Polychrotidae
Encyclopedia
Polychrotidae is a family of lizard
s commonly known as anoles (icon). NCBI
places the anole in subfamily Polychrotinae of the family Iguanidae
. Four genera are common: Anolis
, Norops
, Phenacosaurus
, and Polychrus
.
Anole lizards are frequently and incorrectly called American chameleon
s or gecko
s, as they are not closely related to either of those groups. In fact, they are more closely related to iguanas. These misconceptions are likely due to their ability to alter their skin color
and run up walls
.
, the Caribbean
, and various other regions of the Western world. A large majority of them sport a green coloration, including the only species native to North America
, the aptly named Green anole
, although the green anole can change its color based on its mood and surroundings. Anoles are an exorbitantly diverse and plentiful group of lizards. There are currently about 372 known species. The Knight
, Green, Bark Anole, and Cuban Brown Anoles
can all be found in the United States, primarily in Florida
, although the most prevalent of these species by far is the Cuban brown anole, which has pushed the native green (or "Carolina") anole population farther north.
Interestingly, when green anoles and brown anoles cohabit the same area, the brown anoles are primarily terrestrial or restrict themselves to the lower branches of bushes, while the green anoles stay higher. Brown anoles have also spread into East Texas. At a nursery in the Heights neighborhood of Houston, Texas, a stable population has established itself, hatchlings having been observed in the Spring of 2005.
All species of anole in the U.S. except the green anole were introduced through eggs nested in imported plants. It is notable that while nearly all anoles can change their color, the extent and variations of this ability differ widely throughout the individual anole species. For example, the green anole can change its color from a bright, leafy green to a dull brown color, while the Cuban brown can only change its shade of brown, along with the patterns on its back.
Many anoles are between 8 and 18 cm (3–7 inches) in length. Some larger species, such as the Knight Anole
, can surpass 12 inches (304.8 mm); some males of the Knight Anole species can even reach 20 inches (508 mm) in length.
Anoles' diets include live insect
s and other invertebrate
s, with crickets
, spider
s, and moth
s being some of the most commonly consumed prey
. Anoles are opportunistic feeders, and may attempt to eat any attractive meal that is small enough. The primary foods for captive anoles are small feeder crickets
that can be purchased at most pet stores.
These subtropical lizards are semi arboreal. They usually inhabit regions around 3–6 m (10–20 feet) high. Shrubs, walls, fences, bushes, and short trees are common hiding places.
Most anoles are said to live between 4 and 8 years. Even anoles captured from the wild can live for several years if given acceptable living space and cared for properly—a healthy anole in captivity, being free from predators and natural disaster, may live well beyond seven years. Some anoles may even reach 14 years with careful and proper care.
Breeding occurs for several months beginning in late spring. Males employ head bobbing and dewlap
extension in courtship. 1–2 small, soft shell eggs are laid among leaf litter. More clutches may be laid before mating season has ended.
Anole populations in each of the Martinique
islands, despite remaining separate for an estimated six to eight million years, have not experienced significant evolution, and many mixed-island couples have successfully reproduced.
Anoles have many features that make them readily identifiable. They have a dewlap
, made of erectile cartilage
, that extends from the neck/throat area. Their toes are covered with structures that allow them to cling to many different surfaces. Also, their tails have the ability to break off at special segments in order to escape predators or fights. The tail itself continues to wriggle strongly for some minutes after detaching. This ability is known as autotomy
. Anoles are also diurnal
, which means that they are active during the daytime.
Some species of anoles exhibit sexual dimorphism
, which allows one to discern between males and females fairly easily with the naked eye. In green anoles, the females are characterized by a pale dorsal stripe extending from neck to tail, generally smaller body, and a smaller head with a shorter snout. Female brown anoles share these characteristics, although their dorsal stripe is oftentimes wider with diamond-shaped or squiggly edges. This stripe may be present sometimes in males, especially young ones not yet fully grown, but it is always fainter with less defined edges. Some females have a small dewlap (pale and much smaller than those of the males); others not at all.
, and does "jumping jacks" accompanied by intermittent ultrasonic hisses. If this does not scare off the intruder, a fight proceeds in which the two anoles bite at each other's tails. If the anole loses (gives up) the intruder gains entrance, otherwise he leaves. Males rarely fight. Anoles have a wide range of territorial
behavior from one head bob to a pressurized bite usually aimed for the snout or jaw of the lizard. When caught by a person they will tend to bite if agitated and require some effort to remove from skin. They very infrequently draw blood or cause injury.
Anoles function well as a native pest control
as they will eat spiders, cockroaches
, and other bugs
and will run from humans whenever possible.
