According to no less authoritative a source than Coin World, the most fabulous new currency for 2019 is the 100-florin bill (about $56 US) from the island of Aruba. You can read all about it in CW‘s article below, but let me highlight the important point that our very own Anolis lineatus is featured prominently on the bill (as well it should be). Clearly, the message here is that if you (you being a country) want to gain accolades for your currency, putting an anole on the note is a wise move. Perhaps some of our more artistically gifted readers can mock up some examples?

Those of you in the anole-know will recall that A. lineatus is distinctive as being the only anole in which the two sides of the dewlap are different.

h/t George Gorman

Paper Money

Aruba 100-florin note named Banknote of the Year for 2019

By Arthur L. Friedberg , Special to Coin World

Published: Apr 20, 2020, 8 AM

Aruba’s new 100-florin note was named Banknote of the Year for 2019 by the voting membership of the International Bank Note Society. The winner bested 21 other contenders selected from among the over 100 new notes issued last year. The finalists were the only ones considered new enough in design to be considered for the award.

The IBNS said that Aruba’s entry led almost from the start of balloting. While every nominee received at least some votes, immediately behind Aruba were the Eastern Caribbean States $10 bank note with multiple motifs, the Ulster Bank of Northern Ireland’s £5 note showing flying geese with people on the shoreline, and Switzerland’s 1,000-franc bank note with human hands in the main design. Norway’s 1,000-kroner note with a cascading wave design was in fifth place.

The IBNS competition began in 2004, but this was Aruba’s first entry.

Canada’s $10 bank note won for 2018, breaking a two-year run by Switzerland with its 10- and 50-franc notes.

Aruba issued a new five-note series of 1-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 100- and 200-florin notes at one time on June 30, 2019. (The florin is pegged to the U.S. dollar at a rate of 1.79:1.)

The series, called the “Stars of Aruba,” was the first redesign in 30 years. Their vertical format draws on artistic elements from Aruba’s culture, flora, and fauna. They were jointly developed with Crane Currency, who also did the printing. Given Aruba’s small population of 120,000, the central bank needed to balance anti-counterfeit technology with production costs, and did so utilizing high-relief printing, watermarks, color-changing ink, the Omron Rings, and Motion Surface, Crane’s 3D moving stripe with miniaturized micro-optics.

The face of the 100-florin note is predominantly emerald green in color with a large iguana in its center and an indigenous lizard, the striped anole (Anolis lineatus) on the left. The green and blue back features women in native dress dancing and leaves from the aloe plant, an economic mainstay.

Jane Semeleer, president of the Central Bank of Aruba, said, “It is very clear that we have managed to create a beautiful family of bank notes. We have one of the most innovative and modern banknote series in the world. And we’re very proud that our vision — to make Arubans proud of their country and to show the world the rich life of Aruba — has led to an award winning 100 florin banknote.”

Semeleer added, “We had to present a better product that the public could fall in love with — and we succeeded. The reactions since the launch have been very positive. Shortly after the co-circulation started, 80 percent of the old banknotes where exchanged.”

About the award

Among the criteria for the nominated notes, according to the IBNS, “Banknotes nominated must have been issued to the public (specimens and non-circulating currencies are inelligble) for the first time during the year of the award, and must have artistic merit and/or innovative security features, and be in general circulation.”

Notes were judged and “the winner [was] decided by a vote of the IBNS, who will consider the artistic merit, design, use of colour, contrast, balance, and security features of each nomination,” according to the IBNS.

“The IBNS Banknote of the Year award is an initiative of the IBNS to recognize an exceptional banknote issued each year,” according to the organization.

Anolis fuscoauratus. Photo by Roberto Langstroth

New literature alert!

In Journal of Helminthology
Helminths associated with Norops fuscoauratus (Squamata, Dactyloidae) in highland marshes of the Brazilian semi-arid
J.M. dos Santos Mesquita, S.S. de Oliveira, R. Perez, R.W. Ávila

Summary

Helminthological studies may contribute with valuable information on host biology and conservation. Herein, we provide new data on helminths infecting the lizard Norops fuscoauratus, testing one of the factors considered most important in parasitic ecology: host size. We analysed 25 specimens of N. fuscoauratus from three highland marshes in the Brazilian semi-arid. Eight taxa of helminths belonging to Nematoda, Trematoda and Acanthocephala were found. Physaloptera sp. showed the higher prevalence (40%), with a mean intensity of infection of 3.3 ± 1.46 (1–16) and mean abundance 1.32 ± 0.65 (0–16). Norops fuscoauratus represents four new host records for the helminths Cyrtosomum sp., Pharyngodon travassosi, Strongyloides sp. and Centrorhynchus sp. There is no relationship of host body size (P = 0.79) and mass (P = 0.50) with parasite richness. In addition, the present study contributes to the knowledge of the parasitic fauna of N. fuscoauratus and the Neotropical region.

Read the full paper here!

