Why Green Anoles Change Color by Whit Gibbons From the pages of  Tuscaloosa News: You've likely seen this common lizard. Why it changes color | ECOVIEWS Whit Gibbons Contributor May 1, 2026, 3:45 a.m. CT One of the most commonly seen lizards in the Southern states is the green anole, also known as…

Want to Know More about Animal Behaviour, in Spanish? For those of you fascinated by animal behaviour—of your pets, backyard visitors and other wildlife, or perhaps anoles in particular—the non-fiction graphic novel Understanding Animal Behaviour is for you. And it’s free—all 175 pages of it.…

Anole T-Shirts New model organism t-shirts available from the Society for Developmental Biology.

Are Red Chili Pepper Anoles a Real Thing? AA reader Steve Hopman writes: My question is on genetics of the "Red Chili Pepper" anole being sold on Underground Reptiles. Are they A. sagrei or a cross with another species? How is the red transferred to offspring? Dominant or recessive trait or ?.

Spring Time and the Green Anoles Are Back in Georgia From the pages of Vanguard, the student newspaper of the University of North Georgia: The Green Anole is Back in Georgia Riley Hansen, Staff Writer • April 9, 2026 With spring weather on the rise, green anoles, a small lizard species native to…

Anole Chocolate! Mashpi Chocolate sustainability farms chocolate to help preserve nature in Ecuador. And anoles are doing their part. As they say on their website: "All the ingredients we use in Mashpi Chocolate are grown in an agroecological and regenerative way, next to cocoa trees and within…

Dinámicas Evolutivas y de Diversificación en Regiones Montañosas Tropicales Al igual que cuando era estudiante de pregrado, me demoré un buen rato en decidir qué hacer para mi tesis doctoral, ya que tuve que replantear la mayor parte debido a la pandemia de COVID. Meses antes de mi propuesta,…

Dominance of Anolis under Imminent Threat — from Geckos! Anolis has long enjoyed being the most speciose genus of reptiles with currently 435 described species (unless you subscribe to the generic split crowd supporting Dactyloa and such, of course). There was not even a close contender. That is…

The History of Anole Annals According to ChatGPT Chat This all started with an innocent query: how long has Anole Annals been around? This led to a series of questions answered--for the most part accurately--by chapgpt. Unfortunately, the links didn't copy, but if you want to go to the posts…

Diversification and Evolutionary Dynamics in Tropical Montane Regions Much like when I was an undergrad, I found myself trying to decide what to do for my PhD thesis, as I had to change or rethink most of it after COVID happened. Months before my proposal, I came across a really cool paper by…

What Grenadian Anoles Revealed about How Animals Establish Territories There are a lot of classic studies on anoles. Some of the most groundbreaking started from a simple observation and someone’s curiosity. Judy Stamps seems to have had lots of these “huh…” moments. Her studies on anole behavior…

Knight Anoles Spreading through Florida–Will They Get to Georgia? from the Wildlife Society: Florida towns facilitate spread of knight anoles March 2, 2026 News, Wildlife News by Joshua Rapp Learn Giant Cuban anoles have found footholds in habitats across Florida thanks to expanding human…

It’s Not What You Eat, It’s Where You Deplete: Resource Competition between Introduced Lizards in Hawaii Left: gold dust day gecko handling a spider in the vegetation. Center: green anole handling a moth. Right: brown anole surveying the ground. Or, "Prey depletion by a predator guild suggests…

Ecuador’s Eccentric Anoles Ecuador is one of the most biodiversity-rich and unique locations in the world - especially for herps. Currently, there are 207 species of lizards there, 41 of which are some of the most spectacular anole species around (Arteaga 2025). As a herp wildlife photographer and…

Mythic Peruvian Anoles Rediscovered The rediscovery of Anolis laevis is one of those stories that seem written to remind us why biological exploration remains indispensable. Described in 1876 from a single specimen, holotype ANSP 11368, and then lost to science for a century and a half, this small…

Peruvian Islands Foster Rapid Morphological Evolution in Introduced Lizards As well exemplified by a significant fraction of anole research, islands can act as natural laboratories of evolution. With limited space, fewer predators, simplified communities, and isolation from the mainland, islands…

From Tiny Spines to Sticky Toes: What Cyrtodactylus Geckos Can Tell Us about the Evolution of Stickiness in Lizards Like anoles, geckos are famous for their adhesive toepads, enabling astonishing climbing abilities. Since adhesive toepads evolved independently in geckos and anoles, these two…

Knight Anole Meets Cat Happy ending: they both lived to see another day thanks to the screen between them! Thanks to Miriam Lipsky for the photo from Miami.

