Anole Annals

Best Binoculars for Anole Gazing?

On May 2, 2012

Having recently lost my trusty pair of binoculars, I’m searching for a replacement before heading to the field this summer. My original binoculars were bought for the express purpose of watching monkeys, but now that I’m spending my days observing anole behavior it’s time to reconsider what makes for a good pair of binocs. So far, I’ve received one important piece of advice: make sure that the close focal distance is as small as possible (definitely less than 10 feet, and less than 6 feet is even better) so that you can zoom in on nearby lizards. And, of course, they need to be waterproof/fogproof against the tropical environs! Specific recommendations so far have included the Eagle Optics Ranger and the Nikon Monarch.

So, what is your favorite pair of binoculars? Any tips or advice on what makes a good pair of herping binoculars?

More Introduced Anoles In Dominica And The Dominican Republic

By Jonathan Losos

On May 2, 2012

In Introduced Anoles

IRCF Reptiles & Amphibians lives on in the digital realm, and just published its latest issue

IRCF Reptiles & Amphibians: Conservation and Natural History may no longer be publishing in the paper realm, but it’s still coming out electronically, and the latest issue has just hit the digital street. Amidst the customary excellent photography and interesting articles are two new reports of introduced anoles.

First is the interception in Dominica of two Anolis bimaculatus hitch-hiking on a container shipment from St. Kitts. This species has previously been reported there, but is not established.

Second is the report by an all-star cast of AA contributors of additional populations of A. porcatus in the Dominican Republic, presumably the result of dispersal from Santo Domingo, where they have been established for some time.

Breeding season is upon us!

By Thomas Sanger

On May 1, 2012

In New Research

For those of us that study embryonic and juvenile development this is an exciting time. The first anole eggs of the season are here!

The prize for first egg of the season goes to Anolis distichus. Fifteen females were collected in Miami one week ago ago and I collected 11 eggs from their cages yesterday. A. carolinensis, A. sagrei, and A. cristatellus seem to be off to a slower start. Of the 12 A. sagrei females collected I only found two eggs while the other species have yet to produce any. My fingers are crossed that egg production picks up soon.

Is anyone else out there having any early season luck? Which species? Are people in the field observing regular mating behaviors now?

What’s Happened To The Good Noosing Material?

By Jonathan Losos

On May 1, 2012

In Research Methods

Flossless in Saint Louis. What has become of Reach (non-mint) waxed floss?

There’s been a lot of talk recently about the inability to get top-of-the-line noosing poles, but another lizard catching crisis hasn’t yet received attention. Right-thinking anolologists agree that dental floss is the preferred lasso-making material, but not all floss is the same. As discussed in a previous post, there are definite differences in quality, at least with regard to lizard-catching potential.

In particular, Johnson & Johnson’s Reach © brand waxed floss is the premium lariat string, yet in my experience, it has become harder and harder to find as many stores (e.g., CVS, Walgreens) are stocking inferior store brands and, for some reason, mint-flavored products.

This situation hit its nadir just this weekend, when I was unable to find Reach waxed floss in numerous St. Louis apothecaries and groceries, nor in an outlet in DC. Where the heck is it? Are other herpetologists hoarding it in fear of another Cabela’s-style debacle? I don’t know, but I’ve been forced to pack Walgreens brand stock on my upcoming expedition. I guess it’s only fair to give the little guy’s a chance, but you can bet I’ll be cursing Wallie’s finest every time a lizard flips out of my noose.

Anole Classics: Ray Huey (1974) on the Cost of Behavioral Thermoregulation (or, What’s the Deal with Thermoconformity?)

By Alex Gunderson

On April 30, 2012

In Classics from the Literature

A male Anolis cristatellus from Puerto Rico. Photo by Dave Steinberg.

It is somewhat intuitive to assume that the body temperatures of “cold-blooded” animals like anoles must closely match ambient temperatures. For example, lizards from cold climates should be active at colder body temperatures than those from warm climates, and body temperature should change throughout the day in concert with air temperature. As Martha Muñoz has discussed, Cowles and Bogert laid this expectation to rest in 1944. They demonstrated that lizards can behaviorally thermoregulate, altering the effective thermal environment that they experience to remain within a “preferred” temperature range while active.

