Male color ranges from light gray to nearly jet-black, and plain-colored to covered dorsally with irregular dark patches or chevrons and a network of light lines. The belly and throat are white and the edges of their eyelids are light beige (Norval et al., 2002). This is because these ectothermic reptiles use darker colors to help absorb more heat from the sun when they are basking (Dailykos, 2013). An example of how the anole changes coloration is that the lizard appears pale brown when warm, and darker brown to almost black when cool. These lizards change colouration rapidly, often spanning their entire range of possible colors in only a few minutes, depending on the temperature, time of day, level of territorial aggression, or reproductive activity (Campbell, 2000). In particular, melanophores are responsible for the black or brown coloration of the brown anole. These are pigment-containing organelles found in fish, amphibians and reptiles. The lizard’s scale color is controlled by melanophores. A table summarizing the distinctive physical attributes of the brown anole versus native lizards in Singapore is provided as a brief identification key in Section 3. Interested individuals can refer to the links provided at the end of the website for more useful readings. The lizard has many distinguishing features, but only a selected few (the most prominent ones) are discussed here for ease of identification. Prior to that, its scientific name was Anolis sagrei which is still commonly used to this day. Note that it was only recently that the brown anole was reassigned to the genus Norops from Anolis by Nicholson et al. It is highly invasive in many countries but whether this exotic species will threaten local biodiversity in Singapore remains to be determined. In fact, brown anoles found in Grand Cayman, Grenada, Hawaii and Taiwan were brought in through secondary introductions from well-established populations in Florida (Kolbe et al., 2007). Not all introduced populations come from their native source populations. It is native to Cuba and the Bahamas but has since been widely introduced and established around the world: Florida, Hawaii, Taiwan, Grand Cayman, Grenada, and Jamaica and recently, Singapore in 2012. Introduction Norops sagrei, or the brown anole, as it is commonly known, is a small Neotropical lizard that has been recently introduced to Singapore in 2012 (Tan & Lim, 2012). Norops sagrei male with its dewlap extended.
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