Bahaman anole, De la Sagra's anole, Cuban brown anole
The Brown anole (Anolis sagrei) is a species of lizard 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 the United States. It has also been introduced to other Caribbean islands, Mexico, and Taiwan.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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Art Of AttractionBrown anoles are normally a light brown color with darker brown to black markings on their back, and several tan to light color lines on their sides. Like other anoles, they can change color, in this case, a darker brown to black. Their dewlap ranges from yellow to orange-red. The tail has a ridge that travels all the way up to behind the head. Female Brown anoles can be distinguished from males by a light brown stripe that runs over their backs.
Brown anoles are native to Cuba and the Bahamas. Today, their range has extended as far as Georgia and parts of Mexico. These lizards typically avoid trees and prefer smaller plants and shrubs and are found in both urban and suburban areas.
Brown anoles are active during the day and are often seen basking on tree branches or rocks. When the weather is cold they hide under tree barks and inside rotten logs. They are social creatures. Female and male territories are separate but there are usually two or more female territories within one male territory. Males are very territorial and often fight with each other to protect their home range. Anoles use visual cues as their primary signaling mode. Males like to have high vantage points so they can overlook their territory in search of females to mate with or to spot other rival males that have encroached on their territory. They'll often bob their head up and down quickly before displaying their dewlap and will do sets of push-ups. When pursued or captured, Brown anoles can detach most of their tail. The piece that breaks off will continue to move, possibly distracting the predator and allowing the anole to escape. The lost tail will partially regrow. If provoked, Brown anoles will bite, urinate, and defecate. Also, some Brown anoles may do a short hiss if caught, injured, or fighting.
Brown anoles are carnivores (insectivores) and feed on small arthropods such as crickets, moths, ants, grasshoppers, cockroaches, mealworms, spiders, and waxworms. They may also eat other lizards, such as skinks and Carolina anole, lizard eggs, and their own molted skin and detached tails. If near water, they eat aquatic arthropods or small fish - nearly anything that will fit in their mouths.
Brown anoles are polygynous meaning that one male mates with more than one female. They breed between late spring and early summer. Females lay 1 to 2 eggs every one or two weeks throughout the breeding season. For the successful development of eggs, females search for moist habitats. After laying eggs the female covers them and leaves. Incubation takes around 6-8 weeks. The young are fully developed and independent at birth. They become reproductively mature at 1 year of age.
There are no major threats to Brown anoles at present.
According to IUCN Red List, the Brown anole is locally widespread throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today remain stable.
While the Brown anole is an invasive species in the United States, they likely do provide some benefits to their ecosystems. Because they eat predominantly arthropods, they may keep populations of spiders at appropriate levels. Some research suggests that local spider populations depend directly on the population of the brown anole.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...