Anolis carolinensis

Tollis et al. (2012) and Campbell-Staton et al. (2012) provided evidence for the existence of five mutually exclusive mtDNA clades within A. carolinensis. Although nDNA (Tollis et al. 2012) corroborated the existence of some of these units, it also suggested the existence of gene flow between others. More extensive geographic sampling by Tollis and Boissinot (2014) revealed that two of the five mtDNA clades are nested but supported five genetic clusters, with admixture. More extensive nDNA sampling by Manthey et al. (2016) corroborated those clusters. Because the distributions of the subspecies proposed by Vance (1991) do not match those of any of the five genetic clusters, we have not recognized subspecies; however, the existence of fixed differences and an estimated Pliocene divergence between southern Florida and the remaining populations (Manthey et al. 2016) suggests that the possibility of more than one species. Species delimitation studies involving contact zones between the phylogeographic groups are needed (Crother 2017).

Guyer and Savage (1986) divided the long-standing genus Anolis into multiple genera based on a reanalysis of some published data sets. Schwartz and Henderson (1988) adopted this classification, but Williams (1989) found serious errors and confusions in the reanalysis and vigorously rejected the multi-genus classification, as did Cannatella and de Queiroz (1989). Guyer and Savage (1992) presented further justification for their multi-genus classification. Jackman et al. (1999) examined mtDNA variation and concluded that Phenacosaurus, Chamaelinorops, and Chamaeleolis are all nested within Anolis therefore all should be synonymized with Anolis.

For a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of anoles see Poe et al. (2017, 2018) and Román-Palacios et al. (2018).

Range encompasses the southeastern United States: southern and eastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, central Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina south to the Rio Grande, Gulf Coast, and Florida Keys, with an isolated record from Tamaulipas, Mexico (Conant and Collins 1991). It has been introduced and is established in the Hawaiian Islands (McKeown 1996), Mariana Islands (disturbed snake-free situations (McCoid 1993, 1994; Wiles and Guerrero 1996; Vogt et al. 2001), and on Anguilla, West Indies (Eaton et al. 2001). Introduced and possibly established on Grand Cayman Islands, West Indies (Powell 2002).

This species is represented by a very large number of occurrences or subpopulations.

In Florida, appears to be disappearing where the introduced brown anole has become established (Ashton and Ashton 1991). This factor, competition with and predation by other non-native anoles, and human-caused habitat degradation have caused declines in central and southern Florida (Bartlett and Bartlett 1999). An introduced population in Guam is restricted by predation by the introduced brown tree snake (McCoid 1994).