Professor of Biology and Director of the Living Earth Collaborative at Washington University in Saint Louis. I've spent my entire professional career studying anoles and have discovered that the more I learn about anoles, the more I realize I don't know.
Check out this photo by Tomás Michel Rodríguez-Cabrera. Here’s what he had to say: “I was by a stream at Cajalbana Floristic Reserve in Pinar del Río, when I saw the anole jumping to the water. When it came out it was carrying a topminow, Gambusia punctata, that it later swallowed.
Photo by Dante Fenolio
From Facebook:
The results of the informal, unscientific, potentially bogus poll would seem to indicate that the answer is a resounding “No.”
Scott Thomson, an administrator for Wikispecies, is pondering whether to adopt the proposed classification of anoles, splitting the group into eight genera, and wants to know what the community thinks. Here’s your chance to weigh in!
If you want to learn more, read Scott’s post and comments on it.
From Nicholson et al. (2018)
Anole Annals has dropped the ball on staying current with recent papers about the systematics and taxonomy of anoles. So, here are two highlights over the last two years.
Last year, Steve Poe and 10 co-authors from five countries published a phylogeny including all species of anoles based on all available data. It was a tour de force and the paper was far-ranging, discussing the many implications of their phylogeny for anole evolution, biogeography and other topics. Among other topics, the paper sank a number of anole species, presented a phylogenetic taxonomy of anoles and argued that this taxonomy solves the problems posed in the debate on generic classification of anoles in the traditional Linnean taxonomic framework.
Here’s the abstract from that paper, published in Systematic Biology:
Anolis lizards (anoles) are textbook study organisms in evolution and ecology. Although several topics in evolutionary biology have been elucidated by the study of anoles, progress in some areas has been hampered by limited phylogenetic information on this group. Here, we present a phylogenetic analysis of all 379 extant species of Anolis, with new phylogenetic data for 139 species including new DNA data for 101 species. We use the resulting estimates as a basis for defining anole clade names under the principles of phylogenetic nomenclature and to examine the biogeographic history of anoles. Our new taxonomic treatment achieves the supposed advantages of recent subdivisions of anoles that employed ranked Linnaean-based nomenclature while avoiding the pitfalls of those approaches regarding artificial constraints imposed by ranks. Our biogeographic analyses demonstrate complexity in the dispersal history of anoles, including multiple crossings of the Isthmus of Panama, two invasions of the Caribbean, single invasions to Jamaica and Cuba, and a single evolutionary dispersal from the Caribbean to the mainland that resulted in substantial anole diversity. Our comprehensive phylogenetic estimate of anoles should prove useful for rigorous testing of many comparative evolutionary hypotheses.
This year in Zootaxa, Nicholson, Crother, Guyer and Savage published a paper following on Poe et al.’s. The paper does not have an abstract, but the title says it all: “Translating a clade based classification into one that is valid under the international code of zoological nomenclature: the case of the lizards of the family Dactyloidae (Order Squamata).” In short, the article argues that the traditional Linnean classification system is not going away any time soon, and that the clades recognized by Poe et al. are easily translatable into genera in the traditional system, as revealed in the figure above.
In a post just published, an administrator for Wikispecies asks if they should follow this proposed reclassification of anoles. If you have comments, please make them on that post.
Photo by Steen Christansen.
The photo above was taken by Steen Christansen and brought to our attention by the anole-loving, neuroethology-studying, mayor of South Miami, Philip Stoddard (thanks, your honor). It’s a brown anole, aka, a festive anole.
Who’s got the best caption?
Panthera, a fabulous group that works for the conservation of big cats, puts up fascinating posts on their website. This one first appeared in mid-September 2018.
September 4, 2018
Mature male leopards are at least 60% larger than females, and broader, with larger chest girths and longer, bulkier heads. But there’s something else you may notice that sets males apart: Their thick necks can be adorned with a loose flap of skin hanging underneath. These skin folds are called dewlaps.
Dewlaps are observed in a variety of species throughout the animal kingdom, most notably in certain birds, lizards, and hoofed mammals. In mature male leopards, a well-developed dewlap is prominent and one of the best ways to determine age.
