Green or Carolina Anole - Anolis carolinensis 2
The Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis) is an arboreal lizard found primarily in the southeastern United States and some Caribbean islands. Other common names include the green anole, American anole and red-throated anole. It is sometimes referred to as the American chameleon due to its color-changing abilities; however, many lizards are capable of this, and anoles are not true chameleons.
This species is native to North America, where it is found mainly in the southeastern parts of the continent. Anoles are most abundant on the Atlantic Coastal Plains in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia, and the Gulf Coastal Plain in Texas. The species has been introduced into Hawaii and the Ogasawara Islands.
Anole males are often territorial. In fact some have even been witnessed fighting their own reflection in mirrored glass. Sometimes the other male will be an extremely invasive Cuban Brown Anole.
The typical coloration for a green anole ranges from the richest and brightest of greens to the darkest of browns, with little variation in between. The color spectrum is a resultant of three layers of pigment cells or chromatophores: the xanthophores, responsible for the yellow pigmentation; cyanophores, responsible for the blue pigmentation, and melanophores, responsible for the brown and black pigmentation when the anole is cold or stressed.
There are a few exceptions which are caused when a lack in one of the pigment genes occurs. These color mutations are also called phases. The rare blue-phased green anole lacks xanthophores which results in a blue, rather red, often baby or pastel blue, anole. These specimens have become a recent popularity in the trade market. When the anole is completely lacking xanthophores it is said to be axanthic and the animal will have a completely pastel or baby-blue hue. They are extremely rare—usually produced in 1 out of every 20,000 individual anoles in the wild. Another 'phase' is the yellow-phased green anole, which lacks cyanophores. Colonies of these rare color-phased anoles have been reported, but anoles with these color mutations rarely live for long, since the green color provides camouflage for hunting down prey as well as hiding from predators.
The anole's diet consists of small insects such as the cricket and the grasshopper. It may also eat grasses. Crickets are a good food for them as well as moths. Many people that keep green anoles as pets feed them mealworms,grubs, and maggots.
The Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei) is a highly invasive lizard in the same genus as the Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis). It is native to Cuba and several other Caribbean islands, but has been introduced to Florida and has spread through the state. It has seriously depleted the population of carolina anoles throughout its range, due to competing with them for food and habitat. Some think that these lizards spread when they laid their eggs in potted plants at nurseries, which were then shipped throughout the state.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_anole
Green or Carolina Anole - Anolis carolinensis 2
The Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis) is an arboreal lizard found primarily in the southeastern United States and some Caribbean islands. Other common names include the green anole, American anole and red-throated anole. It is sometimes referred to as the American chameleon due to its color-changing abilities; however, many lizards are capable of this, and anoles are not true chameleons.
This species is native to North America, where it is found mainly in the southeastern parts of the continent. Anoles are most abundant on the Atlantic Coastal Plains in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia, and the Gulf Coastal Plain in Texas. The species has been introduced into Hawaii and the Ogasawara Islands.
Anole males are often territorial. In fact some have even been witnessed fighting their own reflection in mirrored glass. Sometimes the other male will be an extremely invasive Cuban Brown Anole.
The typical coloration for a green anole ranges from the richest and brightest of greens to the darkest of browns, with little variation in between. The color spectrum is a resultant of three layers of pigment cells or chromatophores: the xanthophores, responsible for the yellow pigmentation; cyanophores, responsible for the blue pigmentation, and melanophores, responsible for the brown and black pigmentation when the anole is cold or stressed.
There are a few exceptions which are caused when a lack in one of the pigment genes occurs. These color mutations are also called phases. The rare blue-phased green anole lacks xanthophores which results in a blue, rather red, often baby or pastel blue, anole. These specimens have become a recent popularity in the trade market. When the anole is completely lacking xanthophores it is said to be axanthic and the animal will have a completely pastel or baby-blue hue. They are extremely rare—usually produced in 1 out of every 20,000 individual anoles in the wild. Another 'phase' is the yellow-phased green anole, which lacks cyanophores. Colonies of these rare color-phased anoles have been reported, but anoles with these color mutations rarely live for long, since the green color provides camouflage for hunting down prey as well as hiding from predators.
The anole's diet consists of small insects such as the cricket and the grasshopper. It may also eat grasses. Crickets are a good food for them as well as moths. Many people that keep green anoles as pets feed them mealworms,grubs, and maggots.
The Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei) is a highly invasive lizard in the same genus as the Carolina anole (Anolis carolinensis). It is native to Cuba and several other Caribbean islands, but has been introduced to Florida and has spread through the state. It has seriously depleted the population of carolina anoles throughout its range, due to competing with them for food and habitat. Some think that these lizards spread when they laid their eggs in potted plants at nurseries, which were then shipped throughout the state.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolina_anole