Photo: macrhybopsis, iNaturalist

I think as far as anole common names go, Yellow-beard is a top 10 name, just barely, but it’s up there.

The Yellow-beard anole, Anolis gundlachi, is endemic to Puerto Rico which is so overflowing with anoles I think it’s a little bit unfair at this point. With an SVL of about 68 mm in males and 45 mm in females, these medium sized anoles live at high elevations in the forest.

Yellow-beard anoles, following that trunk-ground color scheme, are dark olive to brown with darker striping across their backs and a pale colored ventral side. Their dewlaps aren’t quite yellow but are more of a mustard-brown, and their chins have a touch of pale yellow (Yellow-chinned anole doesn’t sound as good as Yellow-beard though). Males often have tail crests!

Photo: Steve Maldonado Silvestrini, iNaturalist

Like many of the anoles we know and love, Yellow-beards may eat other anoles and frogs that can fit in its mouth.

Yellow-beard anoles are often parasitized by malaria, and while more research needs to be done on parasite in this anole, there are existing ones noting tail damage in infected anoles and that males are more often infected, and another noting no significant decrease in overall body condition that you can check out.

Latest posts by Chelsea Connor (see all)