Anolis barbatus (western bearded anole/Cuban false chameleon) is a species of anole lizard from Western Cuba.[1] Adults have a typical snout–vent length of about 18 cm (7 in), with tails that are slightly shorter than their bodies, and demonstrate little sexual dimorphism.[2] It is one of six species called "false chameleons" that sometimes are recognized as their own genus Chamaeleolis or as the Cuban clade in Xiphosurus.[3] These are all native to Cuba, fairly large for anoles, have robust heads, are dull gray-brown in color, slow-moving and have blunt teeth used for crushing snails, which is their main diet in the wild.[4][5] Unusually among anoles, these all lack the ability to autotomize their tails.[3] Together with the similar (in appearance and microhabitat), but not closely related A. landestoyi of Hispaniola, they form a group known as the twig–giant ecomorph.[6]
| Western bearded anole | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Dactyloidae |
| Genus: | Anolis |
| Species: | A. barbatus
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| Binomial name | |
| Anolis barbatus Garrido, 1982
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| Synonyms | |
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Like other anoles, these stealthy creatures also have toe pads much like those found in geckos. This allows them to jump run or hide on just about any surface. Studies have found that Anolis barbatus lizards spend a majority of their time stationary. They typically only move to feed, escape predators and display to other lizards for mating. Although generally slow-moving like chameleons to hide from the eyes of predators, western bearded anoles can be very quick creatures when it comes to feeding and running from predators if spotted.
See also
editReferences
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- ^ Hedges, B. (30 May 2017). "Cuba". CaribHerp. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- ^ Scharf, I.; Meiri, S. (2013). "Sexual dimorphism of heads and abdomens: Different approaches to 'being large' in female and male lizards". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 110 (3): 665–673. doi:10.1111/bij.12147.
- ^ a b Kristen A. Nicholson; Brian I. Crother; Craig Guyer; Jay M. Savage (10 September 2012). "It is time for a new classification of anoles (Squamata: Dactyloidae)" (PDF). Zootaxa. 3477: 1–108. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3477.1.1.
- ^ Holáňová Rehák, Frynta (2012). "Anolis sierramaestrae sp. nov. (Squamata: Polychrotidae) of the "chamaeleolis" species group from Eastern Cuba". Acta Soc. Zool. Bohem. 76: 45–52.
- ^ Herrel , Holáňová (2008). "Cranial morphology and bite force in Chamaeleolis lizards – Adaptations to molluscivory?". Zoology. 111 (6): 467–475. Bibcode:2008Zool..111..467H. doi:10.1016/j.zool.2008.01.002. PMID 18674893.
- ^ Mahler; Lambert; Geneva; Ng; Hedges; Losos; Glor (2016). "Discovery of a Giant Chameleon-Like Lizard (Anolis) on Hispaniola and Its Significance to Understanding Replicated Adaptive Radiations". Am. Nat. 188 (3): 357–364. doi:10.1086/687566. hdl:1808/25316. PMID 27501092. S2CID 206004123.
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