The key sentence: “As a newly minted urologist in 1988 I saw male patients with challenging sexual problems. I was curious about testosterone (T) therapy (TTh) due to my prior research restoring sexual behavior in the castrated male lizard, Anolis carolinensis, with intracranial T pellets.” Read the two-page paper here.
Anolis porcatus collected in Brazil, and comparison with the native anole A. punctatus. A, male A. porcatus showing green coloration. B, male A. porcatus showing brown coloration. C, the pink dewlap of male A. porcatus. D, female A. porcatus. E, male A. punctatus, a native anole species. F, the yellow dewlap of male A. punctatus. Picture credits: A–D, Mauro Teixeira Jr.; E, Renato Recoder. For more information, see this Anole Annals post or read on below.
In North America, especially in places like Florida, invasions of introduced species have revealed novel insights into the competition between species as well as the formation of non-analog species assemblages during such events. Anolis lizards, in particular, have demonstrated a strong ability to invade novel environments possibly even displacing native species in many cities in the United States. Yet the same appears not to be true in South America possibly because similar invasions are only just now occurring. In previous posts I considered diversity of cis– and trans-Andean South American anoles. In this post, I will review what can be inferred about the introduced species of anoles in South America using data accumulated on iNaturalist.org.
Certain introductions have been reported, but not yet observed on iNaturalist, such as Anolis sagrei in Rio de Janeiro (Oliveira et al. 2018). However, there are a handful of examples of anole introductions in South America that can be explored in terms of their progress as becoming invasive. As it turns out, most of the anole introductions appear to be fairly early along in the process of invasion making their documentation a useful exercise for future study by anole enthusiasts.
Despite the lowland Amazon rainforest’s vast size, introduced anoles have not been an issue there until very recently. Where introductions do appear to be occurring in South America, they seemed to have started in coastal cities. The first area of interest are the coastal cities in the northeast of South America.
Anolis aeneus has been known from Guyana for several decades and is possibly over a century old (review by Williams 1977, see also Schwartz and Henderson 1991). This species appears to be established in Georgetown, Guyana, and has been observed on iNaturalist since 2012. By the end of 2024 there were still only 34 observations of this species in all of Guyana, but this includes at least a pair of observations away from Georgetown in the interior of that country. So, while A. aeneus is considered introduced in Guyana (see image below), it does not appear to be far along in the process of invasion at this point or moving especially rapidly.
Figure above shows all iNaturalist observations of introduced anoles in Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana.
A larger ongoing invasion appears to involve the introduced Guadeloupean Anole (Anolis marmoratus) in French Guiana (see image above). Anolis marmoratus was first reported in French Guiana in 1975 as already well established in Cayenne, French Guiana (Hoogmoed and Lescure 1975). On iNaturalist, this species has been reported in the vicinity of Cayenne since at least 2004 but with only a handful of observations each year until very recently.
Annual observations of A. marmoratus from 2021-2023 were 7, 6, and 8, respectively, including one or two additional observations in Kouro about 40 km along the coast to the northwest. However, in 2024 observations jumped to 18 and came from every neighborhood of the twin cities of Cayenne and Remire-Montjoly as well as another seven observations in Roura 15 km to the south and eight in Kouro. While A. marmoratus appears to be established and spreading in French Guiana, it might begin experiencing competition from another well-known invasive anole that appears to be recently introduced in the area: Anolis sagrei.
The first report of Anolis sagrei in northeast South America came from Paramaribo, Suriname, in 2022 when a single observation was added to iNaturalist from within that city. This species was not among those listed as introduced to Suriname by Hoogmoed (1980), although other species of anoles were mentioned, but not yet observed on iNaturalist in Suriname.
In 2024, three observations of A. sagrei were made in the same area of French Guiana. In both cases, it is too early to tell if these are established populations and if they will spread, but the known invasive habits of A. sagrei in places like south Florida make this seem a likely occurrence.
In western South America, there have been occasional single observations of Anolis sagrei in places like Zamona, Ecuador, along the Napo River in the Amazon occurred in 2022. However, this observation has not been corroborated so far. Until additional observations are made, it is not possible to determine if we are seeing the beginnings of invasions in any of these places. Yet, A. sagrei already has a well-established foothold in another South American location that is worth examining: Guayaquil, Ecuador, reviewed recently by Narváez et al. (2024)(see image below).
Figure above shows all iNaturalist observations of Brown Anoles in the vicinity of Guayaquil, Ecuador. Image courtesy Jaime Camacho via iNaturalist.
Anolis sagrei was first observed on iNaturalist in 2007 in a park in Guayaquil, in southwestern Ecuador, but first reported in about the year 2000. This observation was of a lizard on the peninsula formed by the confluence of the Daule, Babahayo, and Guayas Rivers. It was not observed again until 2016 in that same park, but soon it became apparent it was probably there all along, which is why continued monitoring is essential for understanding invasions.
In 2017 Anolis sagrei was observed six additional times, but had now expanded to occur in several different places in the city having moved about 4 km from the original location and even jumped the Daule River. That same year also saw a single observation of A. sagrei in the northwestern Ecuador city of San Lorenzo, but this has never been repeated so it is hard to tell if this the beginnings of a new invasion or not. By 2018 it was at least 6 km from the original site and in 2019 A. sagrei was observed 17 times having reached the forested outskirts of Guayaquil to the west some 10 km from original location. Thus, even as late as 2019, A. sagrei appears to have been in the early stages of the invasion, but with a big leap forward in 2020.
In 2020, A. sagrei appears to have begun moving along the roads to the north and west of Guayaquil and tripled its occurrence to 49 observations in and around the city. Half of those observations in 2020 occurred on the peninsula where the species was first noted in iNaturalist. But 2020 also saw a leap for this species with an observation for the first time in Portoviejo nearly 200 km to the northwest of Guayaquil.
The next year, 2021 saw another 50 observations, with over half occurring outside the area where they were first noted. In that year, the suburbs of Guayaquil to the north and west of saw strong growth in observations. Similarly, 2022 added another 48 observations in the vicinity of Guayaquil. In 2022, the population had reached a zoo near Victoria 15-20 km to the north of Guayaquil. Thus, by the early 2020’s A. sagrei had become firmly established in the greater Guayaquil areas and this species took another leap forward in 2023.
In 2023, 85 observations spanned nearly every neighborhood of Guayaquil and its outskirts. Interestingly, even by 2023 A. sagrei had still not jumped the Guayas River to Duran on the east bank. Nor had it colonized the forested reserve of Isla Santay in the Guayas River between these two cities. However, in 2023 A. sagrei did make a big leap northwest to the coastal city of Manta about 20 km west of the aforementioned Portoviejo.
