Brown Anole

Description:

Many reptiles have dewlaps, most notably the anole species of lizard, which have large skin dewlaps which they can extend and retract. These dewlaps are usually of a different color from the rest of their body and when enlarged they make the lizard seem much bigger than it really is, used primarily when warding off predators and for males to attract females during the mating season. Lizards which have mobile dewlaps usually accompany their dewlap movement with head bobs and other displays. Scientists are unsure about what this is meant to communicate, but it is prevalent when the lizards are courting. This species is highly invasive. In its introduced range, it reaches exceptionally high population densities, is capable of expanding its range very quickly, and both outcompetes and consumes many species of native lizards. The brown anole's introduction into the United States in the early 1970s has altered the behavior and triggered a negative effect on populations of the native Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis), which have generally been relegated to the treetops.

Habitat:

The brown anole (Anolis sagrei) is a lizard native to Cuba and the Bahamas. It has been widely introduced elsewhere, by being sold as a pet lizard, and is now found in Florida and as far north as southern Georgia, Texas, Taiwan, Hawaii, Southern California,[1] and other Caribbean islands.

Notes:

Displaying his dewlap.