The table below lists all the currently known species of the genus Anolis. Until recently it only included some species, but I am indebted as ever to the EMBL reptile database for a full listing.
Despite the huge size of the genus, very few of its species are kept in captivity. The Green Anole (A. carolinensis) is offered fairly often but does not get the attention it deserves, being usually regarded as a "beginner's" lizard. As its range in the southern US is being encroached upon by alien (non-native) anoles, this would seem to indicate the right time and opportunity for keepers to begin breeding some of this species in captivity. The large Knight Anole (A. equestris) is also seen, albeit less frequently. European hobbyists and breeders are working on other species, but even so at the moment these reptiles are regarded as suitable for specialists only rather than being sought after. See the Bibliography for some helpful guides.
Those Anolis species at least occasionally seen in the trade are marked with an asterisk (*): those which are common, with two (**). For the full genus listing including distribution details, visit the EMBL page. Although we hope to have details here for all species eventually, this will take quite some time. See also the Bibliography and Links below.
NOTES: "Hispaniola" here refers to Haiti and Western Dominica. Unless otherwise stated, all islands are in the Caribbean region.
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Distribution | Size | Notes |
| Anolis | ||||
| Anolis achilles | ? Anole | Costa Rica | ?" | See EMBL database entry. No other information available. |
| A. acutus | St Croix Anole | Lesser Antilles: US Virgin Islands, St. Croix, Puerto Rico Bank | 8" | Dorsal coloration is a shade of bronze but may vary between dark brown and grey: dewlap is white to dull grey and edged in yellow or orange [Heselhaus & Schmidt]. It is closely related to A. cristatellus and kin. Anole Pictures has several shots of this species. |
| A. adler | Mexico | |||
| A. aeneus | ||||
| A. aequatorialis | ||||
| A. agassizi | ||||
| A. agueroi | Cabo Cruz Bearded Anole | Cuba | ?" | Occasionally considered a Chameleolis species instead. No other information available. |
| A. alayoni | Alayon's Twig Anole | E Cuba | 3-4" | Dark yellow dewlap: no other information so far available. See also comment in EMBL database entry. |
| A. albimaculatus | ||||
| A. alfaroi | Small-Fanned Bush Anole | E Cuba | 3-4?" | Small bush-dwelling anoles found at heights up to 780m. Small pale grey dewlap with white inner scales [Perez i Gorgoy]: no other information so far available. |
| A. aliniger | Northern Green Twig Anole | Haiti, Dominican Republic | ?" | Bromeliad dweller [Fläschendräger]. This is an attractive green anole with a yellow smudge over its eyes that trails backward to eventually fade into the green of the body behind the head. There is a similar yellow-coloured pocket just in front of the arm socket. A trace of blue may be seen on the upper lip. |
| A. allisoni* | Allison's Anole, Blue Anole | Cuba, Honduras, Mexico (Quintana Roo), Belize, Islas de la Bahia | 6-8" | Tree dweller very similar in appearance to the better known Green Anole, A. carolinensis, but with flatter and longer snout. Males often have light blue heads and anterior bodies: the species has an elongated ear opening in contrast to the oval or vertical ear of other species [Walls]. |
| A. altavelensis | Alto Velo Gracile Anole | Isla Alto Velo (Dominican Republic) | 4?" | Confined to small island of Alto Velo off the Dominican Republic. No other information available. |
| A. alumina | Barahona Grass Anole | Barahona Peninsula (SE Haiti, SW Dominican Rep.) | 4-5" | Grass-dwelling anole with pale green-yellow dewlap. Perez i Gorgoy notes that this species is closely related to A. semilineatus and A. olsonni. No other information available. |