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
s commonly known as anoles (icon). NCBI
NCBI
NCBI may refer to:* National Center for Biotechnology Information, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health* National Coalition Building Institute, a U.S. non-profit training group...
places the anole in subfamily Polychrotinae of the family Iguanidae
Iguanidae
Iguanidae is a family of lizards, composed of iguanas and related species.-Classification of Iguanidae:Two different classification schemes have been used to define the structure of this family. These are the "traditional" classification and the classification presented by Frost et al. .Frost et...
. Four genera are common: Anolis
Anolis
Anolis is a genus of lizards belonging to the family Polychrotidae. With nearly 400 species, Anolis represents the world's most species rich amniote genus. Several species of Anolis are occasionally ascribed to the genus Norops, but the validity of the Norops genus is not widely accepted...
, Norops
Norops
Norops is the proposed generic name for 150 lizard species traditionally classified in the genus Anolis . Guyer and Savage applied this name to a group that Etheridge designated the "beta anoles" on the basis of skeletal characters that distinguished them from all other anole species...
, Phenacosaurus
Phenacosaurus
Phenacosaurus is a genus of lizards commonly known as anoles.-Species of the genus Phenacosaurus:*Phenacosaurus bellipeniculus*Phenacosaurus carlostoddi*Phenacosaurus euskalerriari*Phenacosaurus heterodermus...
, and Polychrus
Polychrus
Polychrus is a genus of lizards, commonly called bush anoles that are found in the Caribbean, Central, and South America.Polychrus means 'many colored'...
.
Anole lizards are frequently and incorrectly called American chameleon
Chameleon
Chameleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a...
s or gecko
Gecko
Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....
s, as they are not closely related to either of those groups. In fact, they are more closely related to iguanas. These misconceptions are likely due to their ability to alter their skin color
Chameleon
Chameleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a...
and run up walls
Gecko
Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....
.
Characteristics and distribution
Anoles are small and common lizards that can be found throughout the southeastern United StatesSoutheastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
, the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, and various other regions of the Western world. A large majority of them sport a green coloration, including the only species native to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, the aptly named Green anole
Carolina anole
The Carolina anole is an arboreal lizard found primarily in the southeastern United States and some Caribbean islands. Other common names include the green anole, American anole and red-throated anole...
, although the green anole can change its color based on its mood and surroundings. Anoles are an exorbitantly diverse and plentiful group of lizards. There are currently about 372 known species. The Knight
Knight Anole
The knight anole is a species of lizard in the Polychrotidae family, and the largest species of anole. Other common names include Cuban knight anole.-Geographic range:...
, Green, Bark Anole, and Cuban Brown Anoles
Brown Anole
The Brown Anole is a lizard native to Cuba and the Bahamas. It has been widely introduced elsewhere, and is now found in Florida and as far north as southern Georgia, Texas, Taiwan, Hawaii, Southern California, and other Caribbean islands.This species is highly invasive...
can all be found in the United States, primarily in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, although the most prevalent of these species by far is the Cuban brown anole, which has pushed the native green (or "Carolina") anole population farther north.
Interestingly, when green anoles and brown anoles cohabit the same area, the brown anoles are primarily terrestrial or restrict themselves to the lower branches of bushes, while the green anoles stay higher. Brown anoles have also spread into East Texas. At a nursery in the Heights neighborhood of Houston, Texas, a stable population has established itself, hatchlings having been observed in the Spring of 2005.
All species of anole in the U.S. except the green anole were introduced through eggs nested in imported plants. It is notable that while nearly all anoles can change their color, the extent and variations of this ability differ widely throughout the individual anole species. For example, the green anole can change its color from a bright, leafy green to a dull brown color, while the Cuban brown can only change its shade of brown, along with the patterns on its back.
Knight Anole
The knight anole is a species of lizard in the Polychrotidae family, and the largest species of anole. Other common names include Cuban knight anole.-Geographic range:...
, can surpass 12 inches (304.8 mm); some males of the Knight Anole species can even reach 20 inches (508 mm) in length.
Anoles' diets include live insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and other invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s, with crickets
Cricket (insect)
Crickets, family Gryllidae , are insects somewhat related to grasshoppers, and more closely related to katydids or bush crickets . They have somewhat flattened bodies and long antennae. There are about 900 species of crickets...
, spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s, and moth
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
s being some of the most commonly consumed prey
Predation
In ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator feeds on its prey . Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of its prey and the eventual absorption of the prey's tissue through consumption...
