Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Brown Anole

Anolis sagrei

Dumeril and Bibron, 1837

Brown Anole

G5Secure Found in 3 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104560
Element CodeARACF01060
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
Other Common Names
Cuban Brown Anole (EN)
Concept Reference
Schwartz, A., and R. Thomas. 1975. A Checklist of West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles. Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 216 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
This species was placed in the genus Norops by Guyer and Savage (1986) and Schwartz and Henderson (1988). Poe et al. (2017) consider ordinatus and greyi synonyms of sagrei. Nicholson et al. (2018) does not list mayensis but does recognize A. s. greyi and A. ordinatus. All invasive populations (in Florida) show evidence of hybridization among native-range lineages (Bock et al. 2021). Introduced individuals have most commonly been reported as A. s. sagrei, however, Kolbe et al. (2004) identified the sources of Florida populations as having native range origins from eastern and western Cuba, as well as The Bahamas; therefore A. s. greyi, A. s. ordinatus, and A. s. sagrei may all be involved, and more research is needed (Nicholson 2025).

For a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of anoles see Poe et al. (2017, 2018) and Román-Palacios et al. (2018). Poe et al. (2017) presented a revised taxonomy of anoles following the principles of phylogenetic nomenclature (e.g. Cantino and de Queiroz 2020) which is followed by Nicholson (2025). See also Nicholson et al. (2018) for a rank-based alternative.
Conservation Status
Review Date2003-11-13
Change Date1996-10-28
Edition Date2003-11-13
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Range Extent Comments
Native to Cuba and associated cayerias; Isla de la Juventud; Jamaica; Cayman Islands and satellites; Swan Islands; Bahamas, including Crooked-Acklins Bank, Rum Cay, San Salvador Island; Atlantic coast of Mexico to Belize; Islas de la Bahia. See Schwartz and Henderson (1988) and Schwartz and Henderson (1991) for details, including distribution of subspecies. Old record from "Porto Rico" certainly erroneous (Mayer and Lazell 1988). Established throughout much of Florida (e.g., see Campbell, 2003, Herpetol. Rev. 34:173-174; Townsend et al., 2002, Herpetol. Rev. 33:75); also introduced and established in Georgia (Campbell and Hammontree 1995, Herptol. Rev. 26:107; Campbell, 1996, Herpetol. Rev. 27:155-157), Houston and Corpus Christi areas of Texas (Krusling et al. 1995, Herpetol. Rev. 26:108), Louisiana (Platt and Fontenot, 1994, Herpetol. Rev. 25:33), Hawaii (Oahu, mainly residential and urban areas; McKeown 1996, Goldberg et al. 2002) and on Grand Cayman Island. Found recently in Arkansas (probably transported in nursery plants from Florida) (McAllister et al. 2003).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Various sunny habitats; rarely in deep woods or forests. Coastal areas and mountains, dry areas and in lush vegetation. In Florida generally confined to urban/suburban areas but also in semi-natural habitats along roadways and in stands of introduced trees. Trunk-ground species. Found on trees, shrubs, fences, walls, lumber and rock piles, trash piles, around buildings, and on or near ground. Presumably spends night under terrestrial objects.

Ecology

Territory size of individual or pair about 37 sq m; home range of male larger than that of female; population size fluctuates annually on some islands, relatively constant on others; density less than 0.5/sq m, highest in areas of intermediate insolation (Schwartz and Henderson 1991).

Reproduction

Oviductal eggs observed April-October in southern Florida; reproduction also minimal in winter in Caribbean, but ovigerous females present in all months (Lee et al. 1989). Lays single eggs. Eggs hatch in about a month (Behler and King 1979). Egg deposited on 14 July hatched 29 August (Schwartz and Henderson 1991).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - HardwoodForest - MixedWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - MixedSavannaSuburban/orchardUrban/edificarian
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesNNA
ProvinceRankNative
FloridaSNANo
AlabamaSNANo
TexasSNANo
GeorgiaSNANo
HawaiiSNANo
Roadless Areas (3)
Florida (2)
AreaForestAcres
Alexander Springs CreekOcala National Forest2,954
PinhookOsceola National Forest15,405
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
References (30)
  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. Bock, D. G., S. Baeckens, J. N. Pita-Aquino, Z. A. Chejanovski, S. N. Michaelides, P. Muralidhare, O. Lapiedra, S. Park, D. B. Menkeg, A. J. Genevah, J. B. Losos, and J. J. Kolbe. 2021. Changes in selection pressure can facilitate hybridization during biological invasion in a Cuban lizard. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 118(42):1-10.
  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. Cantino, P. D., and K. de Queiroz. 2020. International code of phylogenetic nomenclature (PhyloCode). CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida. 149 pp.
  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. Godley, J. S. et al. 1981. Distributional status of an introduced lizard in Florida: Anolis sagrei. SSAR Herp. Rev. 12:84-86.
  12. Goldberg, S. R., F. Kraus, and C. R. Bursey. 2002. Reproduction in an introduced population of the brown anole, <i>Anolis sagrei</i>, from O'ahu, Hawai'i. Pacific Science 56:163-168.
  13. Guyer, C., and J. M. Savage. 1986. Cladistic relationships among anoles (Sauria: Iguanidae). Systematic Zoology 35:509-531.
  14. 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.
  15. 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.
  16. Kolbe, J. J., R. E. Glor, L. Rodríguez Schettino, A. Chamizo Lara, A. Larson, and J. B. Losos. 2004. Genetic variation increases during biological invasion by a Cuban lizard. Nature 431(7005):177-181.
  17. 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.
  18. Lee, J. C., et al. 1989. Thr reproductive cycle of <i>Anolis sagrei</i> in southern Florida. Copeia 1989:930-937.
  19. 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.
  20. McAllister, C. T., S. E. Trauth, and C. S. Harris. 2003. Geographic distribution: <i>Anolis sagrei </i>(brown anole). Herpetological Review 34:261-262.
  21. McKeown, S. 1996. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians in the Hawaiian Islands. Diamond Head Publishing. Los Osos, California.
  22. Nicholson, K. E., B. I. Crother, C. Guyer, and J. M. Savage. 2018. Translating a clade based classification into one that is valid under the international code of zoological nomenclature: the case of the lizards of the family Dactyloidae (Order Squamata). Zootaxa 4461(4):573-586.
  23. Nicholson, K. E. (ed.). 2025. Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding. Ninth Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 87 pp. Online database available at: https://cnah.org/SSARnames.aspx
  24. Poe, S., A. Nieto-montes de Oca, O. Torres-carvajal, K. De Queiroz, J. A. Velasco, B. Truett, L. N. Gray, M. J. Ryan, G. Köhler, F. Ayala-varela, and I. Latella. 2017. A phylogenetic, biogeographic, and taxonomic study of all extant species of <i>Anolis </i>(Squamata; Iguanidae). Systematic Biology 66:663–697.
  25. Poe, S., A. Nieto-Montes de Oca, O. Torres-Carvajal, K. de Queiroz, J. A. Velasco, B. Truett, L. N. Gray, M. J. Ryan, G. Köhler, F. Ayala-Varela, and I. Latella. 2018. Comparative evolution of an archetypal adaptive radiation: innovation and opportunity in <i>Anolis </i>lizards. The American Naturalist 191(6):185-194.
  26. Román-Palacios, C., J. Tavera, and M. del Rosario Castañeda. 2018. When did anoles diverge? An analysis of multiple dating strategies. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 127:655-668.
  27. Schwartz, A., and R. Thomas. 1975. A Checklist of West Indian Amphibians and Reptiles. Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 216 pp.
  28. 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.
  29. 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.
  30. 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.