Culebra Island Giant Anole
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| Anolis roosevelti (Grant, 1931) |
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Xiphosurus roosevelti |
The Culebra Island Giant Anole (Anolis roosevelti, Xiphosurus roosevelti (according to ITIS)) is an extremely rare or possibly extinct lizard of the Anolis genus. It is native to Culebra Island in Puerto Rico.
[edit] Description
The Culebra Island Giant Anole was first described in 1931 by American zoologist Chapman Grant. It is named in honor of Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., who was the governor of Puerto Rico to that time. It is endemic to Culebra, where it lives in forested zones on the slopes of Mt. Resaca.
It can reach a length of 160 mm. The color of the body is brown-grey, while the tail has a yellow-brown hue and the abdomen is whitish. The throat fan varies from gray on the upperparts to yellow on the underparts, and the eyelids are yellow. A further feature are two long drawn-out lines on both sides of the body; one starts at the ears, the other at the shoulder.
[edit] Threats
Though it was only observed again in 1932 after its discovery there are unconfirmed sightings since 1973 (the last one in 1978). Some experts believe that it might still exist. It preferred a habitat with gumbo-limbo and ficus trees because it fed from the fruits of the trees. Due to human activities the habitat was almost destroyed; only a few specimens of the Culebra Giant Anole can be seen in museums. It was listed as federally endangered in the Endangered Species Act in 1977.