. Anoles are opportunistic feeders, and may attempt to eat any attractive meal that is small enough. The primary foods for captive anoles are small feeder crickets
Cricket (insect)
Crickets, family Gryllidae , are insects somewhat related to grasshoppers, and more closely related to katydids or bush crickets . They have somewhat flattened bodies and long antennae. There are about 900 species of crickets...
that can be purchased at most pet stores.
Most anoles are said to live between 4 and 8 years. Even anoles captured from the wild can live for several years if given acceptable living space and cared for properly—a healthy anole in captivity, being free from predators and natural disaster, may live well beyond seven years. Some anoles may even reach 14 years with careful and proper care.
Dewlap
A dewlap is a longitudinal flap of skin that hangs beneath the lower jaw or neck of many vertebrates. While the term is usually used in this specific context, it can also be used to include other structures occurring in the same body area with a similar aspect, such as those caused by a double...
extension in courtship. 1–2 small, soft shell eggs are laid among leaf litter. More clutches may be laid before mating season has ended.
Anole populations in each of the Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
islands, despite remaining separate for an estimated six to eight million years, have not experienced significant evolution, and many mixed-island couples have successfully reproduced.
Anoles have many features that make them readily identifiable. They have a dewlap
Dewlap
A dewlap is a longitudinal flap of skin that hangs beneath the lower jaw or neck of many vertebrates. While the term is usually used in this specific context, it can also be used to include other structures occurring in the same body area with a similar aspect, such as those caused by a double...
, made of erectile cartilage
Cartilage
Cartilage is a flexible connective tissue found in many areas in the bodies of humans and other animals, including the joints between bones, the rib cage, the ear, the nose, the elbow, the knee, the ankle, the bronchial tubes and the intervertebral discs...
, that extends from the neck/throat area. Their toes are covered with structures that allow them to cling to many different surfaces. Also, their tails have the ability to break off at special segments in order to escape predators or fights. The tail itself continues to wriggle strongly for some minutes after detaching. This ability is known as autotomy
Autotomy
Autotomy or self amputation is the act whereby an animal severs one or more of its own appendages, usually as a self-defense mechanism designed to elude a predator's grasp...
. Anoles are also diurnal
Diurnal animal
Diurnality is a plant or animal behavior characterized by activity during the day and sleeping at night.-In animals:Animals that are not diurnal might be nocturnal or crepuscular . Many animal species are diurnal, including many mammals, insects, reptiles and birds...
, which means that they are active during the daytime.
Some species of anoles exhibit sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
, which allows one to discern between males and females fairly easily with the naked eye. In green anoles, the females are characterized by a pale dorsal stripe extending from neck to tail, generally smaller body, and a smaller head with a shorter snout. Female brown anoles share these characteristics, although their dorsal stripe is oftentimes wider with diamond-shaped or squiggly edges. This stripe may be present sometimes in males, especially young ones not yet fully grown, but it is always fainter with less defined edges. Some females have a small dewlap (pale and much smaller than those of the males); others not at all.
Territory
Anoles are very territorial. Although the lizards can grow up to 7 inches in a habitat, their territories are usually quite small: around three square yards, females' usually smaller. Their territories often contain a basking area, a shady area, a high lookout, and always a place to hide from predators. They do not take kindly to other anoles in their territory. Often when an intruder is in the area, the anole raises its spine, fans its dewlapDewlap
A dewlap is a longitudinal flap of skin that hangs beneath the lower jaw or neck of many vertebrates. While the term is usually used in this specific context, it can also be used to include other structures occurring in the same body area with a similar aspect, such as those caused by a double...
, and does "jumping jacks" accompanied by intermittent ultrasonic hisses. If this does not scare off the intruder, a fight proceeds in which the two anoles bite at each other's tails. If the anole loses (gives up) the intruder gains entrance, otherwise he leaves. Males rarely fight. Anoles have a wide range of territorial
behavior from one head bob to a pressurized bite usually aimed for the snout or jaw of the lizard. When caught by a person they will tend to bite if agitated and require some effort to remove from skin. They very infrequently draw blood or cause injury.
Relationship with humans
Pest control
Pest control refers to the regulation or management of a species defined as a pest, usually because it is perceived to be detrimental to a person's health, the ecology or the economy.-History:...
as they will eat spiders, cockroaches
Cockroaches
A cockroach is an insect of the order Blattaria. "Cockroach" may also refer to:*Cockroach , a 2001 album by Danger Danger*Cockroach , a 2008 novel by Rawi Hage...
, and other bugs
Bugs
Bugs may refer to:*Heteroptera, the taxonomic order, to which belong "true bugs" insects*arthropods, an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton, a segmented body, and jointed appendages*Bugs Bunny, an animated cartoon character...
and will run from humans whenever possible.