About Smiling Lizard Research
When I came to the Virgin Islands as a marine
biology student in 1993, I was instantly captivated
by the beauty and diversity of the plant and animal
life. However, I was very frustrated by how difficult it
was to find information about what I observed.
Information about marine life was abundant, but I
found clear and accessible sources about the
terrestrial life elusive. Everything seemed to be
either too general or too technical and specialized.
Also, books were often expensive and to me
(like many other Virgin Islanders) money was
in short supply. I needed an affordable, easily
accessible guide with good photographs and helpful
information that would satisfy my curiosity about
flowers, mongooses, and everything in between.
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 Steve Herzlieb
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As an effort to both document the beauty I saw
and to capture images for later identification and
study, I began to photograph nearly everything
I came upon. The wonders I experienced
inspired me to devote a great deal of my time to
the study of the Virgin Islands.
As the years passed, I realized that I had
amassed enough material to begin to create
the nature guide that I originally wished was
available to me. Smiling Lizard Research is my
effort to provide a free service to anyone interested
in learning about the ecology and nature of the
islands.
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I am very pleased that this site is regularly
visited by Virgin Islanders. Sadly, life has
taken me in different directions and I no
longer live in the Virgin Islands. I still
maintain this website as much as my
limited free time and finances allow.
The pictures, videos, and information here are free
to be used by anyone, provided it's not for financial
gain. I especially hope that Smiling Lizard
Research be utilized by students, particularly
children in the Caribbean, who may have
difficulty acquiring other educational resources.
This website is specific to the Virgin Islands, but
many of these plants and animals can be found
throughout the Caribbean.
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If you would like to help keep Smiling Lizard Research up and running, please donate below!