Matt R. Whiles, Chair and Professor in the Soil and Water Sciences Department at the University of Florida provides these details:
Specimen was not captured, just photographed by my wife Lindsay Hsieh, who is familiar with Anolis and recognized that it was different looking. Observed in Alachua county FL, west of Gainesville in a horse barn facility – coordinates: 29O 41’08”N 82O 30’18”W; date was November 10 2020. A. carolinensis are common on the barn, but none we’ve seen look like this. The owners of the facility routinely haul horses back and forth from Gainesville to south Florida, so could be a transplant.”
He then asks: “I’ve seen thousands of A. carolinensis, and never one like this. Do you think this is just a color/pattern display, or would this individual always look like this? We are keeping an eye out for it again and will try to collect it if you want the specimen.”
Thoughts, anyone (including interest in the specimen should it be seen again)? My guess is that these are not permanent markings; the block spot on the head and the hint of an erected nuchal (neck) crest suggests a stress response; perhaps the lizard had just been fighting. Indeed, Dr. Whiles clarified in a subsequent email: “I’ve certainly seen the black spot form on stressed individuals, but never the full patterning. To add to your hypothesis, my wife indicated it was interacting with another Anolis when she saw it (you can actually see the tail of the other individual in the pic).”
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Candace Brazzil
His body is so short… I’ve never seen a Carolinensis that looks like that. I’ve seen some odd looking ones before, but never that short bodied, and the black markings look more like they are natural to it. Don’t think that’s a Carolinensis.