| A. alutaceous | Cuban Grass Anole | Cuba, Isla de la Juventud | 4" | Small brown bush-dwelling anole. See Heselhaus & Schmidt for husbandry details: good ventilation is of primary importance. |
| A. andianus | ||||
| A. anfiloquioi | ||||
| A. angusticeps | ||||
| A. antioquiae | ||||
| A. apollinaris | ||||
| A. argenteolus | ||||
| A. argillaceous | ||||
| A. armouri | Black-Throated Stout Anole | S Haiti, SW Dominican Republic | 5-6" | Distinctly terrestrial anole that dwells in pine forests and woods, often among rocks or even on cobbled streambeds (Perez i Gorgoy). The latter notes that this anole does not climb at all. Dewlap is green-grey. See the EMBL database entry for the taxonomic history. |
| A. attenuatus | ||||
| A. baharucoensis | ||||
| A. baleatus | ||||
| A. baracoae | ||||
| A. barahonae | ||||
| A. barbatus | ||||
| A. barbouri | ||||
| A. bartschi | ||||
| A. bellipeniculus | ||||
| A. bimaculata | Statia Bank Tree Anole | Lesser Antilles (St. Eustatius, St. Christopher, Nevis) | 8-12" | Formerly considered A. barbudensis until 1991. This is an attractive arboreal anole, being a green with darker speckling on the back and a thin yellow stripe running laterally from the snout to the ear and another from the ear to the elbow. Some photos also show somewhat blue-headed specimens. The subspecies A. b. leachi is more a brown-gray colour. Males have very low and erectile occipital crests: in addition to this ornamentation, they are considerably larger than the females. The dewlap is white spotted on a green or yellow background. A. bimaculata dwells in the tops of palm trees, thus necessitating a tall vivarium. See Heselhaus & Schmidt for husbandry details. |
| A. b. bimaculata | ||||
| A. b. leachi | Antigua, Bermuda | |||
| A. binotatus | ||||
| A. blanquillanus | ? | Venezuela (Isla Margarita and Morro Fondeadero), Columbia (La Guajira peninsula) | 10" | Arboreal species. Males are larger. See the Fläschendräger article for records of this anole in captivity. |
| A. boettgeri | ||||
| A. bonairensis | ||||
| A. brevirostris | ||||
| A. brunneus | ||||
| A. calimae | ||||
| A. caquetae | ||||
| A. carlostoddi | ||||
| A. carolinensis** | (Northern) Green Anole | USA (North Carolina to S Texas, inc. Florida) | 8" | The only native US anole. Florida populations are under pressure from introduced species. Easily distinguishable in its range and in the trade by uniform green colour and pink dewlap with white spotted pattern. Females have a pale dorsal stripe [de Vosjoli]. Click here for some pictures. |
| A. casildae | ||||
| A. caudalis | ||||
| A. centralis | ||||
| A. chameleonides | ||||
| A. chloris | ||||
| A. chlorocyanus | Hispaniola Green Anole | Hispaniola, Ile de la Gonave, Ile de la Tortue, Isla Saona; Florida (introduced), Surinam (introduced). | ?" | Very similar in appearance and behaviour to the Green Anole A. carolinensis, but can be distinguished from the latter by a blue dewlap. There is one known subspecies, A. c. cyanostictus. |
| A. chocorum | ||||
| A. christophei | ||||
| A. clivicola | ||||
| A. coelestinus | ||||
| A. cooki | ||||
| A. cristatellus* |
Crested Anole | Puerto Rico and neighbouring islands: Florida (introduced) | 7" | This is a brownish anole with a high crest on the tail and greenish to pale tan delwap [Walls]. |
| A. cristifer | ||||
| A. cupeyalensis | ||||
| A. cuvieri | Puerto Rican Giant Anole | Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands | 16" | Light, almost lemon green giant anole which if stressed turns darker in colour. The dewlap of the male is yellow in the male, yellow-green in the female. Both sexes have black and green eyelid markings. This species is found on the trunk and crown of large trees and in captivity requires a tall cage with reasonably thick branches. Like the Knight Anole A. equestris it has a hard bite. See Heselhaus & Schmidt for husbandry details. |
| A. cyanopleuris | ||||
