I have been working my way through McCranie and Kohler’s guide to Honduran anoles and thought I would pull out some old photos from when I did some romping about Honduras a decade ago. At the time I had little interest in anoles and barely noticed them on my trips to Honduras (O foolishness of youth!). These photos below, however, represent a species I remember seeing frequently. I believe it is Norops lemurinus but without a specimen in hand it is difficult to use a dichotomous key. I was hoping someone more familiar with this part of the world could offer confirmation or correction. I was on the northern coast a few miles east of Balfate, less than 50 m above sea level.
I took my first trip to Honduras in 2004 at the age of 19 and made six more trips over the next eight years. Unfortunately, what I remember most was how the landscape changed so drastically from one year to the next as more and more people, mostly ‘norteamericanos,’ moved in to extract any and all resources from the land. At 19, I could hardly take one step through the long grasses on my way to the beach without scattering a half dozen lizards. I remember that so vividly! By the time I hit my late 20’s the grasses were replaced with a coconut grove and a size-able complex of condominiums (built by and, I assume, advertised to Canadians).
Of course, there are still plenty of herps around and about: when last I left, the cane toads and hemidactylids were doing just fine.
- 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
Gunther Koehler
yes, this is lemurinus, an adult female! Best wishes, Gunther