Cuban knight anole, Cuban giant anole, Chipojo ( in Cuba), Knight anole
The knight anole (Anolis equestris ) is the largest species of anole (US: /əˈnoʊ.li/ (listen)) in the Dactyloidae family. Other common names include Cuban knight anole or Cuban giant anole, highlighting its native country, but it has also been introduced to Florida. In its native Cuba, this large anole is called chupacocote.
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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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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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PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
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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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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Precocial 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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PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.
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Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
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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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starts withThe Knight anole is the large species of lizard native to Cuba. It is mostly bright green in color with a yellow stripe on the side of the head and another on the shoulder, but it is able to perform some color changes. It has a pinkish-white dewlap. Juveniles have light bands on the body.
Knight anoles are native to Cuba but have been widely introduced into South Florida, where they reproduce and spread readily. In Cuba, they live in a wide range of habitats with trees, such as forest, mangrove, savanna, cultivated areas, and gardens. In their introduced Florida range Knight anoles even occur in trees along roads in Miami.
Knight anoles are generally solitary creatures. However, as they cannot withstand cold temperatures in highland parts of their native Cuba, a few individuals may rest adjacent to each other during the relatively cold winters. In winter in Florida, they even have been known to freeze and fall to the ground from tree canopies. Knight anoles are arboreal and mostly found high in trees on the trunk or branches in the canopy. However, they will descend to the ground to get from one tree to another, or for thermoregulation, when occasionally seen on warm asphalt, rocks, or sidewalks. Knight anoles are diurnal and fiercely territorial. Initially, they turn to face almost any perceived threat, if only from a distance. During its challenge display, a lizard will sit high on all fours, gape menacingly, turn green, and perhaps bob its head. The male will extend its dewlap, and both females and males will "puff themselves up" with air.
Knight anoles are carnivores (insectivores) and their diet consists mainly of insects and snails. They also eat fruits and may occasionally take small vertebrates such as small birds and reptiles (including other anoles).
Knight anoles are polygynandrous (promiscuous) which means that both males and females have multiple partners in a single breeding season. They are oviparous (egg-laying) and usually breed in summer.