Guayaquil continued to be the center of observations for A. sagrei in 2024 with another 52 observations, but now observations are being reported elsewhere along the coast including Olon, which is about 100 km west of Guayaquil. However, the observations near Manta, Portoviejo, and San Lorenzo have not been repeated so far. Nor has the species appeared to jump the Guayas River to either Isla Santay or Duran.
Isla Santay is of particular interest because of the known population of the native Anolis festae that occurs there. If A. sagrei were to arrive on Santay it could lead to the extirpation of A. festae at that site or at least a novel competitive environment for that native anole. This is where directing a community of observers, such as on iNaturalist, might be of service to monitor these areas for the novel spread of A. sagrei as well as the persistence of A. festae.
If we take 2007 as the initial year of introduction, A. sagrei appears to be expanding its range at about 5 km per year, but with some leaps out beyond that probably via human-aided dispersal. And even though community data such as provided by iNaturalist are not controlled for in terms of effort, they do provide a fascinating window into an ongoing invasion by a known invader. However, A. sagrei isn’t the only invader of South America.
Figure above shows iNaturalist observations of Brown Anoles in Guayaquil, Ecuador binned in three-year intervals.
A lesser-known invasion of South America appears to involve Anolis porcatus in southeastern Brazil. This invasion appears to be even more recent than A. sagrei in Guayaquil and is worth detailing. Anolis porcatus was first observed on iNaturalist in Santos, Brazil (a coastal city just south of São Paulo) in March 2016 at about the same time it was reported in the literature (Prates et al. 2016, Samelo and Barella 2016). This was the only observation of this introduced species until 2018 when five additional observations recorded this species in three separate locations in São Vincente 8-10 km to the west of the original location. 
Figure above shows all iNaturalist observations of Cuban Green Anoles in the vicinity of Santos, Brazil. Image courtesy Nereston Camargo via iNaturalist.org.
In 2019, an additional nine observations of A. porcatus occurred in Santos and São Vincente. Thus, by the end of 2019 it appears A. porcatus had established in four different locations. However, observations were still only occasional at this time.
In 2020 A. porcatus jumped to Cubatão, a city another 5 km to the north of São Vincente, and in 2021 it jumped to Praia Grande 5-6 km along the coast to the southwest of São Vincente. By 2023 there were another 21 observations of this species in and around the area including the forested outskirts to the north of Cubatão. In 2024 another 18 observations of the species suggested A. porcatus was now firmly established around Santos.
In addition to the above observations, in October 2024 A. porcatus was noted for the first time southwest along the coast near Itanhaém about 45 km from the original source location in Santos. Thus, similar to A. sagrei in Ecuador, A. porcatus appears to be making leaps from city to city, possibly via human-aided dispersal.
If we take 2016 as the initial year of introduction, A. porcatus appears to be expanding its range at about 5 km per year and should reach the outskirts of São Paulo in another year or two if this rate holds. This introduction does not yet appear to be affecting any of the native anoles since the closest natural populations of any Anolis occur in Rio de Janeiro several hundred km to the northeast. 
Figure above shows iNaturalist observations of Cuban Green Anoles in Santos, Brazil binned in three-year intervals.
When A. porcatus does reach Rio, it could begin competing with the native Amazon Green Anole (A. punctatus), which looks and behaves very similarly. The protected forested corridor along the coast means that there is no meaningful barrier to movement from São Paulo to Rio for the introduced A. porcatus at the moment. Likewise, it seems only a matter of time before A. porcatus moves southwest along the coast toward Curitiba some 200 km away.
To summarize, there have not been many instances of introduced anoles in South America for whatever reasons. Nearly all of these start near the coast, likely because invaders are hitching rides in shipping containers or other ocean transport. Right now, the most advanced invasion seems to be taking place in Guayaquil, Ecuador with more recent invasions likely taking place in French Guiana and near São Paulo. Each of these introductions appears to be in the early days of invasion with establishment only clear in and around those locations where originally observed. The expansion of introduced species seems to involve expanding within local areas of these cities and only then expanding by leaps and bounds to nearby cities after several years of establishment. With the rise of community-based observations on platforms such as iNaturalist we can make predictions about when these introduced species will arrive in nearby cities. Likewise, we can leverage the local populace for use in environmental monitoring to better understand potential invasive dynamics of these introduced species for which anoles serve as a useful model system. Whether highly invasive anoles such as A. sagrei can ever invade species-rich environments such as the Amazon or other non-coastal areas remains to be seen. Yet platforms such as iNaturalist may allow us to observe such events in real time if the community of observers can be cultivated and maintained.
Hoogmoed, M.S. 1980. Introduced species of reptiles in Surinam. Notes on the herpetofauna of Surinam VIII. Amphibia-Reptilia 1:277-285.
Hoogmoed, M.S., J. Lescure. 1975. An annotated checklist of the lizards of French Guiana, mainly based on two recent collections. Zoologische Mededelingen 49:141-171.
Narváez, A.E, F. Ayala-Varela, S. Cuadrado, K. Cruz-García, M.H. Yánez-Muñoz, L. Amador. 2024. Updated distribution of the brown anole in continental Ecuador: a case of urban spaces favoring the establishment of an opportunistic exotic species. BioInvasions Records 13:373-384.
Oliveira, J.C.F., T.M. Castro, M.C. Drago, D. Vrcibradic. I. Prates. 2018. A second Caribbean anole lizard species introduced to Brazil. Herpetology Notes 11:761-764.
Prates, I, L. Hernandez, R.R. Samelo, A.C. Carnaval. 2016. Molecular identification and geographic origin of an exotic anole lizard introduced to Brazil, with remarks on its natural history. South American Journal of Herpetology 11: 220-227.
Samelo, R.R., W. Barrella. 2016. Geographic distribution: Anolis porcatus (Cuban Green Anole). Herpetological Review 47:256.
Schwartz, A., R.W. Henderson. 1991. Amphibians and Reptiles of the West Indies: Descriptions, Distributions, and Natural History. Univ. Florida Press, Gainesville.
Williams, E.E. 1977. Anoles out of place. The Third Anolis Newsletter. pp. 110-118.
Two Cuban brown anoles, Anolis sagrei (Credit: Day’s Edge Productions).
By way of Georgia Tech:
Georgia Tech-led study captures two lizard species adapting in response to competition. The study provides some of the clearest evidence to date of evolution in action.
In South Florida, two Caribbean lizard species met for the first time. What followed provided some of the clearest evidence to date of evolution in action.
Lead author James Stroud, anassistant professor in the School of Biological Sciences, was studying Cuban brown anoles (Anolis sagrei) in South Florida when the Puerto Rican crested anole (Anolis cristatellus), suddenly appeared in the region.
Published in Nature Communications, the study documents what happens as the two Anolis lizards adapted in response to the new competitor, while helping to resolve a longstanding challenge in evolutionary biology — directly observing the role of natural selection in character displacement: how similar animals adapt in response to competition.
