Anole Annals

Anolis carolinensis hatchling and the egg from which it hatched

Breeding anoles to look at inheritance of dewlap color has been a major component of my research. It has also, however, been a major frustration. Every step of the process, from keeping the anoles happy enough to reproduce, to finding eggs, to successfully raising healthy hatchlings to adults has required much tweaking over the years. It has certainly been a work-in-progress and I am happy to say that with both minor and major changes over the years, our lab has transformed into a baby-making factory! This post is the first of a series discussing aspects of anole care, in the hope of both sharing our ideas with people in the anole community, as well as to start a discussion on other techniques people are using to breed/care for anoles.

Seven Anole Species Found at a Site on the Ecuador – Colombia Border

By Jonathan Losos

On October 30, 2011

In Notes from the Field

On the Tropical Herping website, Lucas Bustamante provides a report–accompanied by gorgeous photographs–of the seven species of anoles, as well as other reptiles and amphibians, found on a Tropical Herping field trip to Chical, a frontier site near the border of Ecuador and Colombia where the faunas of the Chocoan lowlands and the Andes meet. The diversity of species found on the trip was spectacular, but Bustamante aptly noted that the “anoles were the highlight.”

Dewy Anole

By Jonathan Losos

On October 29, 2011

In All Posts

Photo of a dew-covered A. carolinensis by Jude Haase at http://500px.com/photo/2565902?from=popular

NSF DDIGs anoles

By Anthony J Geneva

On October 28, 2011

In New Research

With the the deadline quickly approaching, the National Science Foundation‘s Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant (NSF DDIG) program is on the mind on many graduate student anologists (myself included). These grants provide significant funding (up to $15,000 this year) to graduate students allowing them to expand upon their existing dissertation research. A large part of my preparation has been reading the successful proposals of other students. That got me to wondering how many other anole-centric proposals have been funded recently. Luckily, the NSF has a handy search function for just such a question.

I found 16 funded projects since 1987 coming from the labs of 9 PIs (8 of whom have a single funded student each – the 9th PI and most of his 8 funded students post here often). In total, students of anole science have been awarded $167,306 with a substantial uptick in the last few years. Here’s hoping this trend continues. Good luck to all applying this year.

Sex

By Katharina Wollenberg Valero

On October 27, 2011

In Anole Art, Literature, and Humor, Anoles and Anolologists in the News

Anolis carolinensis is headlining the new exhibition on animal sex in the Natural History Museum Rosenstein, Stuttgart, Germany. Go check it out if you’re in the area

http://webmuseen.de/sex-stuttgart.html

Great graphic design! Wondered several minutes what the toasted oats were doing in there. Duh, they're eggs! (amphibian)

Brown Anole Dewlapping at a Much Larger Predator: Why?

By Jonathan Losos

On October 25, 2011

In Natural History Observations, New Research

Grackle snacking on an anole in Florida. Photo by Andy Wilson from http://www.pbase.com/andywilson/image/60039533

Most anole watchers have experienced the phenomenon of walking up to an anole and having it display. What good could come of displaying to a potential predator thousands of times more massive? In a perceptive experiment, Leal suggested that anoles actually are trying to tell the predators something: specifically, that a displaying lizard is very fit, and that a potential predator, in this case a snake, would be better served looking elsewhere for a meal.

But there are few observations of anoles displaying to predators in nature. In a recent Natural History Note in Herpetological Review (42:427-428), Catherine Levey documents one such instance: “I observed an adult female boat-tailed grackle (Quiscalus major) on a sidewalk with an A. sagrei in its bill. The anole was approximately 7 cm snout-vent length. The bird was vigorously shaking the anole with sideways flicks of its head. After about five seconds, it put the anole down on the pavement. The anole immediately arched its back, fully extended its dewlap, and became immobile. The bird looked at it and did not move for about five seconds. It then pecked the anole several times near the head, which caused the anole to withdraw its dewlap and run. The bird pursued it and picked it up. The anole thrashed in the bird’s bill; it did not extend its dewlap. Again, the bird put it down and again it immediately displayed its dewlap. the bird paused for a few seconds, picked up the lizard by its midsection, and flew out of sight.”

Anole Vs. Egret

By Jonathan Losos

On October 24, 2011

In Natural History Observations

This image is bouncing around the internet, and I can’t find any information on its origin, but it looks like an anole to me. Valiant last ditch effort, but I think we all know the outcome.

Turnabout’s Fair Play

By Jonathan Losos

On October 23, 2011

In Natural History Observations

A few weeks back, we reported the death of an anole at the hands–er, pedipalps–of a spider. Now Janson Jones reports the opposite.

More generally, we know that spiders are a very common prey item in the diet of many anole species, but how often the reverse is true is unknown.

Anolologists on the Move: Jason Kolbe

By Jonathan Losos

On October 22, 2011

In Anoles and Anolologists in the News

Jason Kolbe, the doyen of anole invasion biology and conservation genetics, has taken up a faculty position at the University of Rhode Island. Research in his lab generally addresses the evolutionary dynamics of biological invasions using Anolis lizards as a model system. He uses molecular markers to reconstruct invasion histories and to test factors that facilitate or constrain phenotypic evolution during invasions.

Jason invites applications from motivated students for graduate degree work in the area of evolutionary ecology and evolutionary genetics of invasive species. Funding will be provided either as research or teaching assistantships, depending on student background and availability. Applicants should be independent, highly motivated, and possess some research and/or field experience. Students with experience using molecular techniques (i.e., DNA extraction, PCR, DNA sequencing, microsatellite genotyping) or conducting GIS-based spatial analyses are encouraged to apply. Prospective students should contact Jason Kolbe via email (jjkolbe@mail.uri.edu) and provide a short description of research interests and accomplishments, a CV (including GPA and GRE scores), and contact information for three references.

Anole Action Series

By Jonathan Losos

On October 20, 2011

In Natural History Observations

Need a dose of live lizard action? Why not check out the long-running series, Anole Alley, on lizardvideos.com? Now in its fourth season, with an all-star cast of green anoles (maybe browns, too–I haven’t watched all that many of them).

Episode 39, part 2, big game hunting, is linked above. It features a large male green anole snagging a dragonfly–well done! Other episodes show other anole hi-jinx and escapades. Store this one to put some sunshine into a cold, wintry day.