Anolis marcanoi. Photo by Rich Glor

reprinted from Dominican Today

The global prayer that motivates the celebration of Biodiversity Day today is a call to stop the loss of biological diversity, that is, the variety of species of plants, animals, and microorganisms that inhabit the planet in its various ecosystems.

Why is this biological variety important? For the United Nations, “biological resources are the pillars that sustain civilizations.” For example?

“Fish provide 20% of animal protein to some 3 billion people. More than 80% of the human diet is made up of plants. Approximately 80% of people living in rural areas of developing countries depend on traditional plant-based medicines for basic health care,” says the agency.

However, an estimated one million animal and plant species are currently endangered.

FLORA IN DANGER

In the DR, for 2011, the List of Endangered, Threatened or Protected Species of the Dominican Republic (Red List) published by the Ministry of the Environment indicated that “of the approximately 6,000 vascular plant species reported for the Dominican Republic, 547 were found to have some category of threat.”

Later, updated data collected in the Red List of Vascular Flora in the Dominican Republic (2016) indicate that some 1,388 plant species present some degree of threat. Some 841 more species than those registered in 2011.

Which of these species are the ones with the highest degree of vulnerability and critical status?

Research indicates that among the families with the highest percentage of their species under some degree of threat are those of orchids (Orchidaceae), palms (Arecaceae), and cacti (Cactaceae).

Indeed, of the orchid family, 145 of the 268 species studied are critically endangered, including the cacatica ( Tolumnia henekenii ) and the Quisqueya rosea.

25 species were included from the palm family (Arecaceae). Of these, there are 13 critically endangered: the red Manacla, Calyptronoma plumeriana; guano: Coccothrinax boschiana; the lake guano: Coccothrinax jimenezii; the guano de costa:Coccothrinax montana Burret; the palm Coccothrinax scoparia Becc; the tame guano: Coccothrinax spissa LH Bailey; el yarey: Copernicia berteroana Becc; the rain palm: Gaussia attenuata; the search Pseudophoenix sargentii H. Wendl; the frisk Pseudophoenix vinífera; the wild coquito: Reinhardtia paiewonskiana; the Thrinax radiata palm  and the guaney: Zombia antillarum. 

Of the cacti, eight species are critically endangered: the Bánica rose ( Pereskia marcanoi Areces ), the Bayahibe rose ( Pereskia Quisqueyana Alain), the spiny melon ( Melocactus lemairei and Melocactus pedernalensis ), the rose ( Pereskia portulacifolia ), the Melocactus praerupticola Arece s; the pitajaya ( Harrisia nashii Briton ) and the cagüey or avocado ( Dendrocereus undulosus ).

Within the families of compound flowers (Asteráceas), of the 99 analyzed there are 76 in critical condition, among them the Salcedoa mirabaliarum.

Other plants that are listed as critically endangered are three species of conifers (juniper): Juniperus gracilior var. ekmanii, Juniperus gracilior var. gracilior and Juniperus gracilior var. urbaniana and the cross stick (Podocarpus hispaniolensis laubenfels ).

You can see images of species of Dominican flora that is critically endangered in the following gallery: https://listindiario.com/la-vida/2017/08/03/476648/galeria-de-la-flora-dominicana

AND ANIMALS?

The distribution of local fauna is as follows: 483 species of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals; 527 species of marine and freshwater fish and 8,529 species of invertebrates (6,833 terrestrial and 1,696 marine). In total, 9,539 species, according to the 2011 List of Endangered, Threatened or Protected Species of the Dominican Republic (Red List) .

Which are in the worst state of conservation?

Among the critically endangered fish are two types of native grouper, Epinephelus itajara and Epinephelus striatus, and the endemic fish Cyprinodon higuey and Cyprinodon nicholsi.

Amphibians and lizards are among the most vulnerable. About to disappear are the endemic species of the Hispaniola crested toad ( Peltophryne fluviatica ); the Jarabacoa burrowing frog ( Eleutherodactylus bothroboans ); the red-legged frog of La Selle ( Eleutherodactylus furcyensis ); the La Selle brown frog ( Eleutherodactylus jugans ); the southern pastel frog ( Eleutherodactylus leoncei ) and the green spiny frog ( Eleutherodactylus nortoni ).

Also the Neiba telegraph frog ( Eleutherodactylus notidodes ); Neiba’s whistling frog ( Eleutherodactylus parabates ); the Rucilla stream frog ( Eleutherodactylus rucillensis), the Bahoruco red-legged frog ( Eleutherodactylus rufifemoralis ); the northern stream frog ( Eleutherodactylus schmidti ); the Massif du Nord’s whistling frog ( Eleutherodactylus sommeri ) and the Vallejuelo burrowing frog ( Eleutherodactylus tychathrous ).

Among the reptiles, the most threatened are the hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata; the giant lucia of Villa Altagracia, Celestus anelpistus; the lucia of Pico Duarte, Celestus marcanoi; the slender Alto Velo anolis (lizard), Anolis altavelensis; the green-banded lizard, Anolis fowleri; the long-nosed lizard from La Selle, Anolis hendersoni; the sturdy red fan lizard, Anolis marcanoi; the Neiba twig lizard, Anolis placidus; the ricord iguana, Cyclura ricordii and the lizard Leiocephalus altavelensis.