“Most of what we know about how animals change in response to this process comes from studying patterns that evolved long ago,” Stroud says. “This was a rare opportunity where we could watch evolution as it happened.”
While these two small, brown lizards diverged evolutionarily between 40-60 million years ago and evolved on completely separate Caribbean islands, the two species are nearly identical, and fill similar ecological niches.
So, when the Puerto Rican crested anole suddenly appeared in Cuban brown anole habitat at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in 2018, the two were competing for similar habitats and food sources.
“When two similar species compete for the same resources, like food and territory, they often evolve differences that allow them to coexist,” Stroud says. But, while scientists have found many examples of similar species developing different traits to ease this overlap, “scientists have rarely been able to observe this process as it unfolds in nature.”
Stroud’s team had already been studying Cuban brown anoles at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens in Miami, Florida, two years prior to when the crested anoles invaded. The team was able to quickly pivot to observe how the invasion changed both species, analyzing the lizards’ changing diets, measuring if the lizards were moving through foliage or on the forest floor, and recording the different species’ locations relative to each other. For over a thousand lizards, they also measured perch height — the distance from the ground that the lizard is perching — a primary marker of how Anolis lizards divvy up habitat.
“We not only observed how these lizards changed their habitat use and behavior when they encountered each other,” says Stroud, “but we also documented the natural selection pressures driving their physical evolution in real-time.”
The research team found that when these lizard species occur together, they divide up their habitat in predictable ways — the Cuban brown anole shifted to spend more time on the ground, and evolved longer legs to run faster in this habitat, while the slightly larger Cuban crested anole lived in vegetation above the ground.
“We found that brown anoles with longer legs had higher survival after crested anoles showed up,” says Stroud. “This matches perfectly with the physical differences we see in populations where these species have been living together for many generations.”
Stroud adds that while the research provides some of the strongest observations of evolution in action to date, it also demonstrates how human activities can create natural experiments that help us understand fundamental evolutionary processes — both species of Anolis lizard in the study were originally non-native to South Florida.
“As species increasingly come into contact due to human-mediated introductions and climate change, these studies may be important for predicting how communities will respond,” he says. “By studying these non-native lizards who are meeting each other for the first time in their existence, we had a unique opportunity to see the actual process unfold and connect it to the patterns we observe in nature.”
The annual meeting of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) is almost here! This year’s meeting will take place in Atlanta, Georgia from January 3-7, 2025. Excitingly (albeit unsurprisingly) this year’s meeting will have a number of anole talks and posters. As we have done in previous years, we plan to have an Anole Annals blog post covering each anole talk; however, we need your help!
If you are attending SICB this year and interested in helping with our anole blogging efforts as an Anole Annals contributor, please email me (Anna Thonis). Below is a list of all anole talks taking place at this year’s meeting – be sure to check them out!
| Date | Time | Location | Title | Authors |
| Sat, Jan 4 | 9:00 – 9:15 am | Marquis A | Uncovering the drivers of temperature-dependent sprint performance in urban lizards | Vaughn, P. et al. |
| Sat, Jan 4 | 10:45 – 11:00 am | International Salon 5 | Phenotypic plasticity in the circadian rhythm of heat tolerance and its basis in gene expression | Kelly Wuthrich et al. |
| Sat, Jan 4 | 10:45 – 11:00 am | A704 | Parasite removal alters heat tolerance in a tropical lizard | Bakewell et al. |
| Sat, Jan 4 | 11:15 – 11:30 am | Marquis D | Ecological correlates, genetics, and maintenance of a female-limited polymorphism in slender anoles | Nguyen et al. |
| Sun, Jan 5 | 8:00 – 8:15 am | International Salon 2-3 | The developmental and molecular bases of amniote cranial proportions | Marchini et al. |
| Sun, Jan 5 | 8:15 – 8:30 am | International Salon 5 | Climbing performance in urban and natural populations of green anoles and an introduced competitor | Handen et al. |
| Sun, Jan 5 | 8:15 – 8:30 am | International Salon 2-3 | A reptilian model for the study of the female reproductive tract | Kircher and Behringer |
| Sun, Jan 5 | 8:30 – 8:45 am | International Salon 7 | Impacts of vasotocin on chemical communication in lizards | Campos and Park |
| Sun, Jan 5 | 9:45 – 10:00 am | International Salon 7 | Diving in semi-aquatic Anolis lizards results in heat loss with sex-specific cooling tolerance | Martin et al. |
| Sun, Jan 5 | 10:30 – 10:45 am | A705 | Spatial covariance in GxE interactions influences local adaptation in green anole lizards | Muell et al. |
| Sun, Jan 5 | 11:00 – 11:15 am | International Salon 10 | The effects of complex nest environments on embryo development and hatchling phenotypes of the brown | Rodgers et al. |
| Sun, Jan 5 | 11:15 – 11:30 am | International Salon 6 | Using Experimental Invasions to Measure Natural Selection During Island Colonization in a Lizard | Gilbert et al. |
| Sun, Jan 5 | 2:00 – 2:15 pm | A706 | Evaluating Aging Markers in Blood: Stable Telomeres and Sex-specific Changes in mtDNA Copy Number | Filipova et al. |
| Mon, Jan 6 | 8:15 – 8:30 am | International Salon 6 | Testing for adaptive plasticity in the thermal performance of lizard sperm | Wang and Gunderson |
| Mon, Jan 6 | 9:30 – 9:45 am | International Salon 2-3 | Kinematic evaluation of descent slowing behavior during falls in lizards | Munteanu et al. |
| Mon, Jan 6 | 10:45 – 11:00 am | International Salon 7 | Avoiding perils and pitfalls when modeling species richness | Thonis and Akcakaya |
| Mon, Jan 6 | 11:00 – 11:15 am | International Salon 7 | SSARP: an R package for easily creating species- and speciation-area relationships | Martinet et al. |
| Mon, Jan 6 | 1:45 – 2:00 pm | A601 | Fitness consequences of natural incubation environments: A test of the EMH | Norris et al. |
| Mon, Jan 6 | 2:45 – 3:00 pm | International Salon 10 | Dietary niche variation between island and mainland Anolis lizards | Folfas and Frishkoff |
| Tues, Jan 7 | 8:15 – 8:30 am | International Salon 9 | The effect of developmental moisture on morphology and survival in the brown anole (Anolis sagrei) | Pruett et al. |
| Tues, Jan 7 | 1:45 – 2:00 pm | International Salon 4 |
Skin color development and CRISPR genome editing in the brown anole lizard (Anolis sagrei) | Griffin et al. |
| Tues, Jan 7 | 2:45 – 3:00 pm | International Salon 5 | Intraspecific interactions and maintenance of polymorphic signaling along an environmental gradient | Hoffman et al. |
Additionally, I encourage everyone to check out the fantastic spread of posters focused on anoles at this year’s meeting. Although we will not be blogging about each poster presentation, I am still providing a list of all anole-centric posters below. All poster sessions will take place from 3:30 – 5:30 pm in the Atrium Ballroom.
