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Anolis cristatellus

Dumeril and Bibron, 1837

Crested Anole

G5Secure Found in 3 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101751
Element CodeARACF01020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassReptilia
OrderSquamata
FamilyPolychrotidae
GenusAnolis
Concept Reference
Rivero, J. A. 1978a. Los anphibios y reptiles de Puerto Rico. (The amphibians and reptiles of Puerto Rico.) Universidad de Puerto Rico, Editorial Universitaria. Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. 148 p. + plates.
Taxonomic Comments
This species was included in the genus Ctenonotus by Guyer and Savage (1986) and Schwartz and Henderson (1988). 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). Subsequently, Schwartz and Henderson (1991) reverted to the one-genus classification. Guyer and Savage (1992) presented further justification for their multi-genus classification. Brandley and de Queiroz (2004) recognized this species as Anolis cristatellus.

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 .

See Burnell and Hedges (1990) for electrophoretic analysis of relationships of West Indian Anolis.

See Heatwole (1976) for information on geographic variation in A. cristatellus.

See Brandley and de Queiroz (2004) for a phylogenetic, ecomorphological, and historical biogeographic analysis of A. cristatellus and its relatives.
Conservation Status
Review Date1997-12-27
Change Date1996-10-28
Range Extent Comments
Virtually ubiquitous in Puerto Rico and many offshore islands, but absent or ecologically restricted at high elevations; also present on islas Culebra, Culebrita, and Vieques, Puerto Rico; occurs throughout Virgin Islands and satellites. Introduced in Key Biscayne and other localities in Miami area, Florida, and in Republica Dominicana and Costa Rica. Subspecies WILEYI: islands east of Puerto Rico; U.S. and British Virgin Islands. Subspecies CRISTATELLUS: Puerto Rico, including some offshore islands; Republica Dominicana and southeastern Florida (Schwartz and Henderson 1988, Mayer and Lazell 1988, Schwartz and Henderson 1991).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Mesophilic to semi-xerophilic (Schwartz and Henderson 1991). Open forest, open fields, roadsides, deforested areas; most habitats except deep forest. Sunny tree trunks, shrubs, fence posts, walls, ground. Adult males tend to perch in trees more than do juveniles and small females. Eggs are laid in leaf litter, in debris at base of banana plants, and under logs, rocks, or loose bark (Behler and King 1979, Rand 1967, Schmidt 1928).

Ecology

Competes with and dominates A. COOKI in sw. Puerto Rico (Jenssen et al. 1984, Marcellini et al. 1985). See Schwartz and Henderson 1991 for brief account of ecological relations among introduced CRISTATELLUS and native ANOLIS in Republica Dominicana.