Two species of skid lizards also appear in critical condition, Mabuya lineolata (striped skink from Hispaniola) and Mabuya sloanii (greater skink from the Antilles) and thirteen species of geckos or geckos (spherodactyls), all endemic.

Running snakes Haitiophis anomalus, Hypsirhynchus melanichnus,  Laltris agyrtes and laltris haetianus; the snakes Mitophis absolepis, Mitophis calypso , Mitophis pyrites and Typhlops syntherus are also almost in critical condition, as is the American crocodile, Crocodylus acutus.

Of the birds, the diablotín ( Pterodroma hasitata ), the Spanish sparrowhawk ( Buteo ridgwayi ), the barb ( Coccyzus rufigularis ) and the owls Asio flammeus and Asio stygius are critically endangered.

The manatee ( Trichechus manatus ) is among the most threatened marine species and, as a curious fact, the solenodon ( Solenodon paradoxus) does not appear in the category of critical danger, but “endangered.”

By Lelani Del Pinto & Samuel Fisher 

Southern California has remained relatively unaffected by invasive reptiles for the past few decades. While there have been few invasive species noted, Californians use of citizen science tools has made it easier to detect novel invasive species.  One source of invasive species passage is plant nurseries. Multiple sources studying invasive species across the world have noted they have played a major role in various A. sagrei invasions.

At our sites we found plant nurseries at three out of the five survey locations. Anolis sagrei was first detected during an invasive lizard survey in which we (Lelani Del Pinto and Samuel Fisher) were determining the spread of parthenogenetic whiptails (Aspidoscelis sonorae) from Arizona, when we stumbled upon the unexpected A. sagrei population.  A new survey began immediately among a tiny strip mall and not one but approximately 30 A. sagrei were seen.

With a new mission in hand, we next turned to iNaturalist which showed a few scattered records of A. sagrei across Orange County. None of the citizen records were from the strip mall at which we conducted our first survey. Doing a literature search, we found one short note about A. sagrei in California, but no other publications for the state. We established five separate sites based on iNaturalist records as well as the other population we found. After that we surveyed all of the sites and accounted for all of the lizard species seen.

Each site with citizen records proved to have at least a couple of hectares of invaded A. sagrei land. Our methodology was focused on trying to understand the total distance the separate A. sagrei populations had spread; by trying to create a minimum convex polygon, we hoped to get an idea about the minimum size of each of these disjunct populations.

As we were already keeping track of all lizard species we found, we quickly noticed a somewhat problematic trend. It seemed that in localities where A. sagrei was present, the native Sceloporus occidentalis was nowhere to be found. Due to the lack of presence of S. occidentalis in the surveyed sites in which A. sagrei was observed, we think there is reason to pursue further surveying to ensure our native western fence lizard is not threatened by this invader.

While the full extent of the invasion is yet to be determined, further studies could prove the issue is more problematic than anticipated, especially if more A. sagrei come into California and eventually establish through the help of the nursery trade. Secondly any downstream effects caused by invasive A. sagrei should be closely watched because extirpations of S. occidentalis may prove troublesome. Sceloporus occidentalis is known to have an important role in our ecosystem and reduces lyme disease.

The results of our study help to show that within southern California, A. sagrei has the potential to become an invader as it has in many other places such as Florida, Hawaii, and Texas. The impact of the potential A. sagrei invasion in southern California will hopefully be further studied and handled appropriately.  We hope you check our paper out to learn the details about where brown anoles have recently spread!

References                                

Fisher SR, Del Pinto LA, Fisher RN. 2020. Establishment of brown anoles (Anolis sagrei) across a southern California county and potential interactions with a native lizard species. PeerJ 8:e8937 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8937

Mahrdt CR, Ervin EL, Nafis G. 2014. Geographic distribution: Anolis sagrei (Cuban Brown Anole). Herpetological Review 45:658–659.

Communicating anole science to the public recently reached dizzy new heights as anoles were immortalized in a New York Times cartoon!

“Scientists studying lizards in the Americas found that populations in regions battered by hurricanes have larger toe pads that help them hang on in high wind. It’s proof that extreme weather events can alter the course of a species.” Artist: James Yang

The cartoon was published in relation to a recent study in PNAS investigating how hurricanes may drive the evolution of anole toepads by Colin Donihue et al.

On Wednesday, May 20 at 4:00PM EDT, the University of Florida IFAS Extension Service is hosting a free online course! Here’s the event description from the website.

You can register for the course here.

Lepidoterist and keen naturalist Andrei Sourakov from the Florida State Museum posted this photo on Twitter.

This is actually an effective, if somewhat mean to the little insects, way of watching anoles, as Stan Rand noted in his 1975 paper of A. agassizi: “In the West Indies, a well-established method for attracting large numbers of anoles is to break open a termite nest. Under such conditions, large numbers will often gather and feed actively with little aggressive interaction.”