Brown anole
| Brown anole | |
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| Male brown anole displaying dewlap | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Dactyloidae |
| Genus: | Anolis |
| Species: | A. sagrei |
| Binomial name | |
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Anolis sagrei Duméril and Bibron, 1837 |
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| Synonyms | |
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The brown anole (Anolis sagrei), also known as the Bahaman anole or De la Sagra's Anole, is a lizard native to Cuba and the Bahamas. It has been widely introduced elsewhere, by being sold as a pet lizard, and is now found in Florida and as far north in the United States as southern Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Hawaii, and Southern California. It has also been introduced to other Caribbean islands and Taiwan in Asia.
This species is highly invasive. In its introduced range, it reaches exceptionally high population densities, is capable of expanding its range very quickly, and both outcompetes and consumes many species of native lizards. The brown anole's introduction into the United States in the early 1970s has altered the behavior and triggered a negative effect on populations of the native Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis, also known as the green anole), which have generally been relegated to the treetops.
The brown anole is normally a light brown color with darker brown to black markings on its back, and several tan to light color lines on its sides. Like other anoles, it can change color, in this case a darker brown to black. Its dewlap ranges from yellow to orange-red. The males can grow as large as their green anole male counterparts, around 17.8–20.3 cm (7.0–8.0 in) long, with some individuals topping 22.9 cm (9.0 in). The females are also around the size of female green anoles: 7.6–15 cm (3.0–5.9 in). The male brown anole's head is smaller than that of the male green anole. Also, the brown anole's tail has a ridge that travels all the way up to behind the head, a feature the green anole lacks.
Male extending dewlap
Florida female
Female
Grand Cayman juvenile
Male extending his dewlap in Citrus County, Florida
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Wikipedia