From Cold Blooded Kingdom’s website
AA reader Steve Hopman writes:
My question is on genetics of the “Red Chili Pepper” anole being sold on Underground Reptiles.
Are they A. sagrei or a cross with another species?
How is the red transferred to offspring? Dominant or recessive trait or ?.
And here’s one from Underground Reptiles.
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.
Latest posts by Jonathan Losos (see all)
- Blue Shed Skin of Green Anole - June 16, 2026
- Why Green Anoles Change Color by Whit Gibbons - May 3, 2026
- Are Red Chili Pepper Anoles a Real Thing? - April 23, 2026
Doug Menke
The degree of red coloration varies in A. sagrei, and there is no evidence that this variation originated through hybridization with other anole species. To the best of my knowledge, the genetic basis of red coloration in A. sagrei has not been reported.
Armando F Pou
These anolis are simply a line bred color morph of the normally colored Anolis sagrei. In previous articles in Anoleannals, several years ago I had written a small piece about this red coloration which I had originally derived from selectively breeding wild specimens in captivity that exhibited unusually high amounts of red colouration. The article sparked some attention and I gave away a number of specimens for the cost of shipping. Since that time the red coloration of these animals has intensified significantly, undoubtedly the product of very careful line breeding. I no longer keep these animals but it seems to have become a pretty lucrative business. They are beautiful.
Caleb Shoemaker
I see red sagreis every now and then, it seems to be that mild erythrism is within the normal range of variation. From what I’ve read, some breeders in Florida caught some of these and have bred them to look like cheetos. The color’s much more intense than what I’ve seen around the neighborhood, which is at most a rusty red-brown.