The brown anole has become a model organism for the study of ecology, animal behavior, and evolution. A number of experiments have recently been performed where Norops sagrei has been introduced into an isolated area (i.e. an island) and natural selection has been observed. This research has been possible due to the fact that the brown anole species is very hardy, a good colonizer, a good adaptor, not an economic pest and it exhibits a high reproductive fitness rate. Anole lizards are found all over the islands of the Caribbean, living sympatrically, but exhibiting a vast array of different morophologies and behaviors. These types of differences have been identified among the same species on the same island, much like Darwin's finches of the Galapagos Islands and the lemurs of Madagascar. Anole lizards have adapted into every available niche. What is very unusual about Caribbean anoles, however, is that the same types of habitat specialists occur on each separate island. All of the islands contain anoles that share almost identical appearances, habitats and behaviors. The presence of similar species on different islands may be explained by an ancestral species that adapted to a specific niche and then made its way to the islands or an ancestral species that evolved at a time when the islands were still connected. Alternatively, each specialist may have arisen independently on each of the islands. Jackman, Larson and Queiroz studied this topic to discover which explanation is correct. They found that habitat specialists on one island were genetically more closely related to different specialists in the same habitat, rather that to similar specialists elsewhere. Therefore, these specialists seem to have evolved independently on each island. This evolution may also be studied through the fossil record, although the anole fossil record is scarce. Only about a dozen fossils of these lizards have been discovered, two of them dating back to the Miocene period (20 million years ago). Interestingly, these ancient specimens are almost identical to the tree-canopy habitat specialists that live today. The brown anole has allowed researchers to study evolution over a much shorter time period than it usually occurs. For example, the Schoeners introduced it to twenty islands to see if it would survive. The brown anole survived on all of the islands, except the smaller ones, and even flourished. The smaller islands could not support the new species since small islands are of lower elevations and therefore, more vulnerable to catastrophic events such as hurricanes. Because the islands had slightly different vegetation, the Schoners were able to witness evolution, as the anoles' morphology changed over generations, in direct relation to the specific environment. Lizard populations with broad perching surfaces (e.g. thick tree trunks), had longer legs than populations with narrow perching surfaces (grass and herb stems). These researchers have found that anoles are adaptable creatures that are living test cases for investigations into how evolution works.
Norops sagrei has also been classified in the genus Anolis.
The brown anole produces no audible sounds and therefore relies mostly on body language and physical appearance to communicate. The male knows that the female is ready to mate by the tilting of her head. The female knows when the male wants to mate when he displays his dewlap and bobs his head. Males communicate by their physical size, the smaller males will submit to the intimidation of the larger males and often back off, although mouth fights until death can occur between closely matched males.
These anoles perceive their environment via scent, sight, touch, and sound.
Communication Channels: visual ; tactile
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
This abundant species is not believed to be in need of special conservation efforts.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
Norops sagrei follows typical lizard development from an egg to a juvenile to an adult. Hatchlings are 15-18 mm long (snout to vent). and are usually seen in early June. They are independent at birth, very conspicuous and fast developers. Brown anole hatchlings will reach sexual maturity before their first breeding season, the following summer (at approximately 1 year old).
There are no known adverse affects of Norops sagrei on humans, although some may consider this species abundance in urban areas a nuisance.
The introduced population of this species in mainland southeastern North America seems to be affecting the native species of anole there, but there doesn't seem to be any direct affect on human welfare.
This species eats pest species of arthropods, including cockroachs and spiders. It's not clear whether they eat enough of these to have a significant affect on the arthropod populations, but many people believe the do.
Humans may also benefit directly from pet trade, since the brown anole is popular among pet lizard owners.
Positive Impacts: pet trade ; controls pest population
Anoles on islands may be significant predators of arthropods. Some experiments have shown that removing the lizards from islands results in increased populations of spiders, and reduced populations of other insects that are spider prey.
Since the brown anole was been introduced into southern Florida there has been a significant decline in the green anole population in rural and urban areas. The brown and green anoles are similar in size with simliar feeding habits. There is probably competition between the two related species in their habitat, as well as "intra-guild predation," meaning they eat each others' hatchlings. The full extent of the interactions between these two species, and the ecological effects of the invasion of brown anoles in southeastern North America is not known.
