Crested anole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Crested anole |
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| A. c. cristatellus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Anolis
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| Species: |
cristatellus
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The Anolis cristatellus is a small reptile called an anole. It belongs to the Dactyloidae family. This lizard is native to Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. It has also been introduced by humans to other places around the Caribbean.
Male A. cristatellus lizards are easy to spot because of a fin-like ridge on top of their tail. This is called a "caudal crest." Females also have these crests, but they are smaller. You can often see these lizards during the day in Puerto Rico. They like to hang out on tree trunks, fences, or building walls in cities. Sometimes they go down to the ground to lay eggs, find food, or move around.
Like many anoles, this species does "push-ups." They also puff out a colorful flap of skin under their throat called a dewlap. They do this to attract mates or scare away other lizards. In Puerto Rico, people call it the lagartijo común. In English, it's also known as the common anole, crested anole, common Puerto Rican anole, or Puerto Rican crested anole. There are two types (subspecies) of this lizard found in different areas. They have slightly different colored dewlaps and crests.
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About the Crested Anole's Name
Scientists give every living thing a special name. This helps everyone know exactly which animal they are talking about. This lizard was first described by two scientists, André Marie Constant Duméril and Gabriel Bibron, in 1837. They studied lizards sent from Martinique.
Crested Anole Subspecies
As of 2020, scientists recognize two main types, or subspecies, of the Crested Anole:
- Anolis cristatellus cristatellus: This type is found in Puerto Rico and some nearby islands. It has also been introduced to other places.
- Anolis cristatellus wileyae: This type lives on islands east of Puerto Rico, like Culebra and Vieques. It's also found in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands.
Scientists have found lizards that are a mix of these two types on islands between their main homes. This shows how the two subspecies can sometimes blend together.
Common Names for the Crested Anole
In its home country of Puerto Rico, people often call this lizard lagartijo común or common anole. Another Spanish name is lagartija crestada.
Other common names in English include the crested anole, which is popular in the Virgin Islands. It's also called the common Puerto Rican anole or the Puerto Rican crested anole. Sometimes, people incorrectly call it a "chameleon" because it can change color.
What Does the Crested Anole Look Like?
Compared to many other anoles, this lizard is strong and muscular. It's a small to medium-sized lizard. Males can grow up to about 3 inches (7.5 cm) long from snout to vent (the base of the tail). Females can reach about 2.9 inches (7.3 cm), but most are smaller.
Males and females look different, which is called sexual dimorphism. Males are often more colorful. Young lizards also have different colors than adults. Male Crested Anoles are easy to spot because of their tall, fin-like crests on their tails. These crests always stand up. The crest is short on their back but gets taller near their neck. Their tail is flat from side to side.
Their color can change a lot. They can be bronze or greenish-grey, with faint brown spots. Their belly is usually greenish-yellow, and their throat is whitish. The males' dewlap (the throat flap) is mustard or greenish-yellow, with a reddish-orange band around the edge. Females have a smaller dewlap and a lower crest. Young lizards have brown bands and sometimes a light stripe down their back. Some females keep this stripe as adults.
These lizards can change their color from light grey to reddish-brown or dark black. They change color based on how they are feeling. Because of this, people sometimes call them "chameleons." However, they are not related to true chameleons. True chameleons change color mainly for camouflage, while anoles change color more for communication.
Where Do Crested Anoles Live?
Native Homes of Anolis cristatellus cristatellus
This type of Crested Anole naturally lives all over Puerto Rico and some smaller islands nearby. You won't find it on Mona Island or in the highest mountains.
In Puerto Rico, you can see them often in cities like San Juan and Mayagüez. They also live in nature parks. They are found on small islands like Caja de Muertos and Cayo Santiago.
Introduced Homes of Anolis cristatellus cristatellus
Humans have accidentally or purposefully brought this lizard to other places. It has been introduced to Costa Rica, Trinidad, the eastern part of Hispaniola (like the Dominican Republic), and southern Florida. Most recently, it was reported on the island of Sint Maarten in 2009. Many of these new populations are still growing.
In Costa Rica, it arrived by at least 1970 and is still spreading. In southern Florida, it was introduced in the 1970s. It was first seen on the island of Dominica in 2003. It's thought to have arrived there on imported goods, near the cargo airport and seaport.
Where Anolis cristatellus wileyae Lives
This subspecies lives on islands off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, such as Culebra and Vieques. It also lives in the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. It's common on many of these islands, including Anegada, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda. This type of anole is not spreading to other parts of the Caribbean like the other subspecies.
You might wonder how this lizard ended up on so many small, separate islands. It's because these islands were once connected! About 8,000 to 10,000 years ago, during the last ice age, there was one much larger island stretching from Puerto Rico to Anegada. When the ice melted, sea levels rose, and the land split into the many islands we see today. The lizards on these islands are relict populations from that larger landmass.
Crested Anole Lifestyle
Where They Live (Habitat)
The Crested Anole lives in almost every type of habitat in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. You can find them in open fields or even rainforests. They don't usually live in the very high mountain forests of Puerto Rico. They live from sea level up to about 3,200 feet (980 meters) high.
In places where they have been introduced, like Costa Rica and Dominica, they seem to prefer cities and towns. They are often found on tree trunks or buildings. Lizards living in cities in Puerto Rico tend to lose and regrow their tails more often than those in natural forests. This might be because there are more predators like house cats in cities, or fewer places to hide.
These lizards are known as "trunk-ground anoles." This means they spend most of their time on the bottom 6 feet (2 meters) of tree trunks. But they will go down to the ground to find food and lay eggs.
Crested Anole Behavior
Crested Anoles lay eggs, which means they are egg-laying. As they grow, they shed their skin. They often eat their old skin, perhaps to get back nutrients. They are not very noisy, but they can make some chirping sounds.
To protect themselves from predators, they can break off their tails. This is called autotomy. Later, a new tail grows back. This new tail doesn't have bones like the original, but a rod of cartilage. If they break their tail again, they have to lose more of the original bony part.
When looking for a mate or defending their space, male anoles will puff out their dewlap and do "push-ups." This shows how strong they are and helps them attract mates or scare away rivals. Males often defend their territories, but they rarely fight physically. Like many anoles, they can change color from dark brown to tan. This color change is usually because of their emotions, not just to hide like true chameleons.
What They Eat (Diet)
In Puerto Rico, Crested Anoles have been seen trying to eat surprisingly large prey. This includes blindsnakes and even other young anoles.
Interactions with Other Species
In some areas, like El Yunque National Forest, the Crested Anole lives alongside many other anole species. They can all live together because each species uses a different part of the environment, like different heights on trees.
Who Eats the Crested Anole (Predators)
Other animals that eat the Crested Anole include:
- Another type of anole, Anolis cuvieri.
- The non-native mongoose, Herpestes javanicus.
- Birds like the Margarops fuscatus and birds of prey such as the Buteo jamaicensis and Falco sparverius.
- The Puerto Rican tody, a bird known as San Pedrito.
Tiny Creatures That Live on Them (Parasites)
Crested Anoles can sometimes have tiny creatures living on or inside them, called parasites. These include flatworms, tapeworms, and pinworms. In Puerto Rico, some anoles can get a type of lizard malaria, which is a tiny parasite that infects their blood cells. It's thought that mosquitoes spread this disease.
Crested Anoles and Humans
Crested Anoles are sometimes sold as pets around the world.
Protecting the Crested Anole
This is a very common lizard in Puerto Rico. It's believed that it has become even more common over the past few centuries. This is because humans have changed much of the island into habitats that this lizard likes.
However, when the Crested Anole is introduced to new places, it can sometimes cause problems. For example, on the island of Dominica, it has started to replace the Anolis oculatus, which is a lizard found only on that island. The Crested Anole has become very common in the dry, urban areas near the capital city of Roseau. But scientists think it might not spread as much into the wet forests or mountains. In other places where it has been introduced, there isn't much evidence that it harms other anole species or the local environment.
The IUCN has not yet checked the conservation status of this species. This means they haven't officially decided if it's endangered or not.
Crested Anoles are found in several protected areas:
- Reserva Natural Caja de Muertos, Ponce, Puerto Rico, USA.
- Guánica State Forest, Puerto Rico, USA.
- Los Tres Picachos State Forest, Puerto Rico, USA.
- Luquillo Experimental Forest within El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico, USA.
- Reserva Forestal de Maricao, Puerto Rico, USA.
- Virgin Islands National Park, Saint John, United States Virgin Islands, USA.
Images for kids
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A A. c. cristatellus
See also
In Spanish: Anolis crestado o abaniquillo crestado para niños
