Carolina anole
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Carolina anole | |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Family: | Polychrotidae |
| Genus: | Anolis |
| Species: | A. carolinensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Anolis carolinensis Voigt, 1832 |
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| Subspecies | |
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Anolis carolinensis carolinensis |
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The Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis) is an arboreal lizard found primarily in the southeastern parts of the United States and some Caribbean islands. Common synonyms include the green anole, American anole and red-throated anole. It is sometimes referred to as the American chameleon due to its color-changing abilities; however, it is not a true chameleon.
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[edit] Distribution
This species is native to North America, where it is found mainly in the southeastern parts of the continent. Anoles are most abundant on the Atlantic Coastal Plains in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia, and the Gulf Coastal Plain in Texas. The species has been introduced into Hawaii.
[edit] Behavior
Anoles are territorial. In fact some have even been witnessed fighting their own reflection in mirrored glass. Stress in an anole can be identified by several symptoms. These symptoms include a constant shade of brown and a persistent black semicircle behind their eyes and chronic lethargy. In a group of one male and several females some aggressive chasing may occur, but the encounters are short lived and less violent than between males.
During shedding an anole may use its mouth to pull the old skin off and will usually eat it. In addition to discarding their tails, anoles will attempt to bite perceived predators if cornered, which can be somewhat painful, but does not cause much harm other than some scratching of the bite area caused by the lizard's teeth.
When an anole is stressed out, or nervous, they will begin to turn a dark brown. Green means that an anole is happy, healthy, or relaxed. Some anoles, when relaxed, on a hot day will turn a soft yellow-green in color. There are many shades of brown and green. The darker the shade of brown, the more stressed, cold, or possibly ill the lizard is.
Anoles are curious creatures. A healthy lizard usually has a good awareness of its surroundings. The males are very territorial and will fight other males to defend its territory.
[edit] Breeding/Mating
The typical breeding season for green anoles starts from as early as April and ends to as late as August and lasts even occasionally into September. It is during this time that the most brilliant displays of these creatures can be seen, as the males must court the females with their elaborate displays of extending their brightly colored dewlaps while bobbing up and down, almost doing a dance for her while she runs in temptation from the male. The pursuit will continue until the two successfully mate. Usually, when the female is ready to mate, she may let the male simply "catch" her and he will thus grasp a hold of a fold of her skin above her neck area, or she will bow her head before him and simply "let" him take his grasp. At this point, the male will position his tail underneath the female's near her vent and the mating ritual will take place.
After a 2–4 week span following mating, the female will lay her first clutch of eggs, usually ranging from 1–2 in the first clutch. She will continue to lay eggs during the season until a total of 10 or so eggs have been produced. When it comes time for her to lay her eggs, she will bury them in the soft soils or compost nearby, and after that she no longer takes any care for it. The egg(s) are left alone to incubate by the light of the sun and if successful will hatch in 30–45 or so days.
The hatchlings must fend for themselves, as anoles are by nature solitary animals since birth and are not cared for by the mother or the father. The young hatchlings must be wary of other adult anoles in the area as well as larger reptiles and mammals who could eat them.
For breeding anoles in captivity, however, for best results the eggs must be taken out of the adults' enclosure and incubated in moist, not wet, vermiculite at a temperature of around 85 degrees Fahrenheit and around 70% humidity. The eggs will hatch within 35–40 or so days.
Once the eggs hatch, the young should be put into their own separate enclosure (separate from the adults), and the enclosure's temps and humidity levels should match that of the adult anoles. Hatchlings can be fed soft-shelled pinhead crickets, small leaf-hoppers, flightless fruit-flies, and other pesticide-free insects that do not exhibit a hard exoskeleton. The same goes true for adults as well. Pesticide-free insects are a must for anoles, so do not go for bugs in the area if you know that pesticides are sprayed or if you live in a rural area with lots of car exhaust and air pollution that can get on the insect.
[edit] Coloration and color morphs
Generally, the typical coloration for a green anole ranges from the richest and brightest of greens to the darkest of browns, with little variation in between. There are a few exceptions, however, which are caused when a lack in one of the pigment genes occurs. There are three layers of pigment cells – chromatophores that make up the green anole color spectrum: the xanthophores, responsible for the yellow pigmentation; cyanophores, responsible for the blue pigmentation, and melanophores, responsible for the brown and black pigmentation. The combination of the xanthophores and cyanophores are what make up the different arrays of green seen in the green anole, whereas the melanophores are responsible for its change to brown when the anole is cold or stressed. When there is a lack of one of these pigments, color mutations, also called "phases," can occur. In particular, this can lead to the incidence of the rare and beautiful blue-phased green anole, which lacks xanthophores, or the yellow pigment that makes up the green hues of the green anole's color spectrum. What results is a blue, often baby or pastel blue, anole. These rare beauties have become a recent popularity in the trade market. When the anole is completely lacking xanthophores, however, it is said to be axanthic. Such individuals are often completely pastel or baby-blue in hue, however are extremely rare -- usually produced in 1 out of every 20,000 individual anoles in the wild. Other color phases can also occur, such as the yellow-phased green anole, which lacks cyanophores, which are responsible for the blue pigment in the green anole color spectrum. However, none are as popular or as brilliant as the blue-phased green anole. Colonies of these rare color-phased anoles have been reported, but anoles with these color mutations rarely live for long, since the green anole relies on its green and brown camouflage to hunt down prey as well as hide from predators.
[edit] Genomics
This species has been chosen as a model reptile for genomics as part of the NHGRI (National Human Genome Research Initiative) genome sequencing program. This species was chosen because of ease and low cost of laboratory breeding, and evolutionary value of the diversity of the genus.
[edit] Brown anole
The Brown Anole is a highly invasive lizard in the same genus as the Carolina anole. It is native to Cuba and several other Caribbean islands, but has been introduced in Florida and has spread through the state. It has seriously depleted the population of carolina anoles throughout its range, due to competing with them for food and habitat. Some think that these lizards spread when they laid their eggs in potted plants at nurseries, which were then shipped throughout the state.
[edit] Gallery
 female carolina anole |
 Carolina Anole eating dronefly |
 Molting Carolina Anole |
 Carolina Anole with dewlap extended |
 Male Carolina Anole |
 Female Carolina Anole on a Lily |
 Hatchling Anole on a fake flower tree |
 Carolina anole in brown phase |
 Adult carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis) clearly showing the parietal eye at the top of its head. |
Carolina anoles mating, Tallahassee, FL |
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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Wikispecies has information related to: Anolis carolinensis |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Anolis carolinensis |
- Carolina Anole article at the Hilton Pond Center website
- Complete anole care
- Video of Green Anole enlarging his throat skin or dewlap
- The green anole (Anolis carolinensis): a reptilian model for laboratory studies of reproductive morphology and behavior.
- Anole genome sequencing project at NCBI
- Carolina anole at the Encyclopedia of Life
