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Florida's Exotic Wildlife. Species detail.
First year: 1980s
Extirpated year:
Established status: Populations
are confirmed breeding and apparently self-sustaining for 10 or
more consecutive years.
Estimated Florida range: 1
county At least 10 years, 2 counties Less than 10
years
Statewide trend: 1 county At
least 10 years, 2 counties Less than 10 years
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Photograph by Kevin Enge © 2003
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Threats to natives: Possible
competitor of the green anole.
Species Account: This Haitian
species resembles or native green anole (Anolis carolinensis) but
has a blue dewlap and longer nose. Males may be up to 22 cm (8.5
in) long. This wary species typically lives in the canopy of trees
but occasionally descends low on trunks to bask. Previous
populations in Miami have disappeared, presumably because of the
susceptibility of this species to occasional freezes. It is now
restricted to 1 site in Broward County and 1 site in Dade County
(Bartlett and Bartlett 1999). Butterfield et al. (1994) observed
only 9 individuals during a 1991 visit to the site in Parkland,
Broward County, which was less than 5 ha in size. Hispaniolan green
anoles perched only on smooth-barked trees, whereas the more
numerous largehead anoles (Anolis cybotes) perched everywhere
around a horse stable that was formerly a reptile importer's
warehouse (Butterfield et al. 1994). Recent visits to the site show
that the species is now widely distributed in the neighborhood in
plant nurseries and residential yards (K. M. Enge, FFWCC, Quincy,
personal observation).
Habitats: Low density suburban
development, areas peripheral to core urban areas, and small
towns
| County |
First Year |
Extirpated Year |
Breeding status |
Notes |
| BROWARD |
1984 |
|
At least 10 years |
One colony at a horse stable (formerly a reptile dealership) in
Parkland, north of Holmberg Road (Butterfield et al. 1994, Bartlett
and Bartlett 1999; J. Needham, personal communication); none was
observed here in 2002 (K. M. Enge, FFWCC, Quincy, Florida, personal
observation) |
| DADE |
1978 |
? |
At least 10 years |
The original colony was apparently extirpated in 1981 (Meshaka
et al. 2004), but a second colony became established (Wilson and
Porras 1983). There was a small colony near the Miami International
Airport and may still be a small colony in North Miami (Meshaka et
al. 2004), although Bartlett and Bartlett (1999) claim that all
colonies in the Miami area have apparently been extirpated. |
| MARTIN |
1986 |
1991 |
Less than 10 years |
Colony on a reptile dealer's property along the eastern shore
of Lake Okeechobee was apparently extirpated by freezing weather
(J. Watt, Port Mayaca, Florida, personal communication) |
References
Bartlett, R. D., and P. P. Bartlett. 1999. A field
guide to Florida reptiles and amphibians. Gulf Publishing Company,
Houston, Texas. 278pp.
Butterfield, B. P., W. E. Meshaka, Jr., and R. L.
Kilhefner. 1994. Two anoles new to Broward County, Florida.
Herpetological Review 25:77-78.
Meshaka, W. E., Jr., B. P. Butterfield, and J. B.
Hauge. 2004. The exotic amphibians and reptiles of Florida.
Krieger, Melbourne, Florida. 166pp.
Wilson, L. D., and L. Porras. 1983. The ecological
impact of man on the south Florida herpetofauna. University of
Kansas Museum of Natural History, Special Publication No. 9.
89pp.
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