On Land: Reptiles

Saban anole

Anolis sabanus

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About

The Saban anole is