| Day | Title | Authors |
| Sat, Jan 4 | Exploring the drivers of gut microbiome diversification in Anolis lizards (P1-109) | Lopez et al. |
| Sat, Jan 4 | Natural Selection on Testosterone in a Wild Lizard Population (P1-99) | Davoll and Cox |
| Sun, Jan 5 | The Andes are a driver of physiological diversity in Anolis lizards (P2-1) | Salazar et al. |
| Sun, Jan 5 | Replicated tests for urban thermal adapation in the green anole lizard Anolis carolinensis (P2-6a) | Yates and Gunderson |
| Sun, Jan 5 | Assessing genome reference assemblies for use in sex chromosome telomere sequencing (P2-224) | Payne and Schwartz |
| Sun, Jan 5 | Changes in stress-induced corticosterone between pre- and post-captivity in two anole species (P2-211) | Stelling et al. |
| Sun, Jan 5 | Genetic variation causes structural variation in the IGF1 protein among Anolis lizards (P2-214) | Bhowmik et al. |
| Sun, Jan 5 | Using diceCT to characterize the 3D architecture of the ceratohyoideus muscle in A. carolinensis: unraveling the functional anatomy of dewlap extension (P2-175) | George et al. |
| Sun, Jan 5 | Plasticity of upper thermal tolerance varies with latitude in brown anoles (Anolis sagrei) (P2-98) | Clifton et al. |
| Sun, Jan 5 | Anole gut microbiome composition and stability is associated with thermal tolerance and plasticity (P2-99) | Williams et al. |
| Sun, Jan 5 | Sex-specific consequences of juvenile dispersal for lifetime fitness in an island lizard (P2-192) | Craine et al. |
| Sun, Jan 5 | Testing for differences in sperm across an urbanization gradient (P2-120) | Pellegrin et al. |
| Mon, Jan 6 | Searching for biting performance peaks on a multi-species form-function landscape (P3-208) | Vazquez and Stroud |
| Mon, Jan 6 | The thermal physiology of a diurnal omnivorous lizard, the giant day gecko (P3-123) | Alvarez et al. |
| Mon, Jan 6 | Comparative depth perception in arboreal lizards (P3-40) | Kellerhals et al. |
| Mon, Jan 6 | Phylogenetic relationships within the Anolis cybotes group from the Caribbean Island of Hispaniola (P3-94) | Sanó et al. |
| Mon, Jan 6 | Variation in nighttime thermal preference in diurnal lizards (P3-105) | Li et al. |
| Mon, Jan 6 | Effect of attachment on exertion capacity in the green anole (Anolis carolinensis) (P3-19) | Robinson et al. |
| Mon, Jan 6 | How different body configurations affect perturbation resistance in arboreal lizards (P3-36) | Swisher et al. |
| Tues, Jan 7 | Micro-environmental correlates of species distributions within an island lizard community (P4-88) | Griffin and Stroud |
| Tues, Jan 7 | Evolution of larger body size in response to consistent natural selection in Anolis sagrei (P4-30) | Wittman and Cox |
| Tues, Jan 7 | Identifying ZYG11A, HS6ST1, and DIO2 gene expression in green anole lizards (Anolis carolinensis) (P4-164) | Rieper et al. |
| Tues, Jan 7 | Glutamatergic neurons in breeding and non-breeding green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis) brains (P4-168) | Limas Mejia and Cohen |
| Tues, Jan 7 | Expression of myoneurin and type 3 deiodinase in the green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis) (P4-169) | Jarvey and Cohen |
| Tues, Jan 7 | Gene expression as a function of light: daily cycles and artificial light in green anole lizards (P4-178) | Patterson et al. |
| Tues, Jan 7 | Introducing the new IUCN Anoline lizard specialist group (P4-147) | Thonis and Salazar |
| Tues, Jan 7 | Differences in form-function relationships between the sexes: A test using Anolis lizards (P4-115) | Lee and Stroud |
| Tues, Jan 7 | Spatial relationships between insect prey and Anolis lizards in an island community (P4-111) | Appleton and Stroud |
| Tues, Jan 7 | Estimating a multi-species sprinting performance landscape in an Anolis lizard community (P4-41) | Wynn and Stroud |
| Tues, Jan 7 | Effect of Formalin Preservation on Lizard Toe Pad Shape (P4-55) | Hagey and Petty |
| Tues, Jan 7 | Do Longer Lizard Jaws Have More Teeth? A Comparison Among Green Anoles with Indeterminate Growth (P4-45) | Phucas and Johnson |
Hope to see many of you at SICB!
Anolis nubilus. Photo by Colin Donihue.
From the pages of Popular Science.
Efforts to save Anolis nubilus have been reported previously on Anole Annals and Colin Donihue’s website.
A nearly-extinct Caribbean reptile is showing signs of a comeback following years of conservation efforts. The population of the Sombrero ground lizard (Pholidoscelis corvinus) has increased from less than 100 individuals in 2018, to over 1,600 in 2024. The huge population jump is detailed in a survey released on December 18.
Sombrero ground lizards are a small reptile that primarily eats the eggs of ground-nesting birds, corn, and other plants. It is endemic to Sombrero, the northernmost island of the Lesser Antilles and roughly 34 miles off the coast of Anguilla. This tiny Caribbean island ranks in the top three of the world’s 36 biodiversity hotspots, with several species that are only found on this 94 acre island. The colorful Sombrero Island bee, a to-be-named pygmy gecko, and the Sombrero Island wind scorpion, and numerous others all call this place home. The island also supports large seabird colonies and is designated as an Important Bird Area.
“The Critically Endangered Sombrero ground lizard is an endemic species, which means it’s found only on Sombrero Island and nowhere else in the world,” Farah Mukhida, a natural resources manager and Executive Director at Anguilla National Trust tells Popular Science. “It’s a beautiful little reptile with its black-blue scales.”
A study from 1999 estimated there were only between 396 and 461 individuals left. Sombrero Island was also once on the verge of environmental collapse. Mineral mining, a population of invasive mice, deforestation, and severe hurricanes had all taken their toll.
“That it’s managed to survive decades of phosphate mining, invasive species, and now climate change with longer periods of drought, higher temperatures, and even stronger hurricanes and storm surges that sweep over the island is absolutely astounding and shows just how resilient this lizard is,” says Mukhida.
Major conservation efforts beginning in 2021 have focused on removing the invasive mice and planting more native species on the island. Experts from the Anguilla National Trust, Fauna & Flora, and Re:wild have worked to help the Sombrero ground lizard and its island habitat recover. The lizards are showing huge signs of improvement, with their population increasing roughly 16 times in six years.
