There are several previous posts concerned with lizards missing feet or limbs (1, 2, 3). At the risk of being monotonous, here is another. I caught this male green anole (Anolis carolinensis) in Auburn, AL this morning (6.24.16). He was sitting on someone’s porch railing at my apartment complex. In addition to his front left limb he was missing 2 fingers on the front right hand and one on the back left foot. He has no other signs of damage, however, not even any evidence of a regenerated tail. I think what sets this example apart from ones previously given is that the entire limb is missing. There is only a tiny nub of bone at the shoulder, and a small flap of skin. Interestingly, the tiny nub moves back and forth beneath the skin when he runs, as if the entire limb were still present and useful.
We (Warner Lab) have had lizards hatch without limbs in the past. We even had one (A. cristatellus) hatch this year with 6 limbs (three front right arms). It is possible that this carolinensis never developed this limb to begin with; however, the tiny flailing nub and flap of skin make me feel that is not the case. Anyhow, this guy seems fat and happy and still moves pretty fast, despite the handicap.
- Dirt Determines Developmental Directions: Natural Nest Substrates Influence Anole Embryo Development - June 10, 2021
- Riding the Ups and Downs: Naturally Fluctuating Nest Temperatures Are Important for Proper Development in Brown Anoles - October 13, 2020
- Hot Nests and Thermal Stress: Why Do Animals Die when They Get Hot? - May 10, 2020
Thomas Sanger
Whoa! Did you get photos or preserve the mutants? I’ve been creating a collection of malformed embryos, but I’ve never had one with extra limbs hatch.
Joshua Hall
I still have the animal. I was wrong about the species. It is actually a sagrei (we are breeding both).
bolko
Even humans can suffer from fantom limb syndrome, so that is not unexpected. Perhapse he lost the limb recently, and still acts as it is still there.
Will
Cute ???????? green anole
Ryan watern
Brown anole missing an arm
Amber
Me and my friends we play at recess and we like finding green anole lizards its so cool to be able to tame them and hold them we even got to hatch one we named him leaf but sadly he was eating and choked on his food it might of been to big but now he is peace in lizard heaven we made sure we buried him in a safe place. I am 14 and my name is Amber
people call me the animals whisper cuz i’m so good with animals!