Want to Know More about Anole Behaviour? JUST PUBLISHED: Understanding Animal Behaviour is a non-fiction graphic novel featuring anoles and other lizards. This isn’t a kid's book or comic. It is written for adult readers interested in understanding why animals do what they do and how researchers…

Breaking News: Green Anole Savagely Bites Stephen Colbert Ok, not actually breaking news--occurred almost eight years ago, but somehow word never reached Anole Annals. People magazine tells the story: Published on April 21, 2018 12:55PM EDT Nearly three years after taking over The Late Show…

Invasive Brown Anoles More Aggressive to Native Greens at Higher Temperatures Tulane University reports: Study: Invasive lizards’ tempers flare with the heat Stacey Plaisance [email protected] 

Hurricanes as a Source of Episodic Natural Selection on Lizards from the pages of Rhody Today: URI’s Jason Kolbe studying hurricanes as a source of episodic natural selection Storm study shows adaptive selection in southeast lizards A new study led by URI’s Jason Kolbe examines adaptive selection…

How Lizards Use Skin Color to Control Their Body Temperature We’ve long known that some lizards change color for camouflage or communication, but our new research reveals their skin may also act as a dynamic thermal regulator. Our study published in Animals explores how the green anole (Anolis…

Where Do Green Anoles Go to Sleep? Night Life in the Ogasawara Islands Sleep is one of the most fundamental states for animals, including humans and wildlife. When people travel to unfamiliar places, one of their first concerns is often where they will sleep that night — at least it is for me.…

Pointy Snouted Green Anole Has a Thing for Star Fruit And who could blame the little green lady--star fruit are delicious! Miriam Lipsky of Miami explains: "The star fruits (carambola) are indeed from my yard!  I was picking them to give to a friend, since no one in my family really likes them…

Miami Knights: Urbanization Facilitates an Invasive Anole The Cuban knight anole (Anolis equestris) was intentionally introduced to South Florida in the 1950s. Since then, they have spread along the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, into southwest Florida, and into the Florida Keys. Currently, these anoles…

At Lunch and for Lunch: Observations on Anolis Predator / Prey Interactions in South Florida On December 4, 2025 I observed an Anolis (probably A. sagrei) preying upon an adult or subadult ringneck snake (Diadophis punctatus) in a relictual hardwood hammock forest in Miami, Florida, USA. The…

The Geography of Stickiness: What Gecko Feet Reveal about Evolution Like in Anolis lizards, the evolution of adhesive toepads in geckos is often seen as a key innovation, allowing these lizards to exploit vertical environments. Gecko toepads are among the most advanced in the animal kingdom –…

A Closer Look at Color: Female-Driven Dewlap Dichromatism in Anoles Dewlaps—the extensible throat ornaments of anoles—are classically viewed as male secondary sexual traits used in mate attraction and rival assessment. However, many species exhibit fully developed female dewlaps, and in numerous…

See How They Run: Observing Lizards Helps Researchers Aim for Innovation From the Pages of Syracuse University Today: Diane Stirling Nov. 21, 2025 Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes How geckos and anoles use sticky toepads and claws to run, climb and jump is providing clues for innovations to help…

Color-changing Females: Just Blending in or Born to Stand Out?? Across the Anolis genus, color and color change are used in a variety of ways, from camouflage to signaling. While many studies have focused on male coloration, few have explored the more subtle females and the role that their…

Jamaican Crown-Giant Anole Weathers Hurricane Melissa Inbar Mayaan writes: As you know, Jamaica was very badly hit by Hurricane Melissa. It made landfall in the southwest part of the island and cut across through to the north central coast before continuing northward. Images and videos are…

Anoles as the Gateway to Science Advocacy  Prologue Nearly 1500 posts. Over 300 contributors. Worldwide readership. Since its origin 15 years ago, Anole Annals has left its mark on anole researchers, reptile enthusiasts, and people curious about why these little tree lizards enchant so many of us.…

