Curly Tail Lizards: The Colorful Residents of Stocking Island Beaches

Stocking Island, just a short ferry ride from Elizabeth Harbour in George Town, Exuma, has a resident population of Northern curly-tailed lizards that scurry across the sand and limestone rocks with their tails curled high. These reptiles, scientifically known as Leiocephalus carinatus, are native to the Bahamas and were intentionally introduced to Florida in the 1940s to help control sugarcane pests, according to a detailed species profile. This guide covers where to spot them on Stocking Island, what makes their behavior worth watching, and how to visit the beaches they call home without disturbing them.

If you spend any time on the island’s Atlantic-facing beaches or the sheltered sandbars near the sandbar restaurant, you will see them. They are diurnal and terrestrial, favoring open sunny areas such as sidewalks, seawalls, and rocky outcrops, where they hunt insects and spiders. The key thing to know: they are fast, they are watchful, and they will disappear into a sea grape thicket before you get within ten feet unless you move slowly.

Where to Find Curly Tails on Stocking Island

The island runs roughly north to south, with the Atlantic side taking the full force of the trade winds and the Exuma Sound side offering calmer water. The lizards are not evenly distributed.

The highest concentration of curly tails is along the rocky shoreline near the monument at the southern tip of the island. This area has plenty of cover — sea grape, low scrub, and scattered limestone slabs — and the lizards use the rocks as basking platforms. The subspecies present here is Leiocephalus carinatus armouri, the same one introduced to Florida, and it thrives in these coastal habitats. Look for areas with plenty of cover and adjacent rocks, as noted in observations from similar Bahamian environments.

One honest limitation: the southern tip gets strong afternoon sun with almost no shade. Plan to visit in the morning when the light is softer and the lizards are actively hunting after the cooler night. The sandbar on the Exuma Sound side, near the popular beach bar, has fewer lizards because the ground is mostly loose sand with less cover. You will see a few near the edges where sea oats and low vegetation meet the sand, but not the numbers you will find on the rocky points.

For families, the stretch of beach between the ferry dock and the first rocky outcrop is a good compromise. The kids can wade in the shallows while you watch the lizards work the edge of the vegetation. Michael and I found that Ethan spotted them faster than we did — their quick movements catch a child’s eye — and Lily liked counting how many we saw between the dock and the monument. It turned into a low-key game that kept them engaged during the walk.

Behavior and What to Watch For

Curly tails are not just running away. They have a specific set of behaviors that make them interesting to observe once you know what to look for.

The curled tail posture is a defensive signal. When the lizard is alert or fleeing, it holds the tail high in a tight curl. This is thought to confuse predators — the tail draws attention away from the head and body. On Stocking Island, you will see this most often when a lizard detects movement from a distance. If you freeze, the tail slowly uncurls and the lizard resumes foraging.

They are opportunistic feeders. Their diet includes insects, spiders, small vertebrates, and occasionally plant material. On the beach, they hunt around wrack lines — the piles of seaweed and debris left by the tide — where flies and small crustaceans gather. Watch the edges of the wrack and you will see them dart in, grab something, and retreat to a rock to eat.

One thing that surprised me: they are not shy about entering the water. I watched a curly tail on the Atlantic side run straight into a shallow pool left by a retreating wave, swim across it using a serpentine motion, and climb out on the other side without hesitation. They are terrestrial, but they can swim when they need to.

Practical Tips for Visiting Stocking Island Beaches

Getting to Stocking Island requires a ferry from George Town, and the lizard-viewing windows are tied to tide and time of day.

The ferry from George Town runs multiple times daily, but the first departure around 8 a.m. puts you on the island before the heat builds. Bring a reef-safe mineral sunscreen — the rocky southern point has zero shade, and you will be exposed for the entire walk. A wide-brimmed hat and a long-sleeved rash guard make a real difference.

If you are visiting on a day when a cruise ship is in port, the beach bars and sandbar areas get crowded by 11 a.m. The lizards retreat to the less accessible rocky points, which are a 15-minute walk from the main beach. That walk is worth it — fewer people means the curly tails are more active and less skittish.

