Anolis gundlachi

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Anolis gundlachi
Anolis gundlachi facing camera.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Dactyloidae
Genus: Anolis
Species:
A. gundlachi
Binomial name
Anolis gundlachi
W. Peters, 1877

Anolis gundlachi, also commonly known as the yellow-chinned anole, Gundlach's anole, and the yellow-beard anole, is an oviparous, sexually dimorphic species of lizard in the family Dactyloidae. The species is endemic to Puerto Rico and lives in mountainous forests at high elevations. [2] The diet of A. gundlachi consists mostly of insects. This species is also known for signaling other lizards through a modulated head bob display, with varying bobbing amplitudes and patterns based on an individual's distance from other lizards.

Contents

Etymology

The specific name, gundlachi, is in honor of German-Cuban zoologist Juan Gundlach. [3]

Description

Anolis gundlachi on a rock in El Yunque,Puerto Rico.jpg

A. gundlachi is a medium-sized, sexually dimorphic lizard. [4] Adult males have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 68 mm (2.7 in) and females have a snout-to-vent length of 45 mm (1.8 in). [5] Adult body weight is three to seven grams. [6] The body is a brown or olive-brown color with brown spots randomly along its length. This species also has a yellow-brown dewlap and blue eyes. Males have crested tails. [4]

Habitat and distribution

A. gundlachi is native to Puerto Rico and is found in the inner rainforests of the Luquillo mountains in northeastern Puerto Rico. [7] The lizard lives at altitudes between 244 and 1,158 m (801 and 3,799 ft). A. gundlachi is a trunk-ground lizard, meaning it mainly lives and perches on the lower regions of large tree trunks. In fact, it rarely climbs higher than 5 m (16 ft) from the ground. [5] Preference for wide, woody vegetation helps the lizard remain hidden from predators, allows for better locomotion, and aids in scanning more area of its territory. [8]

Home range and territoriality

Home range

Individuals of A. gundlachi have been observed to return to relatively the same location to sleep on a nightly basis. This suggests that A. gundlachi reserves a specific area in its territory as its designated sleep-site. 15 minutes before sunset, the individual approaches its sleep site, where it then lies horizontally on the leaf with its snout pointed toward the stem and remains there until dawn. Being immobile on the leaf is helpful for avoiding predation since A. gundlachi that are displaced from their sleeping sites are preyed upon by nocturnal predators. [9]

The plants the lizard chooses as sleep sites are usually adult trees taller than 1 m (3.3 ft) with woody stems and branches. Sleep-sites are based on availability and not a specific attribute of the plant itself. Only lizards with a snout-to-vent length (SVL) above 40 mm (1.6 in) used plants taller than one meter. There is also a positive correlation between the height of the sleep-site and lizard size. This suggests that juveniles behave differently from adults in terms of the height of their sleep-sites on a plant. [9]

Territoriality

Males display territorial behavior by patrolling around their territory and defend their perch against other A. gundlachi males. [5] Body condition is not a significant predictor of territory and home range size in male A. gundlachi. [10]

Field observations from 2015 to 2016 also found that females display territorial behavior as well, though with smaller home ranges than male A. gundlachi. Female body condition does not correlate to territory sizes.  One hypothesis states that larger territories invite a greater risk of predation, particularly for females.  This suggests that the size of a territory should not be the sole consideration towards its value: territory location and its circumscribed resources may contribute to territory selection and defense as well. A second hypothesis states that larger territories invite a greater risk of predation, particularly for females. Females also exhibited high site fidelity with aggressive behaviors towards other A. gundlachi individuals encroaching upon that territory. Additionally, female A. gundlachi exhibited push-up behavior, which is hypothesized to be a display of ownership of a territory. Aggressive behavior relating to territoriality in female A. gundlachi did occur at a lower rate than aggressive territorial behavior in males. [10]

Ecology

Diet

A. gundlachi is mainly an insectivore, eating large insects and arthropods. However, this lizard is known to have powerful jaws and has been observed to eat other anoles, small frogs, and snails. Other prey includes ants, sowbugs, and mayflies. [5] [11]

Predators

Predators of A. gundlachi include the Puerto Rican boa, the common coqui, and the Puerto Rican lizard cuckoo. [11] The presence of these predators makes their defense mechanisms essential to their survival.