| A. cybotes* | Big-Headed Anole | Venezuela (Isla Margarita and Morro Fondeadero), Columbia (La Guajira peninsula) | 8" | Plain brown species that preys on smaller anoles and geckos among other prey. Adult males have a large nap crest and a yellowish dewlap with sometimes a pink centre [Walls]. It is a terrestrial anole. |
| A. danieli | ||||
| A. darlingtoni | ||||
| A. deltae | ||||
| A. desenchis | ||||
| A. dissimilis | ||||
| A. distichus | Bark Anole (also Hispaniolan Gracile Anole) | Hispaniola, Bahamas | 5" | Somewhat gecko-like in appearance, the Bark Anole is variable in appearance with an impressive total of 17 subspecies. Overall colour is a mixture of brown and grey with a brown line between the eyes: dewlaps vary between white, pale yellow, orange and red: many have a dark red spot in the centre [Walls]. |
| A. dolichocephalus | ||||
| A. eewi | ||||
| A. equestris** |
Knight Anole |
Cuba: Florida, Hawaii (introduced) | 20" | Robust but somewhat aggressive arboreal anole. It is an attractive blue-green colour with fairly distinctive eyes that look as if they have been done in eye-liner. As well as insects it will also eat fruit. It bites hard but does well in captivity when set up properly. Their aggression necessitates a large cage if more than one is to be kept: de Vosjoli recommends a minimum of 55 gallon size for one male and two females. |
| A. ernestwilliamsi | ||||
| A. etheridgei | ||||
| A. eugenegrahami | ||||
| A. eulaemus | ||||
| A. euskalerriari | ||||
| A. evermanni | ||||
| A. extremus | ||||
| A. fairchildi | ||||
| A. fasciatus | ||||
| A. ferreus | Marie-Galante Anole | Marie-Galante island (south of Guadaloupe). | 14" | Formerly considered a subspecies of A. marmoratus, A. ferreus was raised to full species status in . It has a very restricted range and is furthermore somewhat selective in its choice of habitat, favouring regions with the biggest and tallest trees that are nevertheless not too densely planted [Heselhaus & Schmidt]. |
| A. festae | ||||
| A. fitchi | ||||
| A. fowleri | ||||
| A. fraseri | ||||
| A. frenatus | ||||
| A. fugitivus | ||||
| A. garridoi | ||||
| A. gemmosus | ||||
| A. gingivinus | Lesser Antilles (islands of St Martin, St Barthelemy, Anguilla and Sombrero) | 5-7" | Formerly considered a subspecies of A. bimaculatus. This anole is rather plain in appearance, being overall brown to brown-grey with faint darker brown markings over the back, sides and legs. A dull white lateral stripe runs from the lips along the body as far as the rear legs. Males have a yellow dewlap with light spots [Heselhaus & Schmidt]. Although in the wild they live in trees and on rocks near the sea, they also do not shun the vicinity of human habitations. See Heselhaus & Schmidt for husbandry details. | |
| A. gorgonae | ||||
| A. greyi | ||||
| A. griseus* | St Vincent Tree Anole | St Vincent (Lesser Antilles) | 14" | A large treetop-dweller characterised by slender body and relatively long legs: colour is an overall grey brown that can turn somewhat olive, with laterally a light stripe and small dark spots, and a short white stripe above the forelimbs. Throat and neck are light yellow and there are irregular black specks on the nape. Both sexes have a grey dewlap with yellow or orange markings [Heselhaus & Schmidt]. It is apparently fairly common in the coastal regions. See Heselhaus & Schmidt for husbandry details. |
| A. guamuhaya | ||||
| A. gundlachi | ||||
| A. haetianus | ||||
| A. hendersoni | ||||
| A. heterodermus | ||||
| A. huilae | ||||
| A. impetigosus | ||||
| A. incredulus | ||||
| A. inderenae | ||||
| A. inexpectatus | ||||
| A. insignis | ||||
| A. insolitus | ||||
| A. isolepis | ||||
| A. jacare | ||||
| A. juangundlachi | ||||
| A. koopmani | ||||
| A. krugi | ||||
| A. laevis | ||||
| A. lamari | ||||
| A. latifrons | ||||
| A. leachii | ||||
| A. lividus | ||||
| A. longicauda | ||||
| A. longiceps | ||||
| A. longitibialis | ||||
| A. loysiana | ||||
