Anole (Anolis carolinensis)

ReptileLizardAmericas

Overview

Anoles (genus Anolis) are small, slender, agile lizards of the Americas, with adhesive toe pads for climbing and, in males, a colourful extendable throat fan called a dewlap. The green anole (Anolis carolinensis), shown here, is the only anole native to the United States, a bright-green (sometimes brown) lizard common in the southeastern states. With hundreds of species, anoles are one of the most diverse groups of lizards in the world.

Anoles are famous in biology as a textbook example of adaptive radiation: different species have repeatedly evolved similar “types” suited to particular perches — tree trunks, twigs, grass, the canopy — on different Caribbean islands.

Note: “anole” covers a huge number of species; details here use the green anole as a reference. Treat general statements as approximate and verify against authoritative sources.

Habitat & Range

Anoles live across the Americas, especially in the Caribbean, Central and South America, and the southeastern United States, in forests, scrub, gardens, and urban areas. The green anole favours shrubs, trees, vines, fences, and walls in warm, humid habitats, where it climbs and basks. Anoles are well known for thriving in gardens and around buildings.

Diet

Anoles are mainly insectivores, eating a variety of small insects and other invertebrates such as spiders, which they catch with quick dashes and grabs. Some also take a little nectar or soft fruit. Their appetite for small insects makes them welcome in many gardens.

Behavior

The dewlap is central to anole life: males extend and flash this colourful throat fan, often combined with head-bobbing and “push-up” displays, to defend territory and attract mates. Green anoles can also change colour between green and brown, depending on temperature, mood, and other factors (they are sometimes misleadingly called “chameleons,” though they are not true chameleons). Anoles are agile climbers thanks to sticky toe pads, and many can shed the tail to escape a predator and later regrow it.

Human Interaction & Conservation

Anoles are familiar, harmless garden lizards across much of the warm Americas and are popular subjects in biology for studying evolution and behaviour. The native green anole has declined in places where the introduced brown anole has spread, illustrating how introduced species can affect natives. Many anoles are common, though some island endemics are restricted. Consult authoritative sources for species-specific status.

More photos of the anole