Diseases and parasites

The malarial parasite Plasmodium commonly infects lizards as hosts. In particular, P. floridense and P. azurophilium exploit A. gundlachi as shown in a study where 30% of individuals captured in a 2000 study had active parasitic infections from these two species. [12] Percentage of lizards infected can vary between sex and body size so that males are infected more than females. [13]

Reproduction and lifestyle

A. gundlachi is an oviparous lizard, meaning offspring hatch out of an egg after being laid by the mother. [5]

Mating signaling and displays

A. gundlachi males use square wave-like motion head bobs and dewlap flashes as a display for courtship or challenges against other males. Males modulate the amplitude of their head bob according to their distance from another potentially inattentive lizard. This specific motion is used and modulated to be attuned to the properties of the species' sensory system. The square wave-like motion is especially helpful for making sure the receiver can detect the display among the background foliage of the forest. Since males are constantly patrolling their territories, they have to frequently adjust the amplitude of their head bob as well depending on their distance to the other lizard, such as larger amplitude if a lizard is further away. However, male A. gundlachi use a smaller amplitude when at a shorter distance from another lizard. In addition, pattern and duration of the display is also adjusted depending on distance. Failure to modulate according to these factors can affect the ability of the displayer to attract mates and not being able to tell rivals they occupy a given territory, which can then escalate to agonistic encounters between the two males. [14]

Social behavior

Escape behaviors

The escape behavior of A. gundlachi is affected by temperature, sex, and perch type. It flees at greater distance from the threat at lower temperatures. In addition, females use vertical perches, which are safer, and have greater approach distances than males. Vertical perches are safer because they are taller and allow the lizard to escape above the reach of predators on the ground, as well as let the lizard climb more quickly. [15] Adult males tend to escape by running long distances, greater than 40 cm (16 in), down a perch toward the ground or up a branch or tree trunk, while juveniles tend to escape by running shorter distances, less than 25 cm (9.8 in), usually down toward the ground to take advantage of their brown body color to hide amongst the leaf litter. [16]

Behavioral differences between adults and juveniles

Adult males are more often found on large tree trunks, fallen logs, and large branches, which provide more safety than vertical perches. Juvenile A. gundlachi are found more frequently on narrow surfaces. Adult males perch on higher and broader perches than juveniles, as well as tend to walk more and jump less as a method of locomotion. Adult males tend to spend more time performing display behaviors to other A. gundlachi than juveniles. Adult males also scan the territory below their perch in a face-down survey posture more frequently than juveniles. [16]

Thermoregulation

The habitat of A. gundlachi is limited to the shaded rainforests of Puerto Rico. Rogowitz (1996) observed that A. gundlachi does not usually participate in thermoregulatory behaviors such as basking to compensate for variation in elevation in its habitat. After examining lizards from the low-altitude range, 350–400 m (1,150–1,310 ft), and high-altitude range, 850–900 m (2,790–2,950 ft), of its habitat, no change in metabolism rates was found that would help the lizard adjust to the difference in temperature due to altitude. There was also no change in metabolic rate when exposed to lower than usual temperatures, but there was a decrease in metabolism and loss of mass when exposed to higher temperatures than usual. This lack of capacity to compensate for temperature differences from altitude means A. gundlachi is limited to its mountainous, shaded environment to survive and thrive. [17]

Conservation

The IUCN red list classifies A. gundlachi as a species of least concern. Threats include climate change and severe weather events, which has been altering the habitat of A. gundlachi over the past 35 years. Reduction in arthropod species in Puerto Rican forests threatens their predators. [1] [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lizard</span> Informal group of reptiles