However, the function of leopard dewlaps remains unknown and largely unexplored. Since they are a sexually-dimorphic feature—meaning only one sex exhibits the trait—scientists speculate that this enigmatic ornament is linked to sexual selection or male fitness.
Of another conspicuous, sexually-dimorphic feature among cats—the mane of a male lion—Charles Darwin postulated: “[It] forms a good defense against the one danger to which he is liable, namely the attacks of rival lions.”
The idea behind this hypothesis is that adaptations such as body armor or weaponry, like antlers on male deer, increase the ability of males competing against other males. Most often the winner is the lucky male who gets to mate with the female and pass on his genetics.
On the other hand, results of more contemporary research indicate that injuries sustained during fights between lions don’t appear to differ between maned and non-maned sub-adult males or even females. This outcome suggests that the mane/neck area is not a high-target region during fights. Instead, observations find that the back and hindquarters seem to be the targeted areas during confrontations.
Many biologists believe that a male lion’s mane serves as an indicator of sexual fitness. Studies using life-sized toy lions sporting contrasting mane colors and lengths found that male lions were more likely to approach the imposters with lighter, shorter manes, while female lions were drawn more to models with darker manes. These results suggest that males with shorter, blonder manes are less intimidating to rival males, and thus perceived to have lower overall fitness.
We can apply this theory to hypothesize about the functions of a dewlap on a male leopard. However, fights between elusive male leopards are rarely observed and documented by scientists. This makes it difficult to confirm if the leopard’s dewlap has any defensive functions. Likewise, it’s hard to determine if it serves a similar purpose to that of a large, dark mane in sexual selection, as an indicator of fitness and longevity.
Another speculation about the dewlap is that it simply makes mature leopard males appear larger and more intimidating to rivals. Typically, as a male leopard ages, his dewlap enlarges. Mature males hold wider territories and have more opportunity to mate with females.
This also means that there are more opportunities to come into conflict with other males seeking the same territory and females. It would be ideal to avoid physical confrontation, and potential injury, by being able to display fighting capability and fitness, thus deterring potential rivals without physically engaging them. Fighting with other males has potential to lead to injury or death. Even the smallest injuries can fester and inhibit hunting abilities, leading to a decline in body condition that could result in death.
Younger and smaller males may be dissuaded from engaging in a fight with a larger male sporting a more pronounced dewlap. Alternatively, estrous females may select a male with a larger dewlap, perceiving him to have greater fitness than his peers. As of yet, no studies have been conducted to determine if dewlap size correlates with testosterone levels or is linked to reproductive success as an indicator of longevity.
AA reader John Thomas questions whether curly-tailed lizards (Leiocephalus carinatus) actually eat anoles, based on his own observations in Florida (see comments on this post). Let’s see proof, he says! Bob Powell rightly points out the scientific literature on this topic and refers to the Schoener et al. paper from 1982 on the diet of curly-tails in the Bahamas. And here’s a photo from that paper! I’ve seen at least two other photos people have taken of such predation–anyone got more?
Great news from the conservation group Island Conservation, where this post appeared. Check out all their great work! Also, see Anole Annals posts on this project.
If conservationists had waved a magic wand, the results could hardly have been more spectacular. Within 12 months of starving goats and thousands of ravenous rats being removed from Redonda1, this remote Caribbean island has witnessed a miraculous transformation.
Since the ambitious restoration programme2 was rolled out, the rock of Redonda has been transfigured from an inhospitable lunar landscape to a greener haven. More importantly, the unique plants and animals native to this isolated, uninhabited outpost of Antigua and Barbuda are making a rapid recovery after being freed from an alien invasion.
The evocatively named Redonda ground dragon, a rare black lizard found nowhere else on the planet, has doubled in number – just one of the many fantastic beasts that have been pulled back from the brink of extinction by removing the predatory black rats and plant-devouring goats.
Redonda before restoration. Credit: Ed Marshall
And it doesn’t stop there. In less than a year, numbers of the equally rare Redonda tree lizards have tripled, hundreds of new trees have sprung up, land birds have increased tenfold, and the island’s globally important seabird colonies – including magnificent frigatebirds and several booby species – are having their best breeding year on record.
Speaking on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Dr Helena Jeffery Brown said:
The Government of Antigua and Barbuda considers the return to life of Redonda as a shining beacon in our collective efforts towards ecosystem restoration and biodiversity conservation that will bring us another step closer to attaining some of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets3.”
The project’s coordinator, Shanna Challenger, of the Environmental Awareness Group (EAG) and Fauna & Flora International (FFI), added:
This has been the opportunity of a lifetime – witnessing an island be reborn. Changes forecasted to happen in five years occurred within months. Our conservation efforts really show the benefits of invasive species removal on Caribbean island ecosystems.”
View heading north post-eradication Nov 2017. Credit: ShannaChallenger_FFI
In the field of conservation, where successful outcomes can take years if not decades to materialise, the spectacular results on Redonda appear remarkably swift.
The reality, of course, is that this ‘overnight’ transformation was a long time in the making. It took seven months of blood, sweat, toil and – above all – teamwork to catch dozens of nimble goats and remove over 6,000 rats from every inch of Redonda’s rugged terrain. This Caribbean island makeover involved meticulous planning, ingenuity, and edge-of-the-seat maneuvers that included abseiling down sheer cliff faces to lay down rat bait and, thanks to the skilled pilots of Caribbean Helicopters Ltd, landing equipment in very tight spots.
New Zealand-based Wildlife Management International Limited led the rat eradication team: “We have over 30 years of experience in clearing invasive species from islands,” said ecologist Elizabeth (Biz) Bell, “but having a ground team, rope access team and helicopter team using a combination of bait stations, hand broadcasting and aerial methods to successfully target all of the rats makes the Redonda project unique.”
The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) played a vital role in ensuring that even the steepest cliffs could be reached. Safety was paramount, as CEO Dave Turnbullrecalls:
The volcanic cliffs of Redonda presented an extremely challenging environment for the climbers to operate in; the BMC was very pleased to support this important conservation project and help ensure the safety of the team throughout the work.”
The safe removal of the malnourished herd of rare-breed feral goats presented an altogether different challenge, as Dr Karl Campbell of Island Conservation can attest:
This project was essential for the wellbeing of the goats and to enable the ecological recovery of the island. The translocation of goats has seen a suite of positive impacts, and further benefits will unveil themselves in time.”
One intriguing consequence of removing the predatory rats is that lizards on Redonda are rapidly changing their behaviour, according to scientists from Harvard University and the Museum of Natural History in Paris. “We measured anti-predator behaviour and found that the ground dragons are becoming fierce and fearless now that the rats are gone, chasing and eating even adult tree lizards”, said Dr Colin Donihue. “This new balance of nature is more in line with what we’d expect of these animals before rats were ever on the island.”
Redonda ground dragon. Credit: Jeremy Holden_FFI
The long list of organisations that cooperated in this mission reflects the complex challenges that had to be overcome. The government of Antigua and Barbuda along with the EAG and FFI joined forces with leading technical specialists from the UK, USA and New Zealand.
Thanks to their collaborative efforts, Redonda has been rat free since March 2017 while the feral goats4 have been rehoused and are being cared for by the government’s Veterinary and Livestock Division on Antigua. Biosecurity equipment and protocols have also been installed to prevent future invasions.
Redonda harbours endemic species that occur nowhere else in the world, including at least five species of reptiles, and globally important colonies of seabirds. Conservationists argue that Redonda’s unique and special wildlife, coupled with the historical remains of one of the region’s largest guano mines, warrants greater protection for the island. They’re not the only ones. A recent nationwide survey revealed that over 96% of Antiguans and Barbudans agree the island should be protected.
Preparations for designating Redonda and the surrounding sea as a reserve are now under way, led by the Redonda Steering Committee, chaired by the Department of Environment.
According to Dr Robin Moore from US-based Global Wildlife Conservation, which has supported this project and is now helping with planning for the protected area, “It’s incredible to see this radical and rapid transformation of Redonda from a bare rock to a carpet of vegetation. As plants and animals continue to rebound, this could truly be a showcase sanctuary for wildlife.”
– END –
High-resolution images are available upon request. For more information and interviews, please contact:
Sarah Rakowski | Head of Communications, Fauna & Flora International | Tel: +44 (0)1223 747 659 | sarah.rakowski@fauna-flora.org
Notes to editors:
Greg Pauly, the world’s authority on the anoles of California [1,2], kindly passed this information along to AA:
Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén
