Dactyloidae

Dactyloidae are a family of lizards commonly known as anoles (US: /əˈnoʊ.liz/ (listen)About this sound) and native to warmer parts of the Americas, ranging from southeastern United States to Paraguay.[1][2] Instead of treating it as a family, some authorities prefer to treat it as a subfamily, Dactyloidae, of the family Iguanidae.[3][4] In the past they were included in the family Polychrotidae together with Polychrus (bush anoles), but the latter genus is not closely related to the true anoles.[5][6]

Anoles are small to fairly large lizards, typically green or brownish, but their color varies depending on species and many can also change it.[1][7] In most species at least the male has a dewlap, an often brightly colored flap of skin that extends from the throat/neck and is used in displays.[7] Anoles share several characteristics with geckos, including details of the foot structure (for climbing) and the ability to voluntarily break off the tail (to escape predators),[8][9][10] but they are only very distantly related, anoles being part of Iguania.[11][12]

Anoles are active during the day and feed mostly on small animals such as insects, but some will also take fruits, flowers, and nectar.[7][13][14] They are fiercely territorial. After mating, the female lays an egg (occasionally two); in many species she may do so every few days or weeks.[7][8][15] The egg is typically placed on the ground, but in some species it is placed at higher levels.[7][16]

Anoles are widely studied in fields such as ecology, behavior, and evolution,[7][17] and some species are commonly kept in captivity as pets.[18] Anoles can function as a biological pest control by eating insects that may harm humans or plants,[19] but represent a serious risk to small native animals and ecosystems if introduced to regions outside their home range.[20][21]

Anoles are a very diverse and plentiful group of lizards. They are native to tropical and subtropical South America, Central America, Mexico, the offshore East Pacific Cocos, Gorgona and Malpelo Islands, the West Indies and southeastern United States.[2][7]

A particularly high species richness exists in Cuba (more than 60 species),[22] Hispaniola (more than 55),[24] Mexico (more than 50),[25] Central America,[26] Colombia (more than 75),[27] and Ecuador (at least 40).[4] Fewer live in eastern and central South America (for example, less than 20 species are known from huge Brazil),[28] Contiguous United States (1 native species),[1] and the Lesser Antilles (about 25 species in total, with 1–2 species on each island).[29][30] However, the Lesser Antilles are relatively rich compared to their very small land area and their species are all highly localized endemics, each only found on one or a few diminutive islands.[23] In South America, the diversity is considerably higher west of the Andes (Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena region) than east (Amazon basin), as well illustrated in Ecuador where about 2⁄3 of the anole species live in the former region and 1⁄3 in the latter.[4][31]

Cuba is home to more than 60 anole species (second only to Colombia), most found nowhere else like this West Cuban anole[22]
Like all Lesser Antillean anoles, Leach's anole has a very small range[23]
Puerto Rican bush anole, one of sixteen anole species from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands[32]
A male Allison's anole (female all green) showing the long tail and climbing ability typical of anoles
A Carolina anole changing from green to brown over the course of a few minutes
Adult Puerto Rican giant anoles are usually green, but an uncommon morph (not the result of color change) is gray-brown, as are all young[83]
Dewlap differences (males, except where noted)
Many-scaled anole
Habana anole

Carolina (or green) anole
Brown anole
Goldenscale anole
Striped anole
Silky anole
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Aquatic anole, opening and closing dewlap
Fitch's anole, female (dewlap larger and brownish-yellow in male)
The nose differs between the sexes in the unusual proboscis anole (male with proboscis)[105]
Puerto Rican crested anole exhibiting push-up behavior
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Two male Carolina anoles fighting over territory at the top of a fence post
Mating knight anoles. The male has turned dark from the normal green color. The whitish-gray patches are old skin that is in the process of being shed
The Cuban false chameleon anoles, like this short-bearded anole, are specialized snail-eaters[17][134]
Dominican anole feeding on nectar
The flat Andes anole avoids detection by moving slowly and it will often coordinate its movements with the wind[147]
A Barbados anole with a partially regenerated tail
Haitian green (from Hispaniola), Jamaican giant and western giant anole (from Cuba) are all crown giant ecomorphs, but not closely related
Despite being separated for millions of years and looking very different (xeric type on left, montane rainforest on right), the populations of the Martinique anole are not reproductively isolated[167]
The Guadeloupean anole is highly variable (speciosus type above, nominate below), but studies indicate the subspecies are invalid today[85][86]
New anole species are regularly described, like Anolis (Dactyloa) kunayalae from Panama in 2007[177]
The phylogenetic position of the Guantanamo (shown) and cave anoles is not entirely clear. They are tentatively included as the lucius group in Anolis, but might warrant separation as genus Gekkoanolis[2]
Anoles will eat pest insects, like this crested anole with a cockroach
The blue anole is threatened by habitat loss and the introduced western basilisk[199]
The Saban anole is restricted to the 13 km2 (5 sq mi) Saba Island where it is common, but its tiny range makes it vulnerable[200]
The Dominican anole (shown) is threatened by the introduced Puerto Rican crested anole[209][210]
The Graham's anole (shown) and brown anole have been introduced to Bermuda where they threaten the rare Bermuda rock lizard[21][219]