The potential benefits of behavioral thermoregulation are pretty obvious. Seek out a little sunlight on a cold day and you can go from freezing your hemi-penes off to enjoying a fulfilling day of doing whatever a lizard might find fulfilling. So for many years after Cowles and Bogert, observing patterns consistent with behavioral thermoregulation became the expectation.

Anole Glass Figurine

By Jonathan Losos

On April 29, 2012

In Anoles in Commerce

Only $4.99, available from Amazon.

Male-Male Interactions in Anolis maynardi

By Pat Shipman

On April 29, 2012

In Natural History Observations, Notes from the Field

Bright green male who won the fightAn instantaneous color change for the loser.

Two adult male A. maynardi were sitting on a flat tile deck about 6 inches apart with dewlaps exposed and head crests up. There was much head bobbing and they showed their bright yellow dewlaps by turning their heads sideways. Then fast wrestling occurred – It looked like they were using their mouths to bite each other — with the participants separating briefly before repeating the wrestling, during which they turned each other over and over. We (humans) may have precipitated the end of this bout by opening a door to get a camera, but one male ran off the deck down the vertical wall and the other stayed to watch. At this point a small female ran between the two towards the male nearest the deck. After 10 minutes the male that moved off first is sitting on a hand rail and has changed to his dark color, while the other male remains on a step still bright green.

Also: a brief note on nocturnal feeding. We had our first decent rain of the season on the 24th April and on coming home at about 8.30 pm, a large cosmopolitan gecko and a male A. maynardi were sharing the same wall and feeding on insects attracted to the outdoor lights.

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About The Helminth Parasites Of Anoles

By Jonathan Losos

On April 28, 2012

In New Research

Ok, not a parasitic worm of anoles, but it got your attention! Photo from http://childhealthproblems.com/images/head-of-helminth.jpg

In a gargantuan recent paper in Comparative Parasitology, Bursey, Goldberg, Telford and Vitt report new data for 13 Central American anoles and summarize what is known about helminths through all of anoledom. Before getting into the details, though, it may help some of our readers to explain what a helminth is. In short, helminths are parasitic worms, such as nematodes, flukes, and tapeworms; anoles—and many other animals—are commonly infested with them.

Prior to this study, helminths had only been reported in 10 Central American anoles. However, taking advantage of the collections of Telford and Vitt, dating back to late 1950’s, the researchers examined 426 anoles of 13 species, basically opening up museum specimens to see what surprises awaited. The result was 1026 parasites found in 173 of the specimens.

Cabelas Noose Poles are back

By Graham Reynolds

On April 27, 2012

In Ask the Experts, Research Methods

Just a heads up to those who are interested- the Revell Lab successfully placed an order for 10 and 14 foot poles and have been assured delivery around May 7th.

The Great Anole Photo That Got Away

By Jonathan Losos

On April 27, 2012

In Anole Art, Literature, and Humor

Reader Mona G writes: “I like to watch anoles in my garden in the Florida Keys where they are ubiquitous. I also take photos of them. I wanted to tell a funny story about one of my photo shoots. This took place a few years before digital cameras were invented. The days of using film! I had a very large, long and heavy zoom lens. It was summertime and very hot. I sat in one spot observing a large anole doing what they do when another anole comes into their territory. He used his dewlap often and the sunlight was lighting it up making it so beautiful. It appeared to be all shades of red,yellow, orange and hot pink. It is not easy to catch that dewlap moment. So I sat sweating profusely and eventually aching from being tensed up into certain postures to get certain angles. I was so excited about the photos I was sure I would have at least 3 or 4 perfect pix out of my roll of 36. I prepared to take them directly to be processed. As I started to rewind the film back into it’s canister… something didn’t feel right. I thought “oh no. The film has gone too far and has detached from the can.” NO that was not the problem..the problem was that there was NO FILM in my %&^^&*&^%#!!! camera…I LOVE DIGITAL!! Anyone have any stories like this to share? Also about this chameleon pix..is this a pet? Or is it in nature? I hope someone enjoyed my story. I STILL take anole pix very often. They are always interesting to observe. I often leave a banana peel on a table and they come to eat the fruit flies. They seem to be familiar with me. Not tame but more relaxed in my presence as time goes by. I have also become familiar with certain lizards who live in a certain area. They definitely have there own home turf. Thanks for reading. I am attaching a recent night shot. This anole sleeps in the same area every night. I woke him up and you can see he is not very happy about it!