Lizard is the common name used for all squamate reptiles other than snakes, encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The grouping is paraphyletic as some lizards are more closely related to snakes than they are to other lizards. Lizards range in size from chameleons and geckos a few centimeters long to the 3-meter-long Komodo dragon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dactyloidae</span> Family of reptiles

Dactyloidae are a family of lizards commonly known as anoles and native to warmer parts of the Americas, ranging from southeastern United States to Paraguay. Instead of treating it as a family, some authorities prefer to treat it as a subfamily, Dactyloinae, of the family Iguanidae. In the past they were included in the family Polychrotidae together with Polychrus, but the latter genus is not closely related to the true anoles.

<i>Anolis</i> Genus of lizards

Anolis is a genus of anoles, iguanian lizards in the family Dactyloidae, native to the Americas. With more than 425 species, it represents the world's most species-rich amniote tetrapod genus, although many of these have been proposed to be moved to other genera, in which case only about 45 Anolis species remain. Previously, it was classified under the family Polychrotidae that contained all the anoles, as well as Polychrus, but recent studies place it in the Dactyloidae.

<i>Anolis carolinensis</i> Species of reptile

Anolis carolinensis or green anole is a tree-dwelling species of anole lizard native to the southeastern United States and introduced to islands in the Pacific and Caribbean. A small to medium-sized lizard, the green anole is a trunk-crown ecomorph and can change its color to several shades from brown to green.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown anole</span> Species of lizard

The brown anole, also known commonly as the Cuban brown anole, or De la Sagra's anole, is a species of lizard in the family Dactyloidae. The species is native to Cuba and the Bahamas. It has been widely introduced elsewhere, via the importation and exportation of plants where the anole would lay eggs in the soil of the pots, and is now found in Florida and other regions of the United States including southern Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Hawaii, and Southern California. It has also been introduced to other Caribbean islands, Mexico, and Taiwan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common collared lizard</span> Species of reptile

The common collared lizard, also commonly called eastern collared lizard, Oklahoma collared lizard, yellow-headed collared lizard, and collared lizard, is a North American species of lizard in the family Crotaphytidae. The common name "collared lizard" comes from the lizard's distinct coloration, which includes bands of black around the neck and shoulders that look like a collar. Males can be very colorful, with blue green bodies, yellow stripes on the tail and back, and yellow orange throats. There are five recognized subspecies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knight anole</span> Species of lizard

The knight anole is the largest species of anole in the Dactyloidae family. Other common names include Cuban knight anole or Cuban giant anole, highlighting its native country, but it has also been introduced to Florida. In its native Cuba, this large anole is called chupacocote.

<i>Anolis pulchellus</i> Species of reptile

Anolis pulchellus, the Puerto Rican anole, Puerto Rican bush anole, snake anole, or sharp-mouthed lizard, is a small species of anole lizard in the family Dactyloidae. The species is among the most common lizards in Puerto Rico, and also native to Vieques, Culebra, and the Virgin Islands.

<i>Anolis cristatellus</i> Species of reptile

Anolis cristatellus is a small species of anole, belonging to the Dactyloidae family of reptiles. The species is native to Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, with introduced populations in locations around the Caribbean. The males of A. cristatellus are easily recognizable by the fin running down the top of the tail, which is known as a "caudal crest". The females also have this crest, but it is smaller than that of the males. The species is often quite common in many areas on Puerto Rico, where it can be seen during the day passing the time on the lower parts of tree trunks, or on fences and the walls of buildings in urban areas, sometimes venturing down onto the ground in order to lay eggs, have a snack, or do other cursorial activities. Like many anoles, this species displays the characteristic behaviour of doing push-ups as well as inflating a pizza-like flap of coloured skin on its throat, known as a dewlap, in order to show others how dominant it is, and thus attract mates or intimidate rivals.