“We were absolutely ecstatic when we analysed the results of our population surveys and found this enormous increase in their numbers,” says Mukhida.
The island itself has been declared pest-free and is much more green. Native plants including the sea bean, seagrape, and prickly pear are already showing healthy new growth. The conservationists are also expressing some cautious optimism for the future.
“This is a remarkable turnaround for this cheeky and charismatic lizard but while we celebrate this recovery, we recognise that there is much more to be done to secure their future and that of other Caribbean wildlife,” Jenny Daltry, Caribbean Alliance Director, Fauna & Flora and Re:wild, said in a statement. “The combined impacts of biodiversity loss and climate breakdown are being felt with greater intensity every year in the Caribbean and around the world. Indeed, we are still busy helping our partners in Jamaica and St Vincent and the Grenadines to recover from the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Beryl earlier this year.”
Efforts will continue to preserve this biodiversity hotspot in the face of a changing landscape. One of the factors helping this recovery is the island’s distance from the mainland and fairly low number of visitors. The team plans constant vigilance to make sure they can respond quickly if more invasive rodents arrive. The continued re-wilding here will also require constant upkeep for the island’s flora, including building soil reserves and sowing additional seeds.
“These restoration interventions have cascading effects: they attract insects which help pollinate plants, they attract birds that drop seeds, they provide food and shelter for lizards that also serve as seed dispersers, pollinators, and nutrient transporters,” says Mukhida. “We’re committed to Sombrero’s recovery, sharing lessons learned, and building on successes.”
Anolis phyllorhinus. [Photo from iNaturalist by Christopher Borges](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/145912245)
In a previous post, I reviewed the diversity of Anolis lizards north of the Andes in South America. In this post I continue on that theme with a review of the diversity of anoles in the Amazon and south of the Amazon throughout South America. Much of this review must include the caveat that this understanding is ever-changing as new taxa are described.
I start with a list of native anoles south of the Andes in South America, which is a surprisingly short list considering the large area included and that this list also includes the Amazon basin.
Widespread throughout both Amazon and Atlantic rainforests
A. punctatus, A. fuscoauratus, A. ortonii
Widespread, but limited to the Amazon
A. trachyderma, A. transversalis, A. chrysolepis, A. tandai, A. bombiceps
Occurs in Amazon and/or llanos northwest of Amazon
A. scypheus, A. inderenae, A. vanzolinii, A. huilae, A. ruizii
Limited distribution in northern llanos/Amazon and north of Andes
A. planiceps, A. auratus
Range restricted in western and southwestern Amazon
A. phyllorhinus, A. cuscoensis, A. dissimilis, A. lososi, A. boettgeri, A. soinii, A. fitchi, A. podocarpus, A. orcesi
Widespread in sub-Amazonian (southeastern) dry forests of South America
A. meridionalis, A. brasiliensis
Limited distribution in sub-Amazonian (southeastern) Atlantic rainforests of South America
A. nasofrontalis, A. pseudotigrinus. A. neglectus
There are roughly 102 anole species that occur in all of South America. However, 67 or so of these occur north and west of the Andes (the so-called trans-Andean region) leaving perhaps 35-40 species south of the Andes (cis-Andean). The numbers don’t quite add up because a small handful of species (e.g., A. planiceps, A. auratus) occur in both regions depending on how these regions are defined geographically. So, despite the great diversity of anoles in the Caribbean and Central America, or even the respectable diversity of anoles north of the Andes, the cis-Andean region is relatively diversity poor. Causes for this lack of cis-Andean anole diversity includes the lack of meaningful geographic barriers that may make speciation less common in anoles. Alternatively, these animals are less commonly used as study subjects so subtle molecular diversity may not yet have been identified in these lineages. Either way, despite occurring throughout the Amazon basin, the llanos of Colombia and Venezuela to the northwest of the Amazon, the dry transitional forests and grasslands of Brazil to the southeast of the Amazon, as well as in the coastal rainforests of Brazil along the Atlantic coast, only several dozens of species of anoles occurn south of the Andes mountains, many of which are range restricted in a few small areas up against the mountains themselves.
Most of the anoles in this area of South America are found in the Amazon region, which makes sense given the vast extent of the rainforest ecosystem in the northern half of the continent. Despite this, there are currently only 28 or so species of anoles in the entire Amazon observed on iNaturalist.org, all but three of which are considered native (non-introduced) species. Over half of these species (16 or so) are endemic to the Amazon region (broadly defined) and found nowhere else [note, in this context, I use iNaturalist’s definition of “Amazon region” which includes the dry edges [llanos in the northwest, cerrado in the southeast] and not just the rainforest ecosystem proper, including extending all the way to the Orinoco in the north). So, clearly the Amazon is the center of diversity for cis-Andean anoles even as the number of species (25 or so native species) is not especially impressive given that there are currently over 300 species of lizards described from the Amazon. Perhaps it is this lizard diversity itself that accounts for the lack of species richness in anoles in that many of the niches occupied by anoles elsewhere (e.g., crown giants) are likely occupied by competing species (e.g. Tropiduridae, Polychrotidae). Or if not competitors, perhaps the great diversity of predators is what accounts for the lack of anole diversity (iNaturalist currently includes observations of over 300 species of snakes in the Amazon alone). Either way, anoles are clearly not the dominant taxon south of the Andes that they appear to be elsewhere. However, they do still occur nearly everywhere in South America.
The natural distribution of anoles in South America reaches south to about the latitude of São Paulo (23.6°S), or just outside the Tropic of Capricorn. This corresponds roughly to the latitude of Miami just outside the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere. However, the native Anolis carolinensis in the north has a natural range at higher latitudes, suggesting the southern extent of the anole radiation is not as great as it is in the north. As with that northern range margin for the clade, the diversity of anoles dwindles greatly along the Atlantic coast near the range edges with only perhaps one native species occurring south of Rio de Janeiro (22.9°S) (Anolis porcatus is introduced in São Paulo, but introduced species will be discussed in a future post). Even inland, there is only perhaps one species of anole that ranges as far south as Paraguay or far northern Argentina. So, even though widespread, the pattern of diversity is such that anoles appear less widespread in southern hemisphere than in the northern hemisphere.
Perhaps, one of the more interesting patterns to emerge when considering anole diversity in South America is the slow, but steady description of new species, many of which are range limited to small areas in the southern and western parts of the Amazon. The greatest number of species in the Amazon can be described as range restricted with perhaps nine species occurring in small local enclaves or areas. These include some of the more enigmatic species such as Anolis phyllorhinus with the long fleshy proboscis in the males. Thus, as with the trans-Andean anoles, the geographic complexity of the Andes has likely created conditions for some version of allopatric species to take place, whether it be true allopatry or some type of peripatry on a range’s periphery. I fully expect that additional species will be described from the Andean foothills or the western and southwestern Amazon.
