A. cristatellus on a rooftop in Mayagüez, PR
Urbanization poses a major challenge for many species, altering natural environments in ways that few animals can tolerate. Despite this, some species persist and even thrive in urban areas. In my research in the Revell lab at UMass Boston, I’ve been studying adaptation in response to urbanization in Anolis cristatellus, the Puerto Rican crested anole. However, among anoles urban tolerance is by no means restricted to A. cristatellus. We suspect that readers of this blog have probably observed many different anole species occupying and thriving in urban areas. Consequently, we would like to ask for your help in gathering some information on this topic.
We are conducting a phylogenetic study of urban tolerance in anoles to model the factors that affect this interesting ecological phenomenon. To do this we need to know which anole species have been observed in urban habitats.Whether you are an expert or a hobbyist we would really appreciate your help in providing the following information for each species you have observed in an urban area:
- species name (common or latin)
- locality (as specific as possible)
- description/type of urbanization (see below for examples)
- how often have you observed this species in an urban area (single observation, infrequently, frequently)
Urban habitats can range from urban parks to downtown centers. Because of this it is important that we understand how urban your observation is. Please refer to the following to help describe your observation:
- Heavily urban areas include high-traffic urban centers that are dominated by pavement/cement, buildings, and relatively little canopy cover/vegetation.
- Moderately urban areas include suburban and residential neighborhoods. They may have backyards or small green spaces but are still dominated by relatively few trees compared to buildings.
- Lightly urbanized areas include semi-natural areas such as urban parks. These areas may be surrounded by high levels of urbanization but within the habitat the vegetation is similar to the natural habitat for the species.
Partial information is welcome. If you are unsure of how to classify the habitat in which you have found a species, please give include as detailed a description as possible. Furthermore, if you have any additional information about your observations that you would care to share (such as abundance, behavior, perch use, etc.), please feel free to include it. Finally, although we are focusing primarily on the response to urbanization in species’ native ranges, we also welcome data obtained from introduced areas.
You can post your responses as comments here or email them to kristin.winchell001@umb.edu
- Puerto Rico Herpetology Symposium - September 21, 2023
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- Parallel Urban Adaptation from Phenotype to Genotype in Anolis Lizards - January 20, 2023
April Wright
1. Anolis carolinensis and sagrei
2. Central East Austin, Chestnut neightborhood
3. Moderate
4. Frequent (at least 2 sightings of each species per week in spring and summer)
Bob Thomson
1. Anolis sagrei
2. Manoa Valley, Honolulu. Campus area up to Manoa Valley District Park.
3. Moderate.
4. Frequent (They’re dripping from the hedges. I see several individuals every day.)
Armando Pou
Hobbyist/naturalist; since anolis are so common in South Florida I am going to limit my observations to the most urban environments. Anolis sagrei and to a lesser extent Anolis carolinensis/porcatus can readily be seen in almost every planted median on every street or avenue. Both sagrei & distichus can be commonly found in the downtown area on individual trees and palms along sidewalks, in plazas, library grounds, completely surrounded by concrete and asphalt except for the earth the trees are potted in. In all, I believe Anolis sagrei is the most urban anolis. Incredibly I have seen individuals for several years living in the spacers between concrete barriers or dividers in the middle of the north and southbound lanes of 826 (Palmetto expressway) , with only the occasional weed popping up when enough buildup of sand or debris gets blown or washed up into the spacer gaps. I’m not sure when or how these sporadic colonists first took up residence, but during the snail paced rush hour traffic I have seen several locations with a male and one or two females. I’m not even sure what these animals subsist on; moths & beetles drawn to the street lights at night? But they are diurnal, although, the lights are very bright. Perhaps they just live on whatever bugs get dashed into the median by rushing traffic? Can they successfully reproduce or are these castaways doomed to live out their short lives on these concrete islands? If I have the opportunity (without getting squished by some Miami driver), I will take some photographs.
Armando Pou
I finally got to take a couple of those photographs on the expressway. It is getting a little cooler here and most of the Anolis are less conspicuous. The concrete structures and asphalt lanes may add an extended benefit to living “on the road”. Additionally, this is the time of year in which starlings and grackles flock into south Florida by the millions; the protective mesh at the base of the poles is just large enough to allow for a quick escape, although this individual was missing the end of its tail.
Armando Pou
Close-up