<i>Anolis occultus</i> Species of reptile

The Puerto Rican twig anole or dwarf anole is a species of small, arboreal anole endemic to Puerto Rico and primarily inhabiting the Cordillera Central from the Sierra de Cayey range in the Southeast to the central-western ranges of Maricao. A mostly grey to olive-brown bodied lizard, A. occultus is the smallest of the Puerto Rican anoles with a snout to vent length of 34–42 mm. In comparison to other twig anoles, A. occultus is extremely cryptic through its unique sleeping behaviors and mottled pattern. Sleeping behavior including site selection minimizes the probability of predator encounter along with A. occultus' extensive list of antipredator behaviors.

<i>Anolis oculatus</i> Species of reptile

Anolis oculatus, the Dominica anole, Dominican anole, eyed anole or zandoli, is a species of anole lizard. It is endemic to the Caribbean island of Dominica, where it is found in most environments. The species is found in a diverse range of color forms, which one herpetologist once classified as four subspecies, which most other scientists did not recognise because the forms gradually inter-grade with one another. Two later researchers have instead promoted the "ecotypes" concept, hypothesizing the color forms are maintained by the ecological conditions of the surrounding environment, despite being genetically indistinguishable. The morphology of some traits is subject to clinal variation, gradually changing from one side of the island to the other, or from sea level to the hilltops. The ground color ranges from pale tan or yellow to deep green or brown. It also has patterned markings that range from light-colored speckling to complex marbled patterns, and some populations also have large black-ringed "eye" spots on their flanks.

<i>Sphaerodactylus macrolepis</i> Species of lizard

Sphaerodactylus macrolepis, also known as the big-scaled dwarf gecko or the big-scaled least gecko, is a lizard of the Sphaerodactylus genus. It was first documented in 1859 in the US Virgin Islands, specifically, St. Croix. This diurnal species has since been spotted in other locations such as Puerto Rico with major populations in Culebra.

Anolis agassizi, Agassiz's anole, is a species of lizard in the family Dactyloidae. The species is endemic to Malpelo Island, which is part of Colombia.

<i>Anolis grahami</i> Species of lizard

Anolis grahami, commonly known as the Jamaican turquoise anole and Graham's anole, is a species of lizard in the family Dactyloidae. The species is native to the island of Jamaica, and has also been introduced to the territory of Bermuda. It is one of many different species of anole lizards found in Jamaica. There are two recognized subspecies.

<i>Anolis cuvieri</i> Species of reptile

Anolis cuvieri is a species of lizard in the family Dactyloidae. The species is endemic to Puerto Rico, and is common in the Toro Negro State Forest.

Lizards are among the most diverse groups of reptiles, with more than 5,600 species. With such diversity in physical and behavioral traits, lizards have evolved many ways to communicate. Communication may be physical, chemical, tactile, or vocal, and varies according to habitat, sexual selection practices, and predator avoidance methods. Each type of communication uses different sensory systems, including visual, olfactory, and auditory.

<i>Anolis stratulus</i> Species of reptile

Anolis stratulus is a moderately-sized species of anole found in Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands. It is a gray-colored lizard spotted with brown markings. It is arboreal, usually found positioned on tree bark on branches in the canopies of forest trees, where in some areas of Puerto Rico it can be incredibly abundant, with tens of thousands of the lizards being present per hectare.

<i>Anolis aquaticus</i> Species of reptile

Anolis aquaticus, commonly known as the water anole, is a semi-aquatic species of anole, a lizard in the family Dactyloidae, native to southwestern Costa Rica and far southwestern Panama. The species demonstrates adaptations that allows it to spend periods of time underwater up to approximately a quarter of an hour, forming an air bubble which clings to its head and serves to recycle the animal's air supply while it spends time beneath the surface. Although highly unusual, similar adaptions and behavior are found in other species of semi-aquatic anoles.

