A small lizard that is quite common in many warm places, especially in the southeastern United States, even though it originally comes from the Caribbean. One of the most noticeable things about the brown anole is its color. As the name suggests, it is mostly brown, but it can change shades from light to dark brown, and sometimes it even has patterns of darker stripes or spots on its back. Males are particularly easy to spot because they have a bright orange or red throat fan called a dewlap, which they puff out to show off when they want to look impressive or scare away other males.

Brown anoles are very good at moving quickly and can often be seen scurrying around on the ground or low plants, looking for food. They eat mostly insects, like ants, flies, and beetles, but they aren’t too picky and will try to eat almost anything smaller than themselves. They are also quite territorial, meaning they dislike other lizards entering their space. Males, in particular, will defend their territory by chasing off other males and showing their dewlap as a warning.

Brown anoles are not just interesting because of how they look or act, but also because they have spread so widely. Since they were brought to places like Florida, they have become one of the most common lizards there, and they have even spread to other parts of the United States and beyond. They are considered invasive in some areas because they compete with native lizards for food and space. In places where brown anoles live, you might notice fewer of the native green anoles because the brown anoles tend to take over.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Bahamas

2015

Belize

2015

Cayman Islands

2015

Costa Rica

2015

Introduced

Cuba

2015

Grenada

2015

Honduras

2015

Honduran Caribbean Is.

Jamaica

2015

Origin Uncertain

Mexico

2015

Taiwan

2015

Turks & Caicos

2015

Introduced

United States

2015

Introduced