Description: 5-8 3/4" (13-21.3
cm). Extensible throatfan yellow to red-orange, with white line
down center. Enlarged
toe pads; short snout. Tan to dark brown;
with dark-bordered, interconnected light diamonds or stripe down back; pattern
fades in mature males to a uniform tan.
Breeding: Mates throughout spring and summer. Single eggs, laid
from June to September, hatch in 30 days.
Habitat: Trees, shrubs, fences, walls, lumber
stacks, rock piles. Usually within 6' (2 m) of the ground.
Range: Introduced into peninsular Florida,
Texas, and possibly established in Louisiana; Florida population
spreading north
to Georgia. Native to Jamaica, Cuba, the Bahamas.Discussion: Diurnal. Although frequently found
on trees and shrubs, the Brown Anole is a terrestrial species.
It never ventures
far
from the ground and rests head down so that it can flee earthward
when threatened. Males vigilantly protect territory, driving
intruders away by a ritual of intense headbobs or push-ups,
followed by displays of the colorful throatfan. Ants, beetles,
grasshoppers,
spiders, and other prey are caught by swift dashes.