Reproduction

Throughout year in Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands, high % of adult females gravid (in some areas egg production declines in winter) (Gorman and Licht 1974). Lays 2-3 eggs. See Licht and Gorman (1975) for male reproductive cycle in Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands. Several females may lay eggs under one log.
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodShrubland/chaparralSuburban/orchard
Other Nations (1)
United StatesNNA
ProvinceRankNative
FloridaSNANo
Roadless Areas (3)
Florida (1)
AreaForestAcres
Alexander Springs CreekOcala National Forest2,954
Puerto Rico (2)
AreaForestAcres
El Toro AreaCaribbean National Forest12,584
Mameyes AreaCaribbean National Forest11,150
References (29)
  1. Ashton, R. E., Jr., and P. S. Ashton. 1985. Handbook of reptiles and amphibians of Florida. Part two. Lizards, turtles & crocodilians. Windward Pub., Inc., Miami. 191 pp.
  2. Ashton, R. E., Jr., and P. S. Ashton. 1991. Handbook of reptiles and amphibians of Florida. Part two. Lizards, turtles & crocodilians. Revised second edition. Windward Pub., Inc., Miami. 191 pp.
  3. Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 719 pp.
  4. Brandley, M. C., and K. de Queiroz. 2004. Phylogeny, ecomorphological evolution, and historical biogeography of the <i>Anolis cristatellus</i> series. Herpetological Monographs 18:90-126.
  5. Burnell, K. L., and S. B. Hedges. 1990. Relationships of West Indian <i>Anolis </i>(Sauria: Iguanidae): an approach using slow-evolving protein loci. Caribbean J. Sci. 26:7-30.
  6. Cannatella, D. C., and K. de Queiroz. 1989. Phylogenetic systematics of the anoles: is a new taxonomy warranted? Syst. Zool. 38:57-69.
  7. Carey, W. M. 1972. The herpetology of Anegada, British Virgin Islands. Caribbean J. Sci. 12:79-89.
  8. Conant, R. and J. T. Collins. 1991. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians: eastern and central North America. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 450 pp.
  9. Conant, R., and J. T. Collins. 1998. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians: eastern and central North America. Third edition, expanded. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 616 pp.
  10. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
  11. Gorman, G. C., and P. L. Licht. 1974. Seasonality in ovarian cycles among tropical ANOLIS lizards. Ecology 55: 360-369.
  12. Guyer, C., and J. M. Savage. 1986. Cladistic relationships among anoles (Sauria: Iguanidae). Systematic Zoology 35:509-531.
  13. Guyer, C., and J. M. Savage. 1992. Anole systematics revisited. Syst. Biol. 41:89-110.
  14. Heatwole, H. 1976. Herpetogeography of Puerto Rico. VII. Geographic variation in the ANOLIS CRISTATELLUS complex in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Univ. Kansas Mus. Nat. Hist., Occas. Pap. 46:1-18.
  15. Hedges, S. B., R. Powell, R. W. Henderson, S. Hanson, and J. C. Murphy. 2019. Definition of the Caribbean Islands biogeographic region, with checklist and recommendations for standardized common names of amphibians and reptiles. Caribbean Herpetology 67: 1-53.
  16. Jackman, T. R., A. Larson, K. de Queiroz, and J. B. Losos. 1999. Phylogenetic relationships and tempo of early diversification in <i>Anolis </i>lizards. Systematic Biology 48:254-285.
  17. Jenssen, T. A., et al. 1984. Competitive interference between the Puerto Rican lizards, ANOLIS COOKI and A. CRISTATELLUS. Copeia 1984:853-862.
  18. Krysko, K. L., J. P. Burgess, M. R. Rochford, C. R. Gillette, D. Cueva, K. M. Enge, L. A. Somma, J. L. Stabile, D. C. Smith, J. A. Wasilewski, and G. N. Kieckhefer III. 2011. Verified non-indigenous amphibians and reptiles in Florida from 1863 through 2010: outlining the invasion process and identifying invasion pathways and stages. Zootaxa 3028: 1-64.
  19. Licht, P. 1974. Responses of ANOLIS lizards to food supplementation in nature. Copeia 1974:215-221.
  20. Licht, P., and G. C. Gorman. 1975. Altitudinal effects on the seasonal testis cycles of tropical ANOLIS lizards. Copeia 1975:496-504.
  21. Marcellini, D. L., T. A. Jenssen, and C. A. Pague. 1985. Distribution of the lizard ANOLIS COOKI, with comments on its possible future extinction. Herpetol. Rev. 16:99, 101- 102.
  22. Mayer, G. C., and J. D. Lazell, Jr. 1988. Distributional records for reptiles and amphibians from the Puerto Rican Bank. Herpetol. Rev. 19:23-24.
  23. Rand, A. S. 1967. Communal egg laying in anoline lizards. Herpetologica 23:227-231.
  24. Rivero, J. A. 1978a. Los anphibios y reptiles de Puerto Rico. (The amphibians and reptiles of Puerto Rico.) Universidad de Puerto Rico, Editorial Universitaria. Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. 148 p. + plates.
  25. Schmidt, K. P. 1928. Amphibians and land reptiles of Porto Rico, with a list of those reported from the Virgin Islands. Sci. Surv. of Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Vol. 10, part 1. New York Acad. Sci.
  26. Schwartz, A., and R. W. Henderson. 1988. West Indian amphibians and reptiles: a check-list. Milwaukee Pub. Mus., Contrib. Biological Geology No. 74:1-264.
  27. Schwartz, A., and R. W. Henderson. 1991. Amphibians and Reptiles of the West Indies: Descriptions, Distributions, and Natural History. University of Florida Press, Gainesville, Florida. xvi + 720 pp.
  28. Williams, E. E. 1989b. A critique of Guyer and Savage (1986): cladistic relationships among anoles (Sauria: Iguanidae): are the data available to reclassify the anoles? Pages 433-478 in C. A. Woods, ed. Biogeography of the West Indies, Sandhill Crane Press, Gainesville, Florida.
  29. Wolcott, G. N. 1924. The food of Porto Rican lizards. J. Dept. Agric. Porto Rico 7:5-37.