Finally, it is interesting to consider the near complete replacement of species on either side of the Andes with very little crossover; clearly the Andes are a fairly effective barrier to gene flow for anoles. A few species appear to occur on both side of the Andes in the area south and east of Bogotá, Colombia. However, this crossover appears to be limited in terms of diversity and extent of species. Instead, the biggest exchange of species appears to have occurred around the northern terminus of the Andes in Venezuela where two species in particular span the cis- and trans-Andean regions: Anolis planiceps and A. auratus. Anolis planiceps occurs along the Caribbean coast of Venezuela as well as south into Colombia, Guyana, and Roraima, Brazil. However, Anolis auratus as currently defined occurs much more broadly ranging from Costa Rica and Panama, throughout cis- and trans-Andean regions of Colombia and Venezuela, along the Atlantic coast to at least Amapá, Brazil, and south into the states of Roraima and Pará, Brazil. In Brazil in particular A. auratus seems to be limited to areas of geologic uplift that have created the grassland habitat with which this species is associated. The highlands to the north and south of the Amazon river were created when the Guiana Shield and Brazilian Shield, respectively, were forced upward by geologic uplifting. Hence, the Amazon river roughly runs in the low areas in-between the uplift of these two large blocks on the South American continent. Just south of the Amazon River, an isolated population of Anolis auratus occurs in a place called Alter do Chão (translation from Portuguese is literally ‘altar of ground’) where a small piece of the raised uplift creates savanna-like grassland/forest habitat surrounded by lowland Amazon rainforest to the south and east and bordered by the Amazon and Tapajós Rivers to the north and west, respectively. The presence of these lizards in as a small and isolated enclave 1000 km from their nearest neighbors generates more questions than answers. How long have they been there? How did they get there? How distinct are they? How stable is this population? These are all good and unresolved questions remaining to be addressed biologically.
I saved the above observation for last to make the point that on the surface the Amazon may appear to be a vast tract of uniform habitat with little barriers to gene flow leading to biological uniformity, but the reality is that this view is overly simplistic in the context of how species are actually distributed on the landscape. Rather, it is likely the lack of available data that prevent us from truly understanding the biogeography of lizards in the Amazon and other areas of South America. This makes the continual addition of new species and biogeographic patterns useful and exciting given the advances in molecular biology that continue to further our understanding. Hence, even in the relatively anole-poor regions of South America, anoles continue as a model system for understanding patterns of biological diversity.
How many anoles can you find?
from the front page of the South Florida Sun Sentinel, above the fold!
Evolutionary biologist James Stroud holds a crested anole caught by his mini lasso on an island at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens in Coral Gables. Scientists are studying how the brown anole from Cuba and the crested anole from Puerto Rico compete with one another and drive each species to adapt and find slightly different niches in the ecosystem. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
CORAL GABLES — Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden may look serene at first glance, but beneath the resplendent orchids and majestic banyans, two invasive lizards are waging a turf war.
The war started a few years ago when Cuban brown anoles, who have called South Florida home for about 100 years, came face to face for the first time with a new rival: crested anoles from Puerto Rico.
As the two species, which look almost identical and occupy the same ecological niche, faced off, biologists were able to document who was winning, and more importantly, how quickly the losers were adapting to survive on new turf.
A new study reveals that the losing species is adapting at a rapid pace, changing their behavior, but also their bodies. This fast adaptation is altering what we know about how evolution works.
Brown and crested anoles are almost identical — lanky, 4 to 8 inches long, splotchy brown and skittish (lots of animals eat them). But the cresteds are slightly bigger, and the males grow a crest on their tails.
Both lizards evolved on separate Caribbean islands to perch on tree trunks where they can scan the forest floor dart into leaf little to snag meals such as spiders and roaches.
But they’ve never had to compete against each other. “They’re convergently evolved,” said Georgia Tech evolutionary biologist James Stroud, who led the team of researchers on the study.
“They evolved completely independently. … Their last common ancestor is probably around 60 million years ago. To put that in perspective, humans and chimps, their last common ancestor was 13 to 16 million years ago. So the lizards are deeply deeply diverged.”
Stroud said that in 2018, crested anoles showed up at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, where he’d already been studying survival rates and evolutionary adaptation of the brown anoles.
The arrival provided Stroud and his team the opportunity to study, in real time, how quickly species can adapt under pressure.
They used a fishing pole with a tiny lasso on the end to catch every lizard on an island at Fairchild the size of a football field. They then measured their physical traits, tagged them with ID numbers, released them exactly where they caught them, and spent months observing them. They then recaptured the survivors several months later.
“What we saw was when they came into contact, the cresteds, which are a little bit bigger, can dominate behaviorally, so they pushed the browns to the ground,” said Stroud. In other words, the crested anoles won the turf war, and the browns moved to a more dangerous place with a lousy view.
The territory change showed behavioral elasticity, but Stroud was also interested in physical adaptation. His team found that over time, brown anoles with longer legs had higher survival rates after the crested anoles showed up.
Researchers also tested the finding at other lizard hot spots around South Florida. They discovered that wherever brown and crested anoles had to compete for territory, the browns became more land-based, and those with longer legs lived longer. If there were no crested anoles present, long legs did not correlate with better survival.
“Before the cresteds arrived, when the browns were not living on the ground much, leg length didn’t really matter to survival,” Stroud said. “But as soon as the crested anoles arrived, brown anoles with relatively longer legs survived better. … Now that brown anoles have shifted where they’re living — suddenly there’s an adaptive benefit to having longer legs.”
Stroud suspects that the longer legs helped the browns run faster to escape predators such as herons, egrets, mocking birds and larger invasive brown basilisk lizards from Central America.
From that survival rate, he and other evolutionary biologists can gain a clearer understanding of how natural selection, and thus evolution, is operating in the world.
“This is called microevolutionary dynamics,” Stroud said. Over the past 40 or 50 years, evolutionary biologists have begun to realize that evolution might actually happen quickly enough to record in something as short as a 10-year field study. “We never thought it was possible,” Stroud said.
This bucks against one of main tenants of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, that evolution happens very, very slowly over time.
Darwin’s notion of slow evolution made sense at the time, Stroud said. Some fossil records don’t change at all for 50 million years. “Slow gradual change through the fossil records was the evidence Darwin used to think that evolution moved at a really, really slow pace,” Stroud said.
But Stroud’s lizards in this study, as well as previous ones, show rapid changes almost constantly. Anoles live short, fast lives. Males rarely survive longer than a year, and females sometimes eke out two years of life. And they’re constantly laying eggs.
Their generations compile quickly compared to humans and other large mammals. “We think these sorts of evolutionary dynamics play out in all organisms, it just changes relative to the organism’s life history,” Stroud said.
