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| Brown Anole | ||||||||||||||||
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| Norops sagrei Cocteau in Duméril and Bibron, 1837 |
The Brown Anole, Norops sagrei, is a lizard of the anole family that is native to Cuba and the Bahamas. It has been widely introduced, and is now common in southern Florida, other Caribbean islands, and elsewhere in the region. Its introduction in the USA has damaged stocks of the native Carolina Anole.
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[edit] Description
The Brown Anole is a slender lizard reaching about 18cm in length. Males and females differ somewhat in coloration: males have a dark stripe down their backs, females a light stripe. The mature males weigh about twice that of females. As in other anoles, the male has a brightly colored throat fan, called a dewlap, which is yellow or reddish-orange. They are territorial and the dewlap is used in territorial displays. Anoles have expanded toe pads that allow them to cling to smooth surfaces.
[edit] Behavior
Unlike the green anole which prefers foliage, the brown anole often scampers around on the ground. They are athletic creatures that run surprisingly fast, and jump many times their length. In Florida, they climb screens and peer in windows. The brown anole gets used to humans and can often be studied at close range.
[edit] Molting
Both the brown anole and the green anole molt (shed). But unlike a snake, they do not shed in one piece but in flakes, some quite large. The molting anole grooms itself and eats the flakes.
[edit] Reproduction
Females generally deposit a single egg in leaf litter about every week or two during their reproductive season, which is year-round in many tropical locations.
[edit] Food
The brown anole feeds on insects and on small green anoles when convenient. They will also eat their molted skin.
Older classifications placed this species in the related genus Anolis.
