Anolis ernestwilliamsi
| Anolis ernestwilliamsi | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Dactyloidae |
| Genus: | Anolis |
| Species: | A. ernestwilliamsi
|
| Binomial name | |
| Anolis ernestwilliamsi Lazell, 1983
| |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
Anolis ernestwilliamsi, also known commonly as the Carrot Rock anole, Carrot Rock's anole, and Ernest's anole, is a species of lizard in the family Dactyloidae. The species is endemic to the British Virgin Islands.[2]
Taxonomy
[edit]Anolis ernestwilliamsi was first formally described in 1983 by the American zoologist James D. Lazell Jr. with its type locality given as Carrot Rock, south of Peter Island, in the British Virgin Islands. This species is in the A. cristatellus species complex.[2] The Carrot Rock anole is very closely related to A. cristatellus and molecular studies suggest that there is almost no difference in the mitochondrial DNA between A. ernestwilliamsi and haplotypes of other Puerto Rico Bank island populations of A. cristatellus, indicating that two taxa share a very recent common ancestor. Although A. ernestwilliamsi has a phenotype which is consistemtpy different from other populations of A. cristatellus, this is rather limited and, it has been suggested, there is not enough of a difference, especially in the high degree of genetic similarity, and given that A. cristatellus is a very variable species all give support to the idea that this is not a distinct species.[3]
Etymology
[edit]The specific name, ernestwilliamsi, is in honor of American herpetologist Ernest Edward Williams.[4]
Description
[edit]Anolis ernestwilliamsi is a large member of the A. cristatellus species group growing to a SVL of at least 82 mm (3.2 in) with smaller scales and larger digital pads than the related species. The colour differs to, they have a clear black, grey and white barred or reticulated pattern on the chin, which in the males extends onto teh front part of the chin flap, there is a bold pattern ofpale spits in the upper body, merging to form stripes towards the tail and there is a pale-edged dark bar on each hip.[5]
Geographic range
[edit]A. ernestwilliamsi is known only from Carrot Rock, which is an islet south of Peter Island, in the British Virgin Islands.[1][2]
Habitat
[edit]The preferred natural habitat of A. ernestwilliamsi is shrubland, at 6–28 m (20–92 ft) above sea level.[1]
Behavior
[edit]A. ernestwilliamsi is terrestrial and saxicolous (rock dwelling).[1]
Reproduction
[edit]A. ernestwilliamsi is oviparous.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Powell, R.; Mahler, D.L. & Platenberg, R. (2021). "-Anolis ernestwilliamsi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T74995219A75171566. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T74995219A75171566.en. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Species Anolis ernestwilliamsi at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
- ^ Graham Reynolds (24 May 2026). "Carrot Rock and the Endemic Anolis ernestwilliamsi". Anole Annals. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
- ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Anolis ernestwilliamsi, p. 85).
- ^ Lazell, James D. (1983). "Biogeography of the herpetofauna of the British Virgin Islands, with description of a new anole (Sauria: Iguanidae)". Advances in herpetology and evolutionary biology : essays in honor of Ernest E. Williams. 1. Museum of Comparative Zoology: 99--117.
Further reading
[edit]- Brandley MC, de Queiroz K (2004). "Phylogeny, ecomorphological evolution, and historical biogeography of the Anolis cristatellus series". Herpetological Monographs 18 (1): 90–126.
- Nicholson KE, Crother BI, Guyer C, Savage JM (2012). "It is time for a new classification of anoles (Squamata: Dactyloidae)". Zootaxa 3477: 1–108. (Ctenonotus ernestwilliamsi, new combination, p. 88).
- Schwartz A, Henderson RW (1991). Amphibians and Reptiles of the West Indies: Descriptions, Distributions, and Natural History. Gainesville: University of Florida Press. 720 pp. ISBN 978-0813010496. (Anolis ernestwilliamsi, p. 258).