If brown anoles at Fairchild evolve to have longer legs, that doesn’t mean they’ll change the species globally. These blips in traits can fade. But if the pressure is right, if natural selection is strong and widespread, “it can lead to rapid evolutionary change,” Stroud said.
Stroud isn’t done with South Florida’s invasive lizards. He’s currently conducting a study that he’s dubbed the “Lizard Olympics.”
This past spring, he and the team tested the hundreds of lizards they’ve caught on the island for various physical skills. They tested their speed on a race track; they tested their bite strength with a highly sensitive bite meter; and they tested their grip strength by placing them on leaves and bark surfaces and pulling them off.
They then tagged them and let them go on the island, and will later recapture them to see if those skills correlate to better survival for different species.
Stroud said they’ve already inferred longer legs mean faster speed and thus better survival for brown anoles, but now they’re testing it directly.
He anticipates that each species will have different skill-survival correlations: running speed might be irrelevant to the tree-dwelling green anoles, but grip strength might be important, while brown anoles might need more speed.
The lizards are being put to the test, but so are the researchers. “My students are hating me, because we just finished processing 2.5 thousand slo-mo videos of lizards running.”
Quick localized evolution, and what it means for the bigger picture of a species, is something Stroud and his peers are trying to understand — how these micro events fit into the macro story of a species.
“We now know that evolution can happen on really rapid evolutionary time scales, but what does that mean for the creation of new species?”
South Florida, with its menagerie of invasive species, gives them a unique opportunity to cast a bit more light on the mystery.
When I started my blog, The Adventures of a Young Naturalist, I was just 10 years old, writing about whatever captured my curiosity. Fast forward to today, and here I am, celebrating the 50th post on my site. That’s 50 topics explored, countless late-night edits, and more than a few moments of panic over whether anyone would actually read what I wrote. But it’s also 50 chances to learn, connect, and (hopefully) inspire. Here’s the wild part: for this milestone post, I got to interview someone whose work was published in Biology Letters, a rigorous, peer-reviewed Royal Society journal, and featured in a news blurb in Nature—one of the most prestigious scientific journals in the world.
Reaching this milestone got me thinking about what drives curiosity. For me, it’s the joy of uncovering something unexpected—like a lizard that breathes underwater. Yes, you read that right. My fascination with the natural world recently led me to interview Lindsey Swierk, a scientist whose research on bubble-breathing water anoles is so fascinating it belongs in a sci-fi novel. But it’s not sci-fi—it’s real, and it’s as innovative as it is weird.
It’s not just the research that’s impressive. Getting an article published and featured is a huge deal in the science world, so having the chance to talk with Lindsey about her work, her journey, and the cutting-edge tech her research is inspiring feels like an honor.
Before we dive into the fascinating world of bubble-breathing lizards and the incredible scientist who studies them, I just want to say how grateful I am—for the readers who’ve followed me on this journey, the people who’ve inspired me along the way, and to the tiny anoles of Costa Rica for being delightfully strange. Here’s to curiosity, hard work, and chasing big dreams—no matter your age.
I leaned closer to my computer screen, captivated by the shimmering creature I saw. I was reading an article about a water anole, perched on a submerged rock, the thin layer of air on its scales glinting like silver. Suddenly, a bubble formed on the lizard’s snout, growing until it seemed it would float away. But nope, the lizard inhaled it again like, “What? You thought I’d waste this?” The lizard hadn’t exhaled; it re-breathed, drawing oxygen from the bubble like a diver using an air tank.
Was this real? Could a lizard truly breathe underwater? Amazingly, yes. The semi-aquatic anole is the only vertebrate known to use bubbles for underwater respiration, staying submerged for up to 16 minutes and reusing the air it carries—an ingenious survival strategy meant to keep it safe from predators.
At this point, I’m hooked. I have questions. How does it do that? Can I do that? (Spoiler: no, I cannot.) As I read, I couldn’t help but imagine how bubble-breathing could inspire futuristic gadgets. Water anole-inspired scuba-diving gear, anyone? I’d buy it.
After learning about these creatures while reading Anole Annals, I wanted to know even more! Lindsey’s dynamic writing and research captivated me, and after some research of my own, I found her email and asked for an interview. To my excitement, Lindsey responded enthusiastically, even sharing a draft of her upcoming article, now published in Biology Letters.
Despite her packed schedule, Lindsey graciously made time for me, which I am very thankful for. Today, I’m excited to share some of Lindsey’s insights, publishing process and her plans for future research with you.
Lindsey Swierk is a behavioral ecologist, herpetologist, and assistant research professor at Binghamton University. Her research focuses on things like reproductive strategies and animal communication—which basically means she probably knows more about lizard dating habits than most lizards do. Lindsey’s path to studying bubble-breathing anoles wasn’t exactly a straight line.
Initially, she was focused on studying wood frogs, but in 2014, an opportunity to mentor college students in Costa Rica led her to the Las Cruces Biological Station. Hiking through the misty, high-altitude environment, Lindsey encountered her first water anole, a creature that would change her research path.
Photo of Lindsey with a Water Anole, by Lindsey Swierk
The water anole wasn’t a new discovery, but it was new to Lindsey. Its color-changing ability fascinated her, and its unusual behavior set it apart. One misty hike, one flashy lizard, and Lindsey’s research plans flipped faster than a water anole diving for cover. I can relate—when I first moved to Georgia, the local anoles immediately piqued my curiosity. They’re not the bubble-breathing variety, but with their quirky side-eyes and bold personalities, they’ve completely charmed me.
After deciding that water anoles were worth studying, Lindsey returned to Costa Rica with a team to dive into her research—both figuratively and literally. She immersed herself in the lizard’s bubble-breathing ability and couldn’t wait to share her findings. When asked whether she knew her discovery was groundbreaking enough for a journal as prestigious as Biology Letters, she said:
“Honestly, I didn’t [know]. I just thought people would find it cool. What I did know, is that I had never heard of another anole doing something like this. And anoles are super cool because they have adapted to so many different types of habitats… [Researchers already] knew that there was a group of anoles called semi-aquatic anoles and we all thought that they just adapted to hanging out near streams, but I had never heard of this [bubble breathing] behavior before.” – Lindsey Swierk
I loved her answer. It’s such a refreshing reminder that you don’t have to set out to solve world hunger or cure a disease to make an impact—sometimes, chasing what you think is cool can lead to extraordinary discoveries. Lindsey didn’t overcomplicate it; she thought, “Bubble-breathing lizards? Yes, please!” And yet, getting published in Biology Letters is no simple task. She had to turn her observations into a convincing scientific story that appealed to experts and readers who might struggle to understand what an anole even is.
As I learned more about these bubble-breathing reptiles and Lindsey’s journey, I couldn’t help but feel her enthusiasm jump off the page. It’s not just the discovery that’s amazing—it’s the way she turned it into something the world couldn’t ignore. I’ve caught myself thinking, Okay, this is wild—tell me everything!