<i>Anolis auratus</i> Species of lizard

Anolis auratus, the grass anole, is a species of lizard in the family Dactyloidae. The species is found in Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, and Brazil.

<i>Anolis evermanni</i> Species of lizard

Anolis evermanni, also known commonly as the emerald anole, Evermann's anole, and the small green anole, is a species of lizard included within the family Dactyloidae. A. evermanni is native to Puerto Rico, where it is mainly found in wet forests. A. evermanni is a medium-sized lizard and bright emerald-green in color. A. evermanni is studied for its behavior as well as the evolution of the family Dactyloidae. The group of lizards which are member species of the family Dactyloidae are known as anoles. Anoles are found throughout the Americas and are related to iguanas.

References

  1. 1 2 Monzón O, Mahler DL, Rodriguez C (2020). "Anolis gundlachi ". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T75093129A75171926. Downloaded on 29 March 2021. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/75093129/75171926.
  2. Species Anolis gundlachi at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
  3. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN   978-1-4214-0135-5. (Anolis gundlachi, p. 112).
  4. 1 2 "Puerto Rican Anolis". Vulnerability of Tropical Ectotherms to Climate Warming. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
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  7. Hess, Nancy E.; Losos, Jonathan B. (1991). "Interspecific aggression between Anolis cristatellus and A. gundlachi: Comparison of sympatric and allopatric populations". Journal of Herpetology. 25 (2): 256–259. doi:10.2307/1564669. JSTOR   1564669.
  8. Rodríguez-Robles, Javier A; Leal, Manuel; Losos, Jonathan B (2005). "Habitat selection by the Puerto Rican yellow-chinned anole, Anolis gundlachi ". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 83 (7): 983–988. doi:10.1139/z05-082.
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  10. 1 2 Cook, Ellee G. (2019). “Characterizing territoriality and the mechanisms that mediate it in female Anolis gundlachi lizards". University of Missouri-Columbia, University of Missouri. pp. 43–60.
  11. 1 2 "Anolis gundlachi Peters 1877 data - Encyclopedia of Life". eol.org. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
  12. Schall, Jos. J.; Pearson, Anja R. (2000). "Body Condition of a Puerto Rican Anole, Anolis gundlachi: Effect of a Malaria Parasite and Weather Variation". Journal of Herpetology. 34 (3): 489–491. doi:10.2307/1565380. ISSN   0022-1511. JSTOR   1565380.
  13. Schall, Jos J.; Vogt, Stephen P. (1993). "Distribution of malaria in Anolis lizards of the Luquillo Forest, Puerto Rico: implications for host community ecology". Biotropica. 25 (2): 229–235. Bibcode:1993Biotr..25..229S. doi:10.2307/2389187. JSTOR   2389187.
  14. Steinberg, David S.; Leal, Manuel (2013). "Sensory system properties predict signal modulation in a tropical lizard". Animal Behaviour. 85 (3): 623–629. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.12.025. S2CID   27935332.
  15. Cooper, W.E. (2006). "Risk factors affecting escape behaviour by Puerto Rican Anolis lizards". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 84 (4): 495–504. doi:10.1139/z06-018.
  16. 1 2 Irschick, Duncan J.; Macrini, Thomas E.; Koruba, Stephan; Forman, Jon (2000). "Ontogenetic differences in morphology, habitat use, behavior, and sprinting capacity in two West Indian Anolis lizards". Journal of Herpetology. 34 (3): 444–451. doi:10.2307/1565368. JSTOR   1565368.
  17. Rogowitz, Gordon L. (1996). "Evaluation of thermal acclimation and altitudinal variation of metabolism in a Neotropical lizard, Anolis gundlachi ". Copeia. 1996 (3): 535–542. doi:10.2307/1447517. JSTOR   1447517.
  18. Lister, B.C.; Garcia, A. (2018). "Climate-driven declines in arthropod abundance restructure a rainforest food web". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences115 (44): E10397-E10406.

Further reading