Anolis cristatellus
| Crested anole | |
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| A. c. cristatellus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Polychrotidae |
| Genus: | Anolis |
| Species: | A. cristatellus |
| Binomial name | |
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Anolis cristatellus Duméril and Bibron, 1837 |
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| Synonyms | |
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The crested anole (Anolis cristatellus) is a species of anole belonging to the Polychrotidae family of reptiles.
This lizard is found throughout Puerto Rico, the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, and in Costa Rica and has been introduced into eastern Hispaniola, Dominica, and Florida. Subspecies, Anolis cristatellus wileyae, is found on islands off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, such as Culebra and Vieques, and also on the U.S. Virgin Islands.
These lizards typically spend their time perched on tree trunks, coming to the ground to forage.
When looking for a mate or defending its territory, this anole will display its dewlap and perform "push-ups" to establish dominance. Males aggressively defend territories when mating, but only rarely does this result in physical combat. As a defense against predators, they autotomize their tails.
They mainly eat spiders and small invertebrates, but will occasionally eat fruit on the ground. They will sometimes even eat other anoles, due to territorial reasons, or if food is scarce.
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Wikipedia