A part of Lindsey’s story that really stuck with me was her unique approach to writing scientific papers. For Lindsey, these papers aren’t just a way to present data—they’re stories designed to captivate and engage readers, and her method of building that narrative is as fascinating as the discoveries themselves.
Lindsey starts by diving into the nitty-gritty: documenting her methods and results. This step isn’t just about ticking boxes—it’s the backbone of her work, ensuring other researchers can replicate her findings and bolstering the credibility of her study. From there, she tackles the statistics and results sections, where she analyzes and presents her data in a way that’s clear, precise, and leaves no room for doubt.
But here’s where her process takes a creative turn. Instead of starting with the introduction, Lindsey saves it for later. She calls this the “investigative part” of her writing process, where she crafts an introduction that doesn’t just explain why her research matters but ties it into the broader scientific context like the opening chapter of a thrilling mystery. This backwards-seeming approach lets her build the introduction around a story that’s already complete and cohesive.
The final hurdle is submitting her draft for publication and navigating the revision process. Lindsey’s experience publishing in Biology Letters was impressively smooth—she submitted in June and had her article accepted with only minor edits by August. It’s a testament to her skill in turning raw research into a polished, compelling narrative.
Hearing Lindsey describe her writing process felt like a lightbulb moment for me. Lately, I’ve been starting my own writing projects in the middle, working my way to the end, and then finishing with the introduction. It’s messy, but it works—and now I know I’m in good company. Listening to her made me want to write my own scientific paper. All I need is a good research subject—or maybe a collaborator who’s as excited about quirky reptiles as I am!
Here’s where things get even cooler: Lindsey’s research is inspiring cutting-edge technology. Yep, bubble-breathing lizards might one day revolutionize everything from water-repellent clothing to oxygenation systems for lakes. Take that, science fiction!
Photo of bubble-breathing water anole, by Lindsey Swierk
She’s already collaborating with researchers in Germany to uncover what makes the water anole’s skin so effective at repelling water. They’re exploring whether a waxy coating or unique surface structures play a role. This research could inspire potential applications in everything from water-repellent clothing to electronics that need protection from moisture.
But that’s not all. Lindsey is also investigating how the shape of the water anole’s head keeps the bubbles firmly attached, even underwater. This discovery has inspired a collaboration with researchers at UMass Amherst to explore how similar principles could be used to pump oxygen into bodies of water, such as lakes with low oxygen levels, by allowing oxygen to diffuse from bubbles into the water. Such technology could help restore damaged ecosystems.
These projects, while still in their early stages, are a fascinating glimpse into how biology can inspire innovative solutions to real-world challenges. While it might be a while before you can wear a rain jacket designed with water anole-inspired technology, the possibilities are thrilling. For me, learning about Lindsey’s research reminds me of how interconnected the world is—how a tiny lizard’s adaptations could lead to solutions for challenges humans face every day. It’s a reminder that innovation can come from unexpected places, and it makes me wonder what other secrets the natural world is waiting to share with us.
Here we are—50 blog posts later, and I’m still amazed by where this journey has taken me. From writing about backyard discoveries to interviewing a scientist whose work was published in Biology Letters, it’s been an unforgettable ride. I’m deeply grateful for every reader who’s joined me along the way. Whether you’ve been here since post #1 or just stumbled across this on Anole Annals, your support means the world to me.
This Thanksgiving, I’m especially thankful for the chance to share stories that spark curiosity and celebrate the wonders of the natural world. Lindsey’s research on bubble-breathing water anoles is a perfect reminder that science isn’t just about answering big questions—it’s about uncovering small, unexpected marvels that connect us to the world (and sometimes inspire futuristic scuba gear).
As I reflect on this milestone, I realize that The Adventures of a Young Naturalist wouldn’t be what it is without you—my readers. Your comments, questions, and enthusiasm have turned this from a solitary project into a shared adventure. So, here’s to all of us—embracing curiosity, chasing big dreams, and maybe discovering a teleporting lizard for my 100th post.
Let’s make these bubble-breathing anoles famous! Share this blog on your socials and with your favorite science-loving friends. And don’t forget to join the fun in the comments—what’s the most fascinating thing you’ve read lately? I’m ready for some epic suggestions!
Check out my blog at https://buymeacoffee.com/naturalistadventures/posts
Collecting reptile names is one thing, but it’s a different thing to figure out what these names actually mean. At the Reptile Database we have collected the etymologies of more than 11,000 reptile species, but there are still a lot of gaps for subspecies and synonyms. I wonder if anyone in the Anole community is interested in that subject.
More specifically, there are 434 species of anoles with a total of 109 subspecies (excluding nominate subspecies), that is, a total of 543 names. Of those, we do have the etymologies of over 500 taxa, but there are at least 32 missing (all Caribbean subspecies). Here is the list:
In addition, we need the etymology of the following subspecies:
| species | ssp etymology wanted |
| Anolis equestris | potior |
| Anolis strahmi | abditus |
| Anolis lineatopus | ahenobarbus, merope, neckeri |
| Anolis olssoni | alienus, domingonis, extentus, ferrugicauda, insulanus, montivagus, palloris |
| Anolis baleatus | altager, lineatacervix |
| Anolis grahami | aquarum |
| Anolis porcatus | aracelyae |
| Anolis distichus | distichoides, ignigularis, juliae |
| Anolis barahonae | ininquinatus, mulitus |
| Anolis saxatilis | lapidosus |
| Anolis scriptus | leucophaeus, mariguanae, sularum |
| Anolis monticola | quadrisartus |
| Anolis longitibialis | specuum |
The technology-minded among you may say, sure, that’s easy, just ask ChatGPT what these names mean. Here is what ChatGPT says about the first 3 of them:
You can see that ChatGPT has a pretty good grasp of Latin, and it can make good educated guesses, but it is often not quite sure about the finer details behind species names.
When it comes to eponyms, it’s much worse. Here is an example for some of the eponyms of Pholidoscelis auberi (apologies, not an anole, but a Caribbean Teiid with currently 39 subspecies, of which at least 10 are eponyms, so it’s a good example). Let’s take a look at these 10, namely
Here is what ChatGPT says:
I save you the remaining ones, because you get the gist: ChatGPT has no idea who these people are, including the namesake of P. a. auberi, which was not named after Paul Aubert, as ChatGPT claims, but rather after Pedro Alejandro Auber (1786-1843), a Cuban botanist and naturalist of French origin (née Pierre Alexandre Auber). The only eponym ChatGPT got right was Pholidoscelis auberi schwartzi, named after Albert Schwartz (1923-1992), the doyen of Caribbean herpetology — one out of ten. Ouch!
So, if you are interested in etymology, of Anolis or otherwise, please let me know. As said, we have about 100o reptile names in need of clarification.
Thanks 🙂
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