#dactyloidae

[herpsandbirds]

Cuban Stream Anole (Anolis vermiculatus), family Dactyloidae, Cuba

photograph by John Q Pigott

[herpsandbirds]

Cuban Blue Anole (Anolis allisoni), male, family Dactyloidae, Roatan Island, Honduras

photographs by Myke Clarkson

[herpsandbirds]

Western Bearded Anole (Anolis barbatus), family Dactyloidae, from western Cuba

photograph by Charles Eutsler

[herpsandbirds]

Ecuadoran Horned Anole or Pinocchio Anole (Anolis proboscis), family Dactyloidae, Ecuador

ENDANGERED.

photograph by R. Jaffrey

[herpsandbirds]

Why Do Some Lizards Change Colors?

by Whit Gibbons

One of the most commonly seen lizards in the southern states is the green anole, also known as the North American green anole or Carolina anole. (Its scientific name is Anolis carolinensis.) Although more than 400 species of anoles are known to science, the green anole is the only one native to the United States. Most people appreciate seeing them in their yards.   I contacted Tom Jenssen, an expert on the subject of color-changing behavior in green anoles. During his career as a professor at Virginia Tech, Tom observed thousands of green anoles while conducting research on the species. His observations confirmed categorically that the color of a green anole has nothing to do with what the lizard is standing on. One on a green leaf can be brown; one on dark soil can be green. He indicated that factors causing a green anole to exhibit the brown color phase are not completely understood but he explained the biological mechanism...

Read more: https://whitgibbons.com/ecoviews_lizards/

photograph by Tom Jenssen

[stopandlook]

Scientific Name: Anolis carolinensis Common Name(s): Green anole Family: Anolidae (anole); prev. Dactyloidae (anole) Life Stage(s): Adult Location: Plano, Texas Season(s): Spring

Male, with the pink dewlap. The taxonomy of anoles is rather contentious.

[herpsandbirds]

Gran Piedra Giant Anole (Anolis sp.), male, family Dactyloidae, endemic to the Gran Piedro mountain range of Cuba

An as of yet undescribed giant anole species.

Discovered by scientists in 2012.

photograph by Reptiles4all

[dactyloa]

"I favor the preservation of anole species because I like the idea of a world with more anole species I think such a world is more attractive, and more interesting, and a more enriching and transformative place for this and future generations....Anoles do not harbor substances that cure disease, or poses unique mechanical or regenerative properties that lead to innovations that benefit humans, or sound an alarm call portending doom for humanity. There is no political, health, or economic reason to save any or all species of mainland anole. If we are to preserve mainland anole species, it must be for their own sake. I hope that reason is enough." - Steven Poe (2025)