| A. luciae | ? | St Lucia | 9" | A. luciae is another lizard that seems to have taken advantage of civilisation, being found in high numbers in trees and bushes in and around villages and hotel gardens [Heselhaus & Schmidt]. However, they are much less common in the south-central part of the island. Owing to their strong colour-changing abilities, specimens may appear an overall colour of yellow, brown/grey, black or dark green, although females tend to be light brown with a pattern of dark spots and stripes [ibid]. The legs may be tinged with blue, while the dewlaps are grey-white with a thin black margin and sometimes small black spots. Heselhaus & Schmidt recommend these anoles as not particularly difficult to breed if set up correctly. |
| A. lucius | ||||
| A. luteogularis | Western Giant Anole | Cuba, Isla de Juventud. | 22" | One of the "giant" anoles, first named in 1935. This is a darkish green anole with yellow spotting and beige dewlap [Heselhaus & Schmidt]. The photo in de Vosjoli's book would seem to indicate that the spotting is in fact a pale, almost beige colour, although it is more yellow on the head. |
| A. luteosignifer | ||||
| A. macilentus | ||||
| A. maculigula | ||||
| A. marcanoi | ||||
| A. marmoratus | ||||
| A. marron | ||||
| A. maynardi | ||||
| A. megalopithecus | ||||
| A. menta | ||||
| A. microtus | ||||
| A. mirus | ||||
| A. monensis | ||||
| A. monticola | ||||
| A. nasofrontalis | ||||
| A. neblininus | ||||
| A. nelsoni | ||||
| A. nicefori | ||||
| A. nigrolineatus | ||||
| A. nigropunctatus | ||||
| A. noblei | ||||
| A. nubilis | ||||
| A. occultus | ||||
| A. oculatus | ||||
| A. oligaspis | ||||
| A. olssoni | ||||
| A. oporinus | ||||
| A. orcesi | ||||
| A. palmeri | ||||
| A. parilis | ||||
| A. paternus | ||||
| A. peraccae | ||||
| A. philopunctatus | ||||
| A. phyllorhinus | ||||
| A. pigmaequestris | ||||
| A. placidus | ||||
| A. pogus | ||||
| A. poncensis | ||||
| A. porcatus* | Cuban Green Anole | Cuba, Hispaniola, Dominican Republic: Florida, Hawaii (introduced). | 10" | This is another anole that has recently settled into Florida from its original habitat. To complicate matters, it closely resembles the native Green Anole, A. carolinensis, and is apparently closely related. |
| A. porcus | ||||
| A. princeps | ||||
| A. proboscis | ||||
| A. propinquus | ||||
| A. pseudotigrinus | ||||
| A. pulchellus | ||||
| A. pumilus | ||||
| A. punctatus | Spotted Anole | Brazil (Amazon), E Venezuela, French Guyana, Surinam, Guyana, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia | 8" | Males can be distinguished from other species by a hump or knob on the tip of the snout. Overall colour varies from bright green to purplish, with several rows of spots of a various shade of blue across the back and sides. Both sexes have a yellow or orange dewlap, the male's usually being larger. These anoles are somewhat unusual in their behaviour, preferring shade to basking and being solitary rather than pairing. The females lay two eggs per clutch. There are two subspecies, the nominate and A. p. boulengeri. For a picture of A. punctatus, click here. The EMBL entry also has some links. |
| A. purpurescens | ||||
| A. radulinus | ||||
| A. rejectus | ||||
| A. richardii | ||||
| A. ricordii | Haitian Giant Anole | Haiti, W Dominican Republic | 18" | A true giant among anoles, yielding only to the Knight Anole A. equestris in size. A. ricordii is otherwise unremarkable in appearance, being an overall green with some light spotting and a small crest. They are arboreal and somewhat aggressive. Click here for a caresheet. |
| A. rimarum | ||||
