Filming for “EVOLUTION EARTH | ISLANDS”

HOW DO ANOLES SURVIVE HURRICANES?

That is the question we set out to answer in the episode “How Silver Key Anoles are Adapting to Tropical Hurricanes.” To tell this story, we traveled to Turks and Caicos to work out in the field on the remote north island. Here we battled flies, heat, sand, and sun to film male anoles displaying to one another and film the research conducted that lead to the discovery covered in the series. This episode won The World Congress of Science and Factual Producers Buzzies Award for Best Natural History Program. The entire series was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Nature Documentary. Learn more about the series here.

Episode 2: Islands | On the Turks and Caicos Islands, animals have a far greater ability to adapt to a changing world than we thought. Anthony Herrel studies how Silver Key anoles have evolved to keep up with destructive weather in the tropics. With changes in legs, feet, and aerodynamics, evolution is taking place at incredible speeds.

Behind the Scenes

Filming Evolution in Action

Silver Key anoles living on the Island Nation of Turks and Caicos, have displayed a unique evolutionary adaptation in response to hurricanes. Dr. Anthony Herrel and his team discovered this phenomenon by studying the physiology of these animals and comparing notes to years prior before recent severe storms rocked the islands. These small anoles live in the trunks and branches of trees found around the islands, and feast on small insects living among the vegetation. In the mornings, these reptiles can be seen basking in the hot Caribbean sun, and by noon, they can be observed hunting, looking for love, or fiercely defending their territories.