Photo by Christian Grenier, iNaturalist

Hello!

I hope you’ve been having a great holiday and that 2021 will be a great year for you. And what better way to end the year than with an anole?

Anolis homolechis, the Cuban White-fanned or Habana anole, is a trunk-ground anole native to Cuba. It is very similar in appearance to the Brown anole (Anolis sagrei), but, as the name suggests, has a stark white dewlap that may have light grey large stripes.


Photo by Alex Alfil, iNaturalist

White-fanned anoles are sympatric with Brown anoles; however they partition by temperature, with Brown anoles preferring hotter areas. White-fanned anoles can be found in the shade and can occur at higher elevations than Brown anoles as well (Lizards in an Evolutionary Tree, 2009).

Female Habana anoles have a very small dewlap, almost identical to the males, but with smaller, darker striping.

Photo by Wayne Fiddler, iNaturalist

Photo by Wayne Fiddler, iNaturalist

I hope you like this anole and happy New Year, friends! Thank you so much for a great, anole-filled year!

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