For families, pack a kids snorkel set for the Exuma Sound side after the lizard walk. The water is calm, and the kids can cool off while you rest in the shade of the few casuarina trees near the ferry dock. Michael and I took turns watching the lizards while the other stayed with the kids in the water — it worked well as a split-day plan.

What to Pack and How to Move on the Island

Stocking Island is undeveloped beyond the beach bar and a few rental villas. There are no shops, no fresh water taps, and no medical facilities. What you bring is what you have.

A dry bag for beach gear is essential — the ferry ride can be splashy, and the walk to the southern point involves wading through a shallow channel at low tide. Keep your phone, camera, and any snacks sealed. The sand gets into everything, so a zippered pouch inside the dry bag helps organize smaller items.

Water is the non-negotiable. Plan for at least one liter per person for a half-day visit, more if you are walking to the monument and back. There is no potable water on the island. A insulated water bottle keeps water cool for hours, which matters when the sun is overhead and the rocks are radiating heat.

If you are planning to photograph the curly tails, a lens with at least 200mm reach helps. They will not let you get closer than about 15 feet before they bolt. A compact travel camera with a good zoom is lighter than hauling a DSLR across the beach, and the image quality is sufficient for sharing. Move slowly, sit down at a likely spot, and wait. The lizards will resume normal activity within a few minutes if you stay still.

Local etiquette on Stocking Island is straightforward: leave the lizards alone. Do not try to pick them up, chase them, or block their path to cover. They are wild animals, and handling them stresses them out. The same applies to the sea turtles that sometimes graze in the seagrass beds near the sandbar — watch from a distance.

Stocking Island Curly Tail Questions

Are curly tail lizards dangerous?

No. They are harmless to humans. They do not bite unless physically handled, and their diet consists of insects, spiders, and small invertebrates. They are more likely to flee than to stand their ground.

The real risk on Stocking Island is not the lizards — it is the sharp limestone and the sun exposure. Watch your footing and reapply sunscreen. The lizards are just part of the scenery.

Can you feed the curly tails on Stocking Island?

You can, but you should not. Feeding them human food or even insects they would not naturally encounter alters their foraging behavior and makes them less wary of people. That puts them at greater risk from predators and from visitors who might not be careful around them.

If you want to see them hunt, sit still near a wrack line and watch them work the natural food supply. That is the real show.

What is the best time of year to see curly tails on Stocking Island?

They are active year-round, but the cooler months from November to April offer the most comfortable conditions for watching them. The lizards are most active in the morning when temperatures are moderate, and the lower humidity makes the walk to the monument more pleasant.

The tradeoff is that those months also bring more visitors. A weekday morning in January will still be quiet, but a Saturday in March can feel crowded. Check the cruise ship schedule for George Town before you book your ferry.

Do curly tails swim?

Yes, they can swim when necessary. I watched one cross a tidal pool on the Atlantic side using a serpentine motion, and they have been observed entering water to escape predators or to move between rock outcrops. They are not aquatic, but they are capable swimmers over short distances.

This is useful to know if you see one near the water’s edge — it may not be trapped by the rising tide. It can get itself out.

Why do curly tails curl their tails?

The curled tail is a defensive display. It draws a predator’s attention to the tail rather than the head or body, and the bright underside of the tail in some individuals may startle or confuse attackers. The posture also signals alertness to other lizards in the area.

When the tail is down and relaxed, the lizard is comfortable. When it goes up, something has caught its attention.

One Last Thing About Those Lizards

Stocking Island is not a wildlife sanctuary or a nature reserve. It is a beach with a bar and a few rental villas, and the curly tails live there because the habitat suits them — open sun, rocky cover, and a steady supply of insects. They do not need protection from visitors as much as they need visitors to simply leave them alone. That is the whole arrangement, and it works. If you want to see them, sit down on a rock near the monument and wait. They will come back out, curl their tails, and go about their business as if you were not there. That is the kind of encounter that sticks with you.

Sources and further reading

Leiocephalus carinatus species profile. Floridensis, 2025.