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Species
Anolis porcatus Rodriguez Schettino 1999: 207
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
endemic to a single nation
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Males are territorial.
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United States
Origin: Exotic
Regularity: Regularly occurring
Currently: Present
Confidence: Confident
Type of Residency: Year-round
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Anolis porcatus shows an interesting degree of intraspecific social behavior, often congregating in large numbers in limited areas, a phenomenon unobserved for other Anolis lizards in Cuba (Collette 1961). Anolis porcatus also engages in agonistic interspecific behavior with co-occurring species. Powell (1990) observed several A. porcatus actively displaying against Anolis cybotes with push-ups and dewlap extensions.
In response to very high temperatures, A. porcatus displays a range of behaviors to achieve thermal regulation. For instance, A. porcatus begins to move more rapidly at around 35 degrees Celsius, pant at around 42 degrees Celsius, and experience thermal shock at 47 degrees Celsius (Sanchez and Alvarez 1985).
Global Range: Native to Cuba, Isla de la Juventud, and many associated offshore islets and islands. Introduced in Republica Dominicana. Introduced and established in Florida (Meshaka et al. 1997, 2004). Reports from Hawaii are based on Anolis carolinensis (McKeown 1996).
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Anolis porcatus follows a seasonal pattern of reproduction in which the gonadal cycles for males and females have become synchronized (see “Reproduction”). Reproductive activity for males occurs from March to September and for females from March to August, with peak reproductive activity coinciding with the rainy season (May through October) when food and water are most abundant.
The activity levels of Anolis porcatus are also subject to a daily cycle, with Anolis porcatus most active during the mornings and afternoons with a period of decreased activity at midday (Colette 1961). At night, Anolis porcatus sleep in crevices or on exposed surfaces in bushes and trees.
Endemic to Cuba, Anolis porcatus is broadly distributed islandwide and in the Isla de Juventud. Its distribution includes major cays in the Cuban Archipelago, such as Cinco Leguas, Guajaba, San Felipe, Inés de Soto, Francés, and Santa María. Within Cuba, A. porcatus is more commonly found in western and eastern provinces than in central provinces such as Camaguey and Las Villas, where it faces competition from Anolis allisoni (Ruibal 1964).
In 1955, the species was introduced into the Dominican Republic, first in Santo Domingo where today it occupies an area delineated by the Rio Haina to the west and Rio Ozama to the east. Whereas the Río Haina and Río Ozama have prevented the species from further dispersal to the west or east, the Río Isabela has not limited its expansion to the north. As of 1990, the area known to be occupied by A. porcatus in Santo Domingo was approximately 76 km2, indicating a mean annual rate of expansion of nearly 2.2 km2 (Powell et al. 1990). Within the Dominican Republic, well-established A. porcatus populations have also been spotted in Boca Chica (Gifford et al. 2002), Higuey (Stuart et al. 2012), and Baní (Stuart et al. 2012). The populations in Higuey and Baní are geographically disjunct from Santo Domingo and Boca Chica, with each of these populations restricted to a single favorable habitat surrounded by relatively unsuitable surroundings. As A. porcatus has expanded its range into the Dominican Republic, it has largely displaced its native ecological equivalent, Anolis chlorocyanus.
Anolis porcatus has also been observed in southwest Aruba, where it was most likely introduced with a shipment of palm trees during the construction of a resort. Odum and van Buurt (2009) found an A. porcatus colony of numerous adults and juveniles in Aruba, suggesting an established population by the time of his report.
At least two separate A. porcatus populations from Havana, Cuba, are thought to have been introduced into Florida, where Meshaka (1997) and Stuart et al. (2002) have reported that A. porcatus enjoys a varied diet of insects, fruit, other lizards, and even nectar. Interestingly, A. porcatus in Florida shares a range sympatric with four other Cuban species -- Anolis equestris, A. sagrei, Eleutherodactylus planirostris, and Osteopilus septentrionalis. Such familiarity with sympatric species increases the likelihood that A. porcatus will continue to thrive in Florida.
Reports of A. porcatus in Texas (Gray 1840), Key West (Smith and Kohler 1977), and Hawaii (Vance 1987) are likely erroneous. Vance's (1987) observations of A. porcatus in Hawaii and the Pacific islands of Guam and Saipan, in particular, likely refer to A. carolinensis, a closely related species with morphological similarities to A. porcatus.
The information provided below has been compiled from Ochotorrena et al. (2000) and Ochotorrena et al. (2005):
Like many other anoles, Anolis porcatus follows a seasonal pattern of reproduction in which the gonadal cycles for males and females have become synchronized. Reproductive activity in males occurs from March to September and in females from March to August, with peak reproductive activity coinciding with the rainy season (May through October) when food and water are most abundant.
Gonadal quiescence in male A. porcatus is predicted by the decrease in temperature and shortening of daylight. As such, males show signs of degeneration in their testicles and seminiferous tubules in September and October, a phenomenon reflected in the diminishment and cessation of spermatogenesis in September and October, respectively. The spermatogenic process begins with early gonadal recrudescence in November, prompted by increased relative humidity in the environment. By December and January, spermatogonia are present in the semniferous tubules, although testicular mass remains low. In March, the testicular mass increases substantially by more than 30 mg; this mass is maintained throughout the summer months. Moreover, by this time many spermatids and some spermatozoids are present in the semniferous tubules, as the testes reach their maximal spermatogenic activity between March and August. By April, all males possess mature sperm in their lumen.
The decrease in temperature predicts the cessation of egg production in female A. porcatus. As such, only previtellogenic follicles are present in the ovaries from November through February, with the average diameter of these follicles ranging between 0.21 mm and 0.24 mm. Vitellogenesis only begins in March, with the average diameter of ovarian follicles reaching 5.56 mm. The first oviductal eggs appear from late April through October. Although female A. porcatus usually reproduce during the rainy season, this pattern of gametogenesis demonstrates that oogenesis and vitellogenesis actually occur during the dry season, with the shortening of daylight marking the initiation of this activity. At the conclusion of mating, female A. porcatus lay eggs in the interstices between the leaf bases of coconut and royal palm trees. As many as 29 Anolis porcatus eggs have been found together, suggesting that females may share nesting sites (Dunn 1926).
Continent: Caribbean North-America
Distribution: USA (introduced to Florida), Cuba, Isla de la Juventud, Hispaniola: Dominican Republic (Santo Domingo) aracelyae: Cuba
Type locality: Cuba.
Perez-Beato (1982) collected five A. porcatus eggs in Havana, Cuba, and charted their development with regards to body length, head length, head width, and number of dorsal and ventral scales. Anolis porcatus grew three times in body length (22.7 mm to 72.5 mm), two times in head width (4.6 mm to 12.3 mm), and nearly four times in head length (6.7 mm to 23.4 mm). Anolis porcatus maintains the same number of ventral and dorsal scales through development to adulthood.