Brown anoles eat a variety of foods. The most common prey are arthropods (i.e. amphipods, spiders, isopods and insects (including moths, crickets, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, and butterflies), also other invertebrates such as earthworms and snails. Brown anoles also feed on small vertebrates, including the hatchlings of the green anole.
Animal Foods: reptiles; insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods; mollusks; terrestrial worms
Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore )
Brown anoles are found from southern Georgia and Florida to the southern tip of Mexico and the Caribbean. They are native to Cuba, the Bahamas (and surrounding islands), and throughout the Caribbean, as observed beginning in the late 1800's. About 50 to 60 years ago, they came to southern Florida and Mexico and more recently, they have appeared in and colonized Hawai'i and Jamaica. Brown anoles were most likely introduced to these areas by escapes made by pets and as stowaways on planes and ships. They have most recently spread to southeastern states such as Georgia, with one isolated population even sighted in the Houston, Texas area. Georgia brown anoles were most likely brought there by hitching rides on vehicles transporting landscaping plants and on boats (i.e. up interstate highways).
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Introduced , Native ); neotropical (Native ); oceanic islands (Introduced )
The brown anole is a "trunk-ground" terrestrial species, concentrated in areas with open vegetation as well as moist forested areas. However, at times, it can occupy the higher niches in trees, placing the species in the "tree-crown" dweller category as well. It enjoys a semi-tropical environment with a humidity of between 40-80% and a comfortable temperature of 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit (23.8-26.6 C), with a minimum temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18.3 C). The brown anole forms its territory among shrubs, vines, fences, and trees.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest ; scrub forest
Other Habitat Features: urban ; suburban
The brown anole can live up to of 5 years in the wild, and 8 years in captivity. Very few brown anoles live this long in the wild though, and the average lifespan in captivity is about 4 years.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 5 years.
Range lifespan
Status: captivity: 8 (high) years.
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 4 years.
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 4 years.
Norops sagrei is medium-sized, quite robust with a short and wide head, and is covered in small scales. It has a notably short snout compared to other anoles, long claws and a long tail. Its long toes and reduced toe-pad surface area help the brown anole to run and jump. Furthermore, its feet pads contain millions of microscopic fibers that allow it to attach to almost any kind of surface, whether smooth as glass or textured. The brown anole is sexually dimorphic, with the males exceeding the females in size. Mature adult males are generally 54 mm in snout-to-vent length (SVL) and weigh 6-8 grams, where mature adult females are generally 43 mm SVL and weight 3-4 grams. Male coloration varies highly, from light grey to stark-black and from a uniform color to multiple colorations (covered dorsally with irregular dark patches and a light-colored network of lines outlining the patches). Female coloration covers a wide range as well, however, they almost always have a dorsal white stripe with a dark triangular pattern that is very recognizable as a female brown anole trait. The most recognizable feature of the male brown anole is its dewlap. This is a "throat fan" that the male can extend to reveal an orange-red color display for territorial and courtship purposes. Females also have much smaller versions of the dewlap, but they do not use them. The brown anole can be distinguished from its relative species, the native green anole (Anolis carolinensis), because the green anole has a much longer, pointed snout, its coloration is green (although it can change colors like a chameleon in response to environmental or physiological changes), and its dewlap is a recognizably lighter pink shade.
Range mass: 3 to 8 g.
Range length: 35 to 68 mm.
Other Physical Features: heterothermic
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger; sexes colored or patterned differently; male more colorful; ornamentation
Hatchlings anoles are eaten by adults of other anole species. Although there is not much information on predators of the brown anole specifically, sources did note that adults are eaten by many vertebrates, such as broadhead skinks (Plestiodon laticeps), snakes and some birds. Spiders can sometimes capture and eat small anoles.
The coloration of Norops sagrei is such that it can easily blend in with the bark of a tree or on brown earth, rendering it nearly invisible to predators.
This is an alert and quick-moving species of lizard, that sprints from predators if it can.
If captured, brown anoles have one notable anti-predator adaptation involving their tails. The anole can voluntarily break off and drop most of its tail when being pursued. The separated tail will twitch and flail around for a short time, which often distracts the predator and allows the tailless lizard to escape. The brown anole tail is cartilagenous and will slowly regenerate into a new tail, however the new tail is usually a dull gray and is often smaller than the original tail.
