Discovery of New Dimorphic Anolis/Chamaeleolis from Cuba

Recently, colleagues and I from Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic published a paper (Holáňová Zahradníčková et al. 2018) in Acta Societatis Zoologicae Bohemicae announcing the discovery of a new dimorphic Anolis population/species from Cuba.

Finding “Chamaeleolis” at their typical habitat at Gran Piedra, Cuba.

During my last trip to Cuba in 2012, I had the luck to find a male of unusual Anolis (“chamaeleolis group“) at Gran Piedra mountain, Santiago de Cuba province. At first glimpse, I knew it is something new—it had a red dewlap! All of to the “Chamaeleolis“ described thus far didn’t have that. By distribution region, it had to be Anolis porcus, but it looked different. Some time later, by coincidence I received some Cuban anoles with locality from Russian private breeders and what a surprise: there were false chameleons with red dewlaps! So, we could start our research on these unique animals.

Can you see it? Photo by Veronika Zahradníčková

In comparison with other species of the “chamaeleolis group,“ animals from this population display surprising dichromatism in dewlaps. Males have shiny red dewlaps, while females have whitish dewlaps.

Lateral view of heads and dewlaps in males and females of five examined Anolis species/populations of the “chamaeleolis” group

We compared this “new anole“ with other Anolis species of the “chamaeleolis group“ (A. barbatus, A. chamaeleonides, A. guamuhaya and A. porcus) through morphology, mtDNA, visual modelling and spectrophotometry. Our results showed expected distinctness of this dichromatic population.

Amazing dorsal crest of Anolis sp. male. Photo by Veronika Zahradníčková

Veronika Zahradníčková with adult male of Anolis sp. at Gran Piedra, Cuba

Why did we not describe it? In the original description of A. porcus Cope, 1864 there is no information about dewlap coloration nor about the exact type locality. We would need to compare our material with the A. porcus holotype (ANSP 8133 in Philadelphia). We wanted to avoid taxonomic discussions concerning species identity of these specimens until a thorough revision of A. porcus sensu lato including properly localized materials can be completed. We would prefer to cooperate with Cuban herpetologists in this.

And so now it is waiting for description and scientific name. Who will be the first?