Observations on Anolis onca in Colombia

Typical Habitat of Anolis onca, close to the ocean.

Anolis onca

I kept Anolis onca, as a hobbyist, in the late 90s; they were available via European breeders who had obtained them on Isla Margarita, Venezuela. I had some breeding success with them at that time, and have always found them fascinating. I assumed their range was specific to Margarita Island, but only later via Anole Annals saw a photo from Manaure and realized that they were also found in Colombia. I travel frequently to Colombia and know that area of the northeast where the photos were taken, so when I was in the area, I would look for them.

Typical Habitat with Milkweed

I first saw them about 4 years ago, during a day trip near Rioacha, the Departmental Capital of La Guajira. The first ones I saw were very small juveniles which were sunning themselves in very thick piles of discarded branches, and so were difficult to catch, handle and photograph. In a subsequent trip in 2017, I enlisted the help of some of the local Wayuu (the indigenous group that is predominant in that area of the country). They called them the “lizard that doesn’t move,” which is a very apt description of their habits.
The habitat in the region is characterized as being dry Chaparral (though with very few trees), and is very windy. While looking for Anolis onca, we would find nests of the local dove species, which choose to nest on the ground versus in the low lying trees probably due to the wind. The main shrub is a species of Milkweed, and animals were found within yards of the Ocean.

I am no newbie to looking for Anolis, but A. onca really is very different in its behavior compared to many of the anoles I had previously observed in the wild. While you often find them on the ground in the midst of thickets of vegetation on the beach, they are very slow and deliberate in their movements and as you approach them. They only seldom move when approached, even when you are very close to them. They are almost twig anole-like in their behavior and obviously rely on camouflage as their first line of defense.

Despite the sparse nature of vegetation in their habitat, ground dwelling habitats and relatively large size for an anole (about 4-5 inches SVL and 6-7 inches in TL), they are a challenge to find. I would estimate that we saw only one animal every 1.5 hours of searching (there were three of us actively looking). We probably saw nine over about 12 hours of searching.

I would be very curious to hear from others who have observed them in the wild, and if Anolis annectens, which is closely related, is similar in its habits.