Clouded Anole, Anolis nebulosus
Clouded Anole, Anolis nebulosus. Photograph taken within a residential community in the greater Alamos area, Alamos, Sonora, October 2019. Photograph courtesy of David F Smith, Alamos, Sonora.
The Clouded Anole, Anolis nebulosus, is a member of the Dactyloidae Family of Anoles. The Dactyloidae Family consists of four hundred fifteen species placed into the single Anolis genus. In Mexico they are known as Roño de Paño.
The Clouded Anole is a relatively small species with weakly to strongly keeled ventral scales and eight to eighteen rows of slightly enlarged dorsal scales that are smaller than their ventral scales. They possess a patch of three greatly enlarged supraocular scales and short hind limbs. Their coloration and pattern varies slightly amongst individuals but in general, their dorsal color is brownish with indistinct dark drab chevrons and an army brown interorbital bar. The lateral surface of their body is a clay color that transitions into a pale grayish color on the ventral surface of their body and limbs. The dorsal surface of their tail is drab with indistinct clay color markings and their hind limbs are olive brown with burnt umber bands. Their dewlap is a bright orange color with a cream white semicircle on the front edge and a small tawny blotch in the center. Sexual dimorphism is displayed with the males growing slightly larger than the females, reaching up to 4.3 cm (1.7 inches) and 3.9 cm (1.6 inches) in snout to vent length, respectively.
Clouded Anoles are diurnal and arboreal, basking in the early morning hours before retiring to the shade as the temperature rises. They are least active during the warmest parts of the day, at which time their body temperature reaches over 31°C (88°F). Clouded Anoles have a high clutch frequency with only one egg per clutch. Reproduction is cyclical and coincides with the rainy season. Factors such as temperature, photoperiod, and precipitation affect the timing of reproduction. Most eggs are produced from July through October, when food abundance peaks. Males reach sexual maturity at seven months of age while females reach sexual maturity at nine months of age. While most individuals live for less than one year and have one reproductive event, some may live longer than a year and have more than one reproductive event during their lifetime. Clouded Anoles display a large repertoire of social behavior patterns. However, deriving the information communicated by these behaviors is challenging. Correlation between observed behavior patterns with social interactions is for the most part speculative. Regardless, behavior displays have been categorized as assertion, challenge, flagging, and tail wagging. In the low intensity assertion display, the lizard straightens its forelimbs and extends its dewlap while moving only its head. The challenge display is high intensity and usually occurs during male-to-male encounters at close range. Simply, the challenge display is composed of the assertion display with preceding acts of head bobbing. The displaying males position themselves parallel to one another during the performance, sometimes head-to-head or tail-to-tail. With engorged throats raised backs, and compressed sides, the males present larger than their actual size. If neither male retreats during this challenge, physical aggression ensues. Flagging is a simple behavior in which the lizard raises its head and extends its dewlap. It is often used in combination with other displays. Tail wagging is a lateral movement of the tail, which can be performed in a multitude of ways from wide, sweeping motions to cat-like twitching of just the tip of the tail.
Clouded Anoles are generalists and consume termites, grasshoppers, beetles, cockroaches, ants, plant matter, arachnids, and crickets. They have been shown to vary their foraging sites and feeding rates with seasonal variations in prey abundance. To catch their prey they primarily use the sit-and-wait method, remaining in one spot ready to ambush any prey that passes by. In turn, they are preyed upon by snakes, larger lizards, birds of prey, and mammals.
Clouded Anoles are widespread in Mexico. They range from the Pacific foothills of central Guerrero, along the Pacific coast through the states of Michoacán, Jalisco, and Nayarit as far north as central Sinaloa. Additionally they occur inland along the western foothills of the Sierra Madre Occidental of Sinaloa, Sonora, and Chihuahua. Their elevational range extends from around sea level to 2,100 m (6,890 feet). They inhabit a wide variety of wooded habitats including tropical sub-deciduous forest, tropical dry forest, and mangroves. They can also be found in disturbed areas.
Species of anoles related to the Clouded Anole (i.e. Dunn’s Anole, Anolis dunni, Gadow’s Anole, Anolis gadovii, the Guerreran Anole, Anolis liogaster, the Oaxacan Pine Anole, the Omilteme Anole, Anolis omiltemanus, and Taylor’s Anole, Anolis taylori can be differentiated by having smooth ventral scales and an oval patch of three greatly enlarged supraorbital scales.
From a conservation perspective, the Clouded Anole is considered to be of Least Concern due to their wide distribution, tolerance of a broad range of habitats, and presumed large population size. No major threats have been identified for this species.