The scientific name is Anolis carolinensis
This photo was taken on the island of Kauai in Hawai’i. My wife, Jill, and I were coming down from the summit of Sleeping Giant on the east side of the island when I saw this little green anole hanging out in the branches of a tree. I was fortunate that it wasn’t too skittish and stayed in view while I leaned in for a photo. One of the things that I love about this photo is that I was able to get such a high quality shot with a simple point and shoot camera, the Olympus Tough TG-5. I know that Matt would agree with me in saying that anyone can be a photographer. It is very likely that you have a high-quality camera right on the back of your phone. We encourage you to get outdoors and capture the world around you through a lens.
The scientific name for the green anole is Anolis carolinensis. It has many other common names: Carolina anole, Carolina green anole, American anole, American green anole, North American green anole, American chameleon, and red-throated anole. It is in the family of lizards known as anoles or Dactyloidae. Anoles are native to the America primarily from the southeastern United States to Paraguay. This species of anole can be found on many islands of the Pacific Ocean (where I took this photo) and the Caribbean Sea. Many anole species, including the green anole, are known for their ability to change the color of their skin.
The size and color of this lizard can vary widely. Males grow to be 5-8” long with ~65% of that length being comprised of its tail. Females will grow to a maximum of 6” long. When they are first hatched from their eggs, the little hatchlings are less than an inch long! The lizard can be found in the wild ranging from green to brown depending on its current conditions. The range of coloration is due to different pigment cell layers on its skin. They have three types of pigment cells: xanthophores, which are responsible for the yellow pigmentation; cyanophores, which are responsible for the blue pigmentation; and melanophores, which are responsible for the brown and black pigmentation. Some green anoles are born without some of these pigment cells which cause them to have very distinct coloration. Some are pastel-blue, some are baby-blue, and some are yellow.
The green anole has a unique dewlap that it can extend and retract. A dewlap, also known as a throat fan, is a longitudinal flap of skin that sits beneath the lower jaw. The male dewlap is bright red and is three times the size of the female dewlap. Male anoles are quite territorial. When they see another male, they will extend their dewlap, inflate a dorsal ridge, and bob its head in an intimidating stance. When courting a female, the male will extend the red dewlap and bob up and down!
The green anole can change the color of its skin!
Did You Know?
- Females will lay eggs one to two at a time until ten have been produced. The eggs will be incubated by the sun and will hatch after 30-45 days.
- Anoles primarily eat crickets, grasshoppers, flies, moths, cockroaches, beetles, and spiders. They will occasionally eat grains and seeds.
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[…] Cuban brown anoles first started appearing in Florida in the 1940’s. Fast forward thirty years later to the 1970’s and the brown anole has successfully established itself across the entire Florida peninsula. Today, the brown anole remains one of the most common lizards in Florida. These lizards are able to out perform the local lizards and really wreak havoc on native species. For example, the Cuban brown anole competes for the same resources as the native American green anole. Since the introduction of the brown anole in Florida, native green anole populations have dropped off significantly. Ben recently visited Hawaii and did a write up on green anoles, check it out here! […]