Puerto Rican Crested Anole
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| Anolis cristatellus cristatellus (Duméril and Bibron, 1837) |
The Puerto Rican Crested Anole (Anolis cristatellus cristatellus) is a species of anole belonging to the Polychrotidae family of reptiles. This lizard is found throughout Puerto Rico and has been introduced into eastern Hispaniola and Miami-Dade County, Florida. It is referred, although incorrectly, as an iguana by Puerto Ricans because of its slight resemblance to members of the Iguana genus. One of the Puerto Rican Crested Anole's relatives, the Eastern Puerto Rican Crested Anole (Anolis cristatellus wileyae), is found on islands off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, such as Culebra and Vieques, and also on the U.S. Virgin Islands.
[edit] Description
Coloration may vary significantly from a brownish color to a dark black or to a very light gray. They have a crest along the tail, probably serving for dominance in a battle against another male for a female. They have a bright yellow-orange dewlap which also serves for mating purposes. They usually are from 5-8 inches in length but occasionally will grow up to 10 inches. When they are looking for a mate or defending their territory, they will show their dewlap and perform "pushups" to show their dominance. As a defence, they let go of their tails. It does not hurt them, and it works. They are often referred incorrectly as a chameleon because of their ability to slightly change color.
The Puerto Rican Crested Anole is found throughout Puerto Rico except for some of the mountain regions of the island. They are also found on some of the offshore islands of Puerto Rico. They have been introduced into southern Florida and eastern Dominican Republic. They are sold in the pet trade, but are hard to find.
They mainly eat spiders and small invertebrates, but will eat a fruit that is laying on the ground every once in a while. They will sometimes even eat other anoles, due to territorial reasons, or if there isn't a lot to eat.
They tend to be pretty aggressive and may bite when caught. They are also aggressive when it comes to mating and territory. They will do pushups and will bite the other lizard very hard, often ending in injury or death to the loser.
