Anolis etheridgei. Photo by Rick Stanley.
Three-and-a-half years ago, I wrote a post on the phylogenetic distribution of blue eyes in anoles. They pop up all over anole phylogeny and in species with diverse habitats and geography. The post attracted 32 comments.
At the time, I asked if anyone had a photo of the blue-eyed Anolis etheridgei. Photographer par excellence Rick Stanley quick obliged, but I never got around to posting his photo, so here it is.
But the bigger question is: what about those blue eyes? Why hasn’t anyone studied the phenomenon? If you’ve got a good photo of a blue-eyed anole, send it here!
Professor of Biology and Director of the Living Earth Collaborative at Washington University in Saint Louis. I've spent my entire professional career studying anoles and have discovered that the more I learn about anoles, the more I realize I don't know.
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Miguel Landestoy
Of the two Hispaniolan Todies (Aves: Todidae), the highland, cloud-forest species has pale grayish-blue iris. The lowland species has it dark brown.