Anguilla Bank Anole
Encyclopedia
The Anguilla Bank anole or Anguilla anole (Anolis gingivinus) is a species of anole lizard that is endemic to the Caribbean
Lesser Antilles
.
and its satellites, Saint Martin
, and Saint Barthélemy
; and on the smaller, nearby Sombrero
bank (politically part of Anguilla).
s. It was the only anole species on Anguilla and throughout most of its range, until the recent introduction to Anguilla of A. carolinensis. A. gingivinus coexists on Saint Martin with A. pogus. Their distribution there does not completely overlap, and where they are both found they appear to fill different niches, for example by A. gingivinus preferring higher and more exposed perches.
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
Lesser Antilles
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
.
Geographic range
It is found on the Anguilla Bank of islands, which comprise AnguillaAnguilla
Anguilla is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin...
and its satellites, Saint Martin
Saint Martin
Saint Martin is an island in the northeast Caribbean, approximately east of Puerto Rico. The 87 km2 island is divided roughly 60/40 between France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands ; however, the Dutch side has the larger population. It is one of the smallest sea islands divided between...
, and Saint Barthélemy
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Barthélemy , officially the Territorial collectivity of Saint Barthélemy , is an overseas collectivity of France. Often abbreviated to Saint-Barth in French, or St. Barts in English, the indigenous people called the island Ouanalao...
; and on the smaller, nearby Sombrero
Sombrero, Anguilla
Sombrero, also known as Hat Island, is the northernmost island of the Lesser Antilles in position 18° 60'N, 63° 40'W. It lies north west of Anguilla across the Dog and Prickly Pear Passage. The distance to Dog Island, the closest island of Anguilla, is . Sombrero is long north-south, and wide....
bank (politically part of Anguilla).
Description
Males can reach a length of 72 mm snout-to-vent. It has an olive to light green dorsal ground color, with a broad mid-dorsal stripe and a light stripe along its flanks. Its belly is cream to bright yellow. Males may also have gray-brown marbling or be heavily spotted.Ecology
It is widespread and common on Anguilla and many of its satellites, though it is heavily preyed on there by American KestrelAmerican Kestrel
The American Kestrel , sometimes colloquially known as the Sparrow Hawk, is a small falcon, and the only kestrel found in the Americas. It is the most common falcon in North America, and is found in a wide variety of habitats. At long, it is also the smallest falcon in North America...
s. It was the only anole species on Anguilla and throughout most of its range, until the recent introduction to Anguilla of A. carolinensis. A. gingivinus coexists on Saint Martin with A. pogus. Their distribution there does not completely overlap, and where they are both found they appear to fill different niches, for example by A. gingivinus preferring higher and more exposed perches.
External links
- Anolis gingivinus at the Encyclopedia of LifeEncyclopedia of LifeThe Encyclopedia of Life is a free, online collaborative encyclopedia intended to document all of the 1.9 million living species known to science. It is compiled from existing databases and from contributions by experts and non-experts throughout the world...
- Anolis gingivinus at the Reptile Database