Known Predators:
Anti-predator Adaptations: cryptic
Little research is available on the brown anole for its mating system, however there is research available in this area on its close relative, the green anole (Anolis carolinensis). The green anole exhibits "female-defense polygyny" which is when the male patrols the outskirts of the females' territories that he will mate with in order to keep other males away. The number of females per male is usually a few females to every one male. The female moves to where the male can see her when she is ready to breed. She signals the male to approach by cocking her neck so the male can grab on with his mouth. These are brief encounters (1-2 minutes) when the male makes the final decision if he will copulate with her or not. Seventy percent of the time the male lets go of the female to search for a suitable mate. When copulation does occur, it usually lasts between 30 and 60 minutes. The female anole then finds the right spot in moist soil, mulch or leaf litter to dig a small hole and lay her egg (usually a single egg, sometimes two).
Mating System: polygynous
Most often, the adult brown anole breeds seasonally in the summer months (generally March or April until August or September). During this time, the female lays one or two eggs at a time on a weekly or bi-weekly basis for the entire breeding season. She generally lays between 15 and 18 eggs per breeding season. Such a short egg-laying period is possible due to the fact that she can alternate the use of her right and left ovaries. Females are also usually sexually active for a slightly longer period than males, because they can store sperm and continue to fertilize their own eggs after the normal breeding period ends for males. In order for the female to successfully lay her eggs, she must have moist soil or leaf-litter to lay them in and an environment high in humidity.
Breeding interval: The brown anole breeds once every one to two week period, although copulation is not always necessary that often to obtain sperm since the female brown anole can store sperm for an extended period of time, sometimes for the entire breeding season.
Breeding season: The adult brown anole establishes its territory and breeds during the summer months (March or April), defending its space and breeding through August or September. However, in many tropical locations, the brown anole may breed year-round due to the stabilized warm weather, which is needed for breeding and egg-laying.
Range number of offspring: 0 to 2.
Average gestation period: 7 weeks.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 1 years.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 1 years.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; sexual ; fertilization ; oviparous ; sperm-storing
Most anole research available pertaining to parental care was conducted on green anoles, a closely related species. After the female has deposited her egg, she covers it up and abandons the site. Further parental care is neither given nor necessary since the egg is hardy enough to survive and hatch on its own. The surface of brown anole eggs can be described as being covered with small, but recognizable, longitudinal marks. The egg(s) hatch 6-8 weeks later and the anole hatchlings are on their own. They must rely completely on instinct to catch food in order to survive.
Parental Investment: pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female)
Norops sagrei, the brown anole, is a small, highly invasive lizard native to the Bahamas and Cuba.Scientists estimate that it invaded peninsular Florida 6 separate times in the 1940s.By the 1970, the brown anole was well established in urban areas all over Florida.They are now one of the most abundant lizards in Florida.In the US, the brown anole spread to Georgia, Texas, Southern California and Hawaii.They have also been introduced other Caribbean Islands, Central America.Most recently they have been documented in Taiwan, spreading from a founding population in an agricultural area near a plant nursery.
The generalist habitat of the brown anole allows populations to grow large and densely. They live in open habitats, on the ground or low tree trunks, and readily adapt to disturbed and urban areas.In the time since brown anoles arrived in the United States they have outcompeted the North American native green anole, which has significantly declined in numbers as a result.
A light brown in color, the brown anole has black markings on its back, light lines on its sides, and a ridge along the back of the males, running from head to tail tip.This ridge distinguishes them from the similar green anole.Brown anole skin coloration camouflages them against tree bark, and their skin can darken to match their surroundings.Males grow to about 7-8 inches long (18-20 cm) and are aggressively territorial.In mating and territorial displays, they show off a dramatically orange-red dewlap (throat fan).Smaller, the females reach 3-6 inches (7.5-15 cm) long. They also have a smaller dewlap, which they do not use.
Brown anoles move fast.When pursued or threatened, brown anoles can detach their tail, which wiggles to distract their predator while the anole escapes.Their tail subsequently regenerates, although as a smaller version of the original.Their multiple predators include snakes, other lizards, birds and even large spiders.
