We looked closely inside the glass tank, which is located in the upstairs hallway. Inside the tank we saw lots of live plants and some not alive. We saw branches, some thick and twisted, and one that looked like it came from someone’s backyard. A small, round, dish containing mealworms was sitting on a brown substance covering the bottom of the tank. We looked closely into all the green leaves looking for the three anoles. Finally, we walked around the tank and spied all three in a clump of leaves on the back wall. We saw one large green anole and a large and small one that were brown.

We were curious to know why we had a Critter Corner and why anoles were our new neighbors. Dr. Reinemann, our Assistant Principal, established the Critter Corner. We interviewed her to learn more. She said, “it’s a way to learn about a critter that doesn’t live outside” [in the Northeast region of the United States of America]. Anoles are easy to take care of, she shared. They don’t need to be fed everyday. The anoles live in tropical environments; you might see them climbing on screens in Florida. One died over the summer and she bought another anole at the beginning of school, this year.

We heard there might be a new critter living upstairs. She explained, “Something that’s not an anole.” She’s considering a turtle because they live on land and in water and are different from anoles. They are also vegetarians; the anoles are carnivores. She’s still thinking of having something different from anoles. Dr. Reinemann can’t choose an animal with fur or feathers because of people’s allergies. She’s still open to suggestions.

Most people name their pets, so we could have a naming contest? She remarked, “we need to see him or her first before we name it”. We didn’t name the anoles because it is to hard to tell them apart. Maybe we could have a contest to name the new critter.

Finally, we wondered what other plans she has for the Critter Corner. Dr. Reinemann informed us that she would like to have posters to tell people about the animals. Convincing more kids to be involved with the Critter Corner would be a great thing.

Since we last spoke with Dr. Reinemann, there is no new animal but there are changes in the Critter Corner. She has added some plants to the corner. These plants require different amounts of water; a plant that lives in water with a Betta fish to keep it company, there’s also some desert plants that only need to be misted once a week, to an air fern which requires no water or soil to grow. Please check back in and we will let you know what the new resident, in the Critter Corner, will be.

Reported by Abigail, Jenna, and Samuel