During our recent visit to Veragua, a few of the hardier participants decided to forego ziplining in favor of a hike. While traipsing through a beautiful stream, we encountered several A. oxylophus, one of the so-called aquatic anoles. Despite the moniker, aquatic anoles do not spend most of their time in the water. Rather, they perch on vegetation or rocks along stream edges, close to or above the water. While at least one species of aquatic anole, A. vermiculatus, actively hunts for aquatic prey, the diets of most aquatic species, including A. oxylophus, comprise nonaquatic invertebrates. All aquatic anoles, however, use the water for escape: when threatened by a predator, aquatic anoles dive into the water and either flee, by swimming or running across the water to the opposite bank, or submerge underwater until the threat goes away. Previous reports suggest that A. oxylophus uses the latter two strategies.
How long did this strapping A. oxylophus stay underwater? Photo courtesy of Alexis Harrison.