Spoil Islands in Florida: an Opportunity for Anole Experiments in the Wild Invasive species are a growing problem across our increasingly globalized planet. They are often adept at establishing stable population sizes very quickly, which allows them to outcompete native species for access to…

Not All Mothers Know Best: Geographic Variation in Brown Anole Nesting Behavior Anolis sagrei (brown anole, Figure 1) is a small species, native from Cuba, that invaded Florida around 1800. Me, I am from Brazil, and this is the story of how I made some interesting discoveries about the brown…

Changing Gears (and Colors): Investigating Color Change in Green Anoles Using Computer Vision Green anoles (Anolis carolinensis), also described as the American chameleon, can change between brown and green coloration at will in a process known as physiological color change. Deciphering the…

Rebreathing Semi-aquatic Anoles: Just a Scuba Tank… or Something More? Over the past several years, semi-aquatic anoles experienced a bit of viral fame for “scuba diving," a nickname for their ability to rebreathe a bubble of air over their nostrils while diving underwater. Rebreathing allows…

Brown Anoles as a Backyard Ecosystem Menace Galveston reader A.J. Watkins writes in: I am in Galveston Texas, and I am literally in tears. Being a Port city, we have been invaded by the Cuban anoles that have obviously come in off the shipping boats. All I can say is they have caused complete…

Second Invasion of Africa by the Festive Anole Yes, the brown (aka, festive) anole is at it again. Now it's turned up on the island of Bioko in the Gulf of Guinea. As Malanza et al. report in Herpetological Notes, this is the second introduction of the species to Africa, the first occurring in…

A Yellow Green Anole Reader Gary Dick tells us: I encountered the hatchling pictured about 10 years ago on my patio.  Part of a small population in my specific area.  Best I can tell, it was achromic Green anole.  What do you think? A little additional info about this lizard:  it’s from a…

Can Anoles Regenerate Their Skin? Christopher Brown on his blog Field Notes writes: "We may never acquire the gift evidenced by this anole I saw on our retaining wall last weekend: the ability to regenerate large portions of one’s own body after an accident or an encounter with a predator. I was…

More on Anole Eye Spots Some green anoles sometimes temporarily develop a black spot behind their eyes. We had a great post on why this happens in 2011. Spoiler: it's a sign of stress. Reader Seth Whaland has provided interesting observations: In August of this year, I was on the Butler Hike &…

New Orleans’ Brown Anoles Can Tolerate Extraordinary Amounts of Lead in Their Blood Tulane University reports: Lead-resistant lizards in New Orleans could hold clues to combating lead poisoning August 20, 2025 9:00 AM Stacey Plaisance [email protected]

The Alluring Anoles of Alto Velo Although I have not been a prolific poster on AA, I have enjoyed contributing articles about the obscure and rarely seen anoles of the Greater Antilles and Lucayan archipelagos, such as Anolis ernestwilliamsi, Anolis fairchildi (1,2,3), and Anolis scripts…

Non-native Herps Still Increasing in the Most Heavily Invaded Herp Community in the World. There truly is never a dull moment in South Florida, especially for those of us who love herps. South Florida is a herper’s paradise with at least 63 exotic herps recorded in the state in addition to some…

How I built a 6 foot long stainless steel anole lizard sculpture: the Movie Read about Steve Nielsen, the artist, here.

Dewlap Drama in the Slender Anole: a Tale of Two Throats Color us intrigued! In the world of Anolis lizards, the dewlap—a colorful throat fan used for communication—is one of the most iconic features. It’s been flaunted, flashed, and filmed in countless studies of behavior and adaptive radiation.…

A Three-Legged Lizard Mystery Anole Annals has featured a series of posts on three-legged lizards over the years (e.g., here and here). Now we need help. Some time around 2017, April Brown contributed a photo of a brown anole missing both of its forelegs. The photo was taken in Winter Park, FL.…

Inter-island hostilities A clip of a much longer video: Two anoles, the ubiquitous Jamaican (Graham’s, Anolis grahami), which adorns every wall in Bermuda, and the seldom seen Barbados (A. extremus), just an occasional shadow in the shade, somehow finding themselves on the desirable territory of…

Anolis cannibalis I live in Bermuda. Many years ago, my daughter and I witnessed a large male Graham’s anole devour a small female, same species. We were horrified as we had watched these particular individuals so often we’d named them…the male was Pat Rafter as he spent much of his time up by the…