| A. roosevelti | Culebra Island Giant Anole | Isla Culebra, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands | 6½" | Large arboreal brownish-grey anole with two lateral lines running from ear and shoulder to the vent and distinct light spot on the head. See the excellent article by Buchholz & Hurt, to whom this entry is indebted. In addition to the normal insect fare, this anole also apparently feeds on the fruit of the fig tree. Wild populations are under pressure from deforestation and chemical spraying [Buchholz & Hurt] and is listed as a Red Book species by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. |
| A. roquet | Martinique Anole | Lesser Antilles (Martinique ) | ?" | A very attractive anole, overall green in colour but some specimens having blue-grey bodies with yellow spots. The dewlap is grey to orange, usually with lighter specks of white or yellow. [Walls] There are at least two subspecies, the nominate and A. r. suma. |
| A. ruizi | ||||
| A. rupinae | ||||
| A. sabanus | Panther Anole | Saba (Lesser Antilles) | 7" | Attractive and interesting anole that is found both on the rocky parts of this volcanic island and on the trees in the interior. Overall colour is silver with black "leopard" markings [Heselhaus & Schmidt]. See the latter for details of husbandry. |
| A. santamartae | ||||
| A. scriptus | ||||
| A. semilineatus | ||||
| A. sheplani | ||||
| A. shrevei | ||||
| A. singularis | ||||
| A. smallwoodi | ||||
| A. smaragdinus | ||||
| A. solitarius | ||||
| A. spectrum | ||||
| A. squamulatus | ||||
| A. strahmi | ||||
| A. stratulus | ||||
| A. terueli | ||||
| A. tetarii | ||||
| A. tigrinus | ||||
| A. toldo | ||||
| A. transversalis | Blue-Eyed Anole | S America (S Venezuela, Columbia, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru) | 10" | A bromeliad dweller [Fläschendräger]. This is a striking anole in appearance, with blue eyes and sexually dichromatic patterning. Males are green to yellowish green with a heavy dark brown to black spotting over the back, while females are paler but with several broad brown bands across the back that slope diagonally backwards on the sides. Likewise the male dewlap is very large and orange to lemon yellow in colour with paler lines, while the female dewlap is smaller and either dark brown with paler brown spots or white with large black spots [Walls]. Walls suggests that this would probably be a difficult species to keep in captivity. Click here for a picture. |
| A. trinitatis | ||||
| A. vanidicus | ||||
| A. vanzolinii | ||||
| A. vaupesianus | ||||
| A. ventrimaculatus | ||||
| A. vermiculatus | ||||
| A. vescus | ||||
| A. wattsi | ||||
| A. websteri | ||||
| A. whitemani | ||||
| A. williamsii | ||||
The information above was culled from a number of sources, including Mattison:
Lizards of the World, Mattison
Keeping and Breeding Lizards, Mattison
The General Care and Maintenance of Green Anoles, Philippe de Vosjoli, Herpetocultural Library 1992. Probably the best introduction to keeping not just Green Anoles but also many other anole species. De Vosjoli also includes community setups and a selection of non-anole species that could be compatible with these lizards. Recommended.
Carribean Anoles, Heselhaus and Schmidt, TFH. Another excellent book, by two German authors who have personally visited some of the islands where the lizards are distributed. This gives the basic description and captive requirements of most of the Anolis species and is somewhat more comprehensive than some TFH books. Recommended.
See also Index of Iguanid Related Articles for articles on Anolis species by Jerry G Walls and Axel Flaschendräger, both of which were invaluable.
Caribbean Anole Database - excellent site by Lluis Perez i Gorgoy in Spanish and English giving information on these lizards. Very good explanation of the different habitats, the islands and the different "types" - "twig-dwarves" and other loose groupings. Recommended.
Anole Pictures - superb Anglo-German site containing well-organised pictures of many different Anolis and kin. Please respect the copyright on these shots! As used by the EMBL reptile database.
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