and that Carl cared for her well-being as she did his; whether these beliefs are true or misguided does not really matter. Harriet’s eggs may hatch within the next several weeks. Hopefully, her progeny will survive.
