Photo by: Jake Scott
Howdy y’all!
This week we’re going green again with probably one of the best anole names ever (next to apletophallus maybe). It is the trunk-crown anole, Anolis smaragdinus, the Bahamian Green anole.
Quick side note: It appears that some of the authors on this site (Jonathan), disagree about how awesome the name is.
Now it’s name translates to “emerald” from Latin, which is entirely fitting because it is a gorgeous green anole, with a GREEN (sometimes yellow-green) belly. Please forgive me for the gratuitous pictures of smaragdinus. I love a good green anole.
Photo by: Cleo Falvey
Like all its cousins it can change that green to drab brown, but it’s face is a bit more pointy and it has a red-orange or deep peach colored dewlap.
Photo by: Emily Powell
And as the name implies, this lizard is from and is endemic to The Bahamas.
There are two recognised subspecies, A. s. smaragdinus and A. s. lerneri. The main differences between them being an axillary (“armpit”) spot that A. s. smaragdinus has, and occasional chin spotting, and then their size. Anolis s. lerneri males are larger, with an SVL of up to 64mm and have a pointier head.
Photo by: Cleo Falvey
The Bahamian Green anole was observed in a study by Dr. Losos and colleagues where they were introduced to a small uninhabited islet that is occasionally (due to the tide) connected to a larger one by a strip of rock. These trunk-crown anoles are rarely found on the ground, but when Dr. Losos and his colleagues returned to the islet, the lizards had dispersed to and colonised the larger islet. This is a really interesting note because arboreal anoles aren’t often, if at all, observed going to ground and traveling to colonise such vegetation.
Bonus! Here’s a very yellow smaragdinus found by James T. Stroud and some more posts about this anole!
...And also like every other anole. Every week. #DidYouAnole?
- #DidYouAnole – Anolis allogus - December 24, 2021
- #DidYouAnole – Anolis gundlachi - November 12, 2021
- #DidYouAnole – Anolis phyllorhinus - November 5, 2021
caudisona
I agree – a great looking lizard with a tremendous name.
For your reading pleasure, a link to the 2014 CAAR account for Anolis smaragdinus: https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/44819
Chelsea Connor
I’m glad you like the name as well!
I actually linked to that when I spoke about the differences between the subspecies. But thank you!
Rick Wallach
Forked comment: (1) has there been any evidence of smaragdinus in Florida, and (2) how closely related genetically are smaragdinus and carolinensis?
Chelsea Connor
1. I haven’t heard of accounts of this anole in Florida… yet. But hopefully it doesn’t show up there too.
2. They’re not very closely related.
Sandra Buckner
Greetings from the land of smaragdinus – long may they grace the palms in emerald green coats – others have Green Anoles but we have smaragdinus Jonathan already knows my thoughts on the name – I like it. I just reread his post and the comments thereto so this rather follows on from that. Many people veer away from the scientific/botanical names but when one enlightens them to the source of the name it adds interest to their understanding and to mine – hence a book is in the works on Bahamian species names. There have been comments on other species names – so here is one for you that I particularly like – Ameiva (sorry Pholidoscelis) auberi sideroxylon – this is one for the geographers/botanists – can you figure it out without looking it up! I do have a request of Chelsea and Jonathan – where did the photographers take their photos (i.e. the cays/ islands). Again greetings from The Bahamas and thanks Chelsea – I enjoyed the note.
Chelsea Connor
Hi! Thank you!
Regarding the pictures, in order they are: South Bimini, Nassau, not given, Great Abaco, Nassau and not given.
Sandra Buckner
Thanks Chelsea – good to have for the record. Needless to say I am also partial to A. fairchildi. I am already familiar with those photos
Jonathan Losos
Hi Sandra,
great to hear from you. Hope you’re well. We’ll just have to agree to disagree on the mellifluousness of smaragdinus!
The photos in my post were from Marsh Harbour (top) and Staniel Cay (bottom).
All the best!
Sandra Buckner
Thanks for the info, Jonathan. All is well with us but we are under lockdown again – too many people went swoosh when the borders opened on 1 July and now we are paying for it. Unfortunate – we miss our regulars
Jonathan Losos
Bummer! Hang in there!
Mack
One of my favorite green anoles