Please Help Me Identify Some Anoles and Other Cuban Lizards

Hello to everybody, I’m an italian naturalist that visited Cuba last December 2016.

I’m mainly a birder, but I like to give a name to all the creatures I meet. So, I’m going to post 20 pictures of lizards photographed in Cuba: for some I have hypotheses about the identification, but I need confirmation. For some others, I’m completely lost!
Can anybody help me??

1) Anoles photographed in Topes de Collantes (Sancti Spiritus province): which Anolis?

21 (Topes de Collantes)

2) Anoles photographed in Playa Ancon (Sancti Spiritus province): Anolis porcatus?

5 (Playa Ancon)

3) Curly-tailed Lizard photographed in Playa Ancon (Sancti Spiritus province):  Leiocephalus stictigaster or L. cubensis?

4 (Playa Ancon)

4) Curly-tailed Lizard photographed in Soledad (Cienfuegos province):  Leiocephalus carinatus?

6 (Cienfuegos)

5) Gecko photographed in Playa Giron (Matanzas province): which Hemidactylus?

15 (Playa Giron)

6) Anoles photographed in the Cueva de los Peces (Matanzas province): Anolis sagrei?

1 (Cueva de los Peces)

7) Anoles photographed in the Cueva de los Peces (Matanzas province): which Anolis?

2 (Cueva de los Peces)

8) Curly-tailed Lizard photographed in the Cueva de los Peces (Matanzas province): Leiocephalus stictigaster or L. cubensis?

3 (Cueva de los Peces)

9) Gecko photographed in Playa Giron (Matanzas province): which Hemidactylus?

20 (Playa Giron)

10) Lizard photographed in La Bajada (Pinar del Rio province): Ameiva auberi?

17 (La Bajada)

11) Anoles photographed in La Bajada (Pinar del Rio province): Anolis quadriocellifer?

18 (La Bajada)

12) Curly-tailed Lizard photographed in La Bajada (Pinar del Rio province): which Leiocephalus?

8 (La Bajada)

13) Lizard photographed in La Bajada (Pinar del Rio province): Ameiva auberi?

19 (La Bajada)

14) Curly-tailed Lizard photographed in La Bajada (Pinar del Rio province): which Leiocephalus?

9 (La Bajada)

15) Curly-tailed Lizard photographed in La Bajada (Pinar del Rio province): which Leiocephalus?

7 (La Bajada)

16) Anoles photographed in Vinales (Pinar del Rio province): which Anolis?

13 (Vinales)

17) Anoles photographed in Vinales (Pinar del Rio province): which Anolis?

12 (Vinales)

18) Anoles photographed in Vinales (Pinar del Rio province): which Anolis?

10 (Vinales)

19) Anoles photographed in Vinales (Pinar del Rio province): which Anolis?

11 (Vinales)

20) Anoles photographed in La Habana: which Anolis?

14 (La Habana)

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6 Comments

  1. Javier Torres

    Hi, my father is a birder, I also watch birds but prefer reptiles. Here are my thoughts. Hope this helps.

    1. Anolis homolechis
    2. Anolis porcatus
    3. not sure
    4. Leiocephalus carinatus
    5. Hemidactylus mabouia
    6. Anolis sagrei
    7. Anolis homolechis
    8. not sure
    9. I need a larger pic
    10. Ameiva auberi
    11. Anolis quadriocellifer
    12. not sure
    13. Ameiva auberi
    14. not sure
    15. not sure
    16. Anolis mestrei
    17. Anolis homolechis
    18. Anolis mestrei
    19. Anolis homolechis
    20. Anolis porcatus

    • Luca Boscain

      Hello Javier, thank you so much of the identifications!! Are you 100% sure about them?
      I can send you by E mail 2 pictures of the House Geckos of Playa Giron with the full resolution, but I couldn’t post them here (maybe they are too big)

  2. Joe Burgess

    Luca,
    I concur with Javier on his identification and will fill in the blanks…
    3 & 8 L. cubensis
    12, 14, & 15 L. stictigaster

  3. Luca Boscain

    Thank you Joe! I was suspecting that the striped Curly-tail Lizards were two different species, but I couldn’t find enough pictures on internet to be sure…
    So, only the pink gecko left: anybody want to try? my hypotesis was for an H. mabouia too… unfortunatelly I can not post an HD version of the picture, so I’m available to send it by E mail

  4. Axel Flaeschendraeger

    Hello Luca,

    maybe I can help with the identification of the reptiles from Cuba. I have seen them in their natural habitat. The most of them are correct identified. For the following picture I have other suggestions.
    1. Anolis sagrei, young male
    3. and 8. Leiocephalus stictigaster (not L. cubensis)
    5. The picture is a bit blurred so you can’t see the toes right but I think it is a Hemidactylus haitianus (??)
    9. Probably is an Hemidactylus haitianus (??)
    16. Shows a female of A. homolechis (not a A. mestrei)
    Its always difficult to identify from pictures but I hope I was able to help.

  5. Karina Velazco

    Luca,
    I am almost sure that the Hemidactylus in photos 5 and 9 are H. angulatus. This species has a characteristic cross pattern. If you have better photos you can send them to me.
    As for photos 10 and 13 are Pholidoscelis auberi cacuminis, which is the endemic subspecies that is in La Bajada.
    I hope I can help you

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