Carnivorous, brown anoles are opportunistic and will eat almost anything they can find.Meals include insects, grubs and mealworms, spiders, other lizards and their eggs, aquatic invertebrates and fish, their own molted skin and detached tails.They also cannibalize their own hatchlings.
Brown anoles breed March-September, although in some tropical areas they breed year round.Each breeding season a female lays a total of 15-18 eggs, 1-2 at a time every 1-2 weeks.She covers them with moist soil or leaf litter then leaves them to hatch on their own.The hatchlings are independent and develop fast, becoming mature before one year of age.The immature lizards resemble, and are difficult to distinguish from, adult females.Their average lifespan is about 4 years.
Brown anoles are regularly found in the pet trade.
(Casanova 2004; Gerrut et al. 2002; Masterson 2007; Norval et al. 2002; Uetz and Hallermann 2016; Wikipedia 2015)
The brown anole (Anolis sagrei), also known commonly as the Cuban brown anole, or De la Sagra's anole,[2] is a species of lizard in the family Dactyloidae. The species is native to Cuba and the Bahamas. It has been widely introduced elsewhere, via the importation and exportation of plants where the anole would lay eggs in the soil of the pots, and is now found in Florida and as far north in the United States as southern Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Hawaii, and Southern California.[3][4][5] It has also been introduced to other Caribbean islands, Mexico, Panamá and Taiwan.
This species is highly invasive.[6][7] 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, like the green anole.[8][9][10][11] The brown anole's introduction into the United States in the early 1970s[12] has altered the behavior and negatively affected populations of the native Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis, also known as the green anole), which have since generally been relegated to the treetops.[13]
The specific name, sagrei, is in honor of Spanish botanist Ramón de la Sagra.[14]
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.[15]
Brown anoles are typically 5.0 to 8.5 inches long.[15] The males can grow as large as their male Carolina anole 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 Carolina anoles, which ranges from 7.6–15 cm (3.0–5.9 in). The male brown anole's head is smaller than that of the male Carolina anole.[16]
The brown anole's tail has a ridge that travels all the way up to behind the head, a feature that the Carolina anole lacks.[16][17] Female anolis lizards exhibit heritable polymorphism in their dorsal patterning. A study in Gainesville, Florida reported that one-third of A. sagrei females displayed a male-like chevron dorsal pattern, while other females had a striped dorsal pattern with continuous variation.[18]
Male extending dewlap
Florida female
Female
_juvenile.JPG)
Grand Cayman juvenile
The native range of the brown anole extends over much of the Caribbean, including Jamaica, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and other countries.[19] Currently, they are considered an invasive species in parts of Florida in the United States, including the Florida Keys, Dade County, Broward County, and Palm Beach County as of 1985.[19][20] Today, their range has extended as far as Georgia and to parts of Mexico.[21] It is believed that these lizards were unintentionally brought to the area in cargo shipments for the Caribbean, as well as an intentional release of approximately 100 individuals in 1941.[19] The species is also established in parts of Honduras.[22]
The brown anole tends to live on the ground, avoiding trees and preferring to live in smaller plants and shrubs and is found in both urban and suburban areas.[21] When the weather is warm, the brown anole can be found basking.[21] When it is cold, they prefer sheltered areas.[21] Brown anoles are less arboreal than the green anoles which are frequently found living in trees, on the ground, or in low vegetation.[15][23]
Although the brown anole was initially found in the Caribbean and then introduced to southern Florida, the species is now moving north. Specifically, the species has been found in southern Georgia as well as coastal Georgia. Researchers expect that this trend will continue in the coming years and that the brown anole will continue to migrate to other locations in the north.[15] Due to their invasiveness, they are often the dominant reptile species in a given environment.[21]
While the brown anole is an invasive species in the United States,[19] they likely do provide some benefits to their ecosystems. Because they eat predominantly arthropods, they may keep populations of spiders at appropriate levels.[11] Some research suggests that local spider populations depend directly on the population of the brown anole.[11]
In habitats they share with the green anole, the brown anole dominates and shrinks the population of the green anole.[11] They also occasionally eat hatchlings of the green anole, further putting pressure on their populations.[21] No concentrated efforts have been made to mitigate the spread of the brown anole populations in the United States.[24]
Additionally, the brown anole has been shown to be responsible for the transmission of parasites among lizard populations in Hawai'i, which are often deadly for these local populations.[24]
The brown anole belongs to the family and genus, Datyloidae and Anolis, respectively.[25]
The most closely related species to Anolis sagrei is Anolis nelsoni, also called Nelson's anole.[25][26]
The brown anole has a shorter snout length than the green anole.[15] The green anole, or Anolis carolinensis, is green or light brown patterned.[15]
Studies suggest that male brown anoles exhibit territoriality over ground below perches on which they rest.[27] When the male anole spots other males in his ground territory, he is very likely to put on displays to attempt to intimidate the competitor.[27] If, however, the competitor presents himself on the same perch as the male or at roughly the same height, the male is much more likely to attack the competitor.[27] So, the male brown anole is thought to use his perch to survey his territory, but is not likely to leave the perch to fight off competitors, as doing so would be costly.[27] Additionally, research shows that the success of an individual male anole in competition with another is dependent on his size relative to his competitor.[28] The size of a male also correlates with the height of his perch; that is, larger males are more often found on higher perches and smaller males on lower ones.[28] Different specific confrontational behaviors are also exhibited by differently sized males; larger ones more often initiate conflict and smaller ones more often nod their heads towards larger anoles.[28] The loss of a male brown anole's tail has been shown to have little to no effect on the size of the territory he protects or dominance patterns between male brown anoles.[29]
Under certain circumstances, brown anoles leave their current territory and migrate to a new one.[30] Males migrate to new territories in response to male-male competition, with smaller males being more likely to migrate.[30] The distance that a male migrates is negatively correlated with his size relative to other males; large males travel shorter distances to new territories and small males travel longer distances to new territories.[30] Female brown anoles do not show an association between size and probability of migration or migration distance.[30] Instead, females in territories with a high density of other females are more likely to move to territories with lower densities of other females.[30] Generally, individuals, regardless of sex, prefer to remain in their original territory as migrating poses predation risks and energetic costs.[30]
Brown anoles feed on small arthropods such as crickets, moths, ants, grasshoppers, cockroaches, mealworms, beetles, flies, earwigs, butterflies, spiders, waxworms, amphipods, and isopods.[31][32] Brown anoles also feed on other types of invertebrates such as earthworms and snails.[31] They may also eat other lizards, such as skinks, geckos, and the Carolina anole, lizard eggs and hatchlings (including members of their species), and their own molted skin and detached tails.[32] If near water, they eat aquatic arthropods or small fish – nearly any prey that will fit in their mouths.[16][17] Occasionally, individuals will also consume figs and plant material; it might be interpreted as a hydration mechanism or accidental ingestion.[32]
In a given habitat, female brown anoles reproduce in the warmer parts of the year.[21] The brood size of a single female brown anole is one egg, which it lays in damp environments.[21] The female lays its eggs roughly 2 weeks apart from each other,[21] resulting in a total of 15 to 18 eggs in a single breeding season.[11] The breeding season of a female extends slightly longer than that of a male, as the female is capable of storing sperm for a short time.[11] When a juvenile anole is born, usually in June, it is completely independent from its parents.[11] Sexual maturation of both males and females occurs within a year of hatching, so an individual can participate in the mating season following its birth.[11]
When a female anole is prepared for mating, it begins by making itself visible to the male whose territory it is in.[11] When mating occurs, the male grabs on to the back on the females neck with its mouth, so prior to mating, a female will bend its neck such that it is more visible and accessible by the male, indicating that it is ready for procreation.[11] If the male decides to reproduce, it will begin mating with the female, which usually lasts from 30 to 60 minutes.[11] Males indicate that they are available for mating by extending their dewlap and bobbing their head.[11]
Male anoles have a flap that extends below their neck called a "dewlap".[33] Dewlap extension occurs alongside a number of behaviors exhibited by the brown anole, namely during courtship.[33] In an experiment by Richard Tokarz, an experimental group of male brown anoles underwent a surgery that rendered them unable to extend their dewlaps; a control group of male anoles were subject to the same surgery, but without the final step, so they retained the ability to extend their dewlap. Males and females were then put together in an enclosure; the experimental males took more time to begin mating when in the presence of females and mating took longer. Control males were more quick to mate and mated more quickly.[33]
A separate study suggests that the dominant male in a territory is more influential over the mating partners of a female than female mate choice.[34] During observation, females that mated with multiple males did so because dominance over a territory transferred between males, while the female remained in the same territory.[35] There were no observations of female brown anoles seeking out different males or entering a new territory.[35]
Additionally, female brown anoles are more likely to participate in mating behaviors in the presence of precipitation.[35]
An individual egg will hatch four weeks after it was laid. From the moment they are born, the anole is completely independent from its parents.[24] As such, the brown anole displays no reproductive division of labor past the mating event and displays no cooperative brood care. However, female brown anoles have been observed digging holes and positioning eggs within these holes after oviposition. This is thought to allow for additional parental influence on phenotype and offspring survival. The selection of a site to nest by a female and how she lays her eggs within this site is performed in an effort to maximize survival of her offspring.[36] A female will lay one egg at a time and can lay a new egg each week of the reproductive season.[24]
Known predators of the brown anole include broad-headed skinks, snakes, birds, and occasionally other species of anoles.[11] More often than not, brown anoles eaten by other anoles are juvenile. Predation by many vertebrates has been observed. Spiders can prey upon young anoles and are one of the few exceptions to this observation.[11]
The coloration of the brown anole allows it to easily blend in with its surroundings, making it difficult for predators to spot.[11] The brown anole has a detachable tail that can be detached if the anole is grabbed by the tail by a predator or used as a distraction, as it twitches after detaching.[11] The tail grows back afterwards, albeit smaller and a duller color.[11] Despite the extensive list of predators, the lizard's alertness and sprint speed make it very difficult for predators to track and capture.[11]
When raised in terraria with surfaces differing in width (wide or narrow), brown anoles wide-surface terraria grew longer hindlimb than their narrow-surface terraria counterparts.[37] Brown anoles demonstrate phenotypic plasticity in this trait, akin to very rapid evolution.[37]
Extreme climate events such as hurricanes can provoke species changes through natural selection. In areas recently affected by hurricanes, anoles with large, strong-gripping toepads were more successful in surviving. In 12 insular populations of Anolis sagrei, and 188 species from across the Neotropics over the past 70 years, the populations that were more frequently affected by hurricanes had proportionately larger toepads.[38]
Nearly all species of anole, including the Anolis sagrei, have a dewlap on their throat.[39] The dewlap can be used as a means of identifying specific species within the Dactyloidae family.[40] This is useful for not only mate selection between male anoles, but also to ensure the female is indeed mating with an individual within their own species.[40] The dewlap of the Anolis sagrei is typically a shade of red or yellow, while the rest of an individual is brown.[40] The extension of the dewlap is controlled by the ceratobranchials II, a bone below the throat.[33] The size and color of a species' dewlap has been shown to vary with the light of their environments and color of their body, respectively; specifically, dimmer environments elicit larger dewlaps and duller body colors elicit brighter dewlap colors.[39] In the brown anole, dewlap color is not dependent on an individual's consumption of lutein and zeaxanthin, pigments typically used as colorants in species that display color on their body.[41] Dewlaps are believed to be involved in mate selection, as well as communication between individual brown anoles.[21]
Brown anoles molt in small pieces, unlike some other reptiles, which molt in one large piece. Anoles may consume the molted skin to replenish supplies of calcium.[42] In captivity, the molted skin may stick to the anole if humidity is too low. The unshed layer of skin can build up around the eyes, preventing the lizard from feeding and may lead to starvation. This can be prevented by maintaining high humidity.
Anoles use visual cues as their primary signaling mode.[43]
The brown anole (Anolis sagrei), also known commonly as the Cuban brown anole, or De la Sagra's anole, is a species of lizard in the family Dactyloidae. The species is native to Cuba and the Bahamas. It has been widely introduced elsewhere, via the importation and exportation of plants where the anole would lay eggs in the soil of the pots, and is now found in Florida and as far north in the United States as southern Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Hawaii, and Southern California. It has also been introduced to other Caribbean islands, Mexico, Panamá and Taiwan.
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, like the green anole. The brown anole's introduction into the United States in the early 1970s has altered the behavior and negatively affected populations of the native Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis, also known as the green anole), which have since generally been relegated to the treetops.
