Puerto Rican bush anole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sharp-mouthed lizard |
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| Adult Anolis pulchellus | |
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Anolis
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| Species: |
pulchellus
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The sharp-mouthed lizard is a small lizard also known as the Puerto Rican bush anole or snake anole. It belongs to a group of lizards called anoles. These little reptiles are very common in Puerto Rico. You can also find them on nearby islands like Vieques, Culebra, and most of the Virgin Islands.
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About the Sharp-Mouthed Lizard
The sharp-mouthed lizard is a fascinating creature. It's known for its unique features and how it lives in its environment. Scientists have studied these lizards a lot to understand how different animals adapt to their homes.
What Does It Look Like?
This lizard is quite small. It usually measures about 35 to 43 mm (1.4 to 1.7 in) long. This measurement is taken from its nose to the base of its tail. Imagine a lizard that's only about as long as your thumb!
Its body is mostly yellow-brown. This color helps it blend in with the plants where it lives. Male sharp-mouthed lizards have a special feature called a dewlap. This is a flap of skin under their throat. Their dewlap is a pretty purple color that turns crimson, or deep red, near the end. Males use this colorful dewlap to attract females and to show other males who's boss!
Where Does It Live?
The sharp-mouthed lizard loves to live in bushes and grassy areas. This is why it's sometimes called the "bush anole." It's very common in its native home of Puerto Rico. You can also find it on the islands of Vieques and Culebra, which are part of Puerto Rico. It also lives throughout most of the Virgin Islands, except for the island of St. Croix.
How Anoles Adapt and Evolve
Anoles living on the larger Caribbean islands, like Puerto Rico, are very interesting to scientists. This is because they show a great example of something called adaptive radiation. This means that one type of animal slowly changes over a long time to create many new types. Each new type is special because it's perfectly suited for a different way of life or a different part of its environment.
For example, on each island, anoles have developed into different "ecomorphs." An ecomorph is like a specialist. It's an animal that has special body features and behaviors that help it live in a specific part of its habitat. The sharp-mouthed lizard is a "grass-bush anole" ecomorph. This means it's perfectly designed to live among grass and bushes. Other anoles might be "trunk-ground" ecomorphs, living on tree trunks and the ground, or "twig" ecomorphs, living on thin branches. Even though these different types of anoles evolved separately on each island, similar ecomorphs appeared on different islands. It's like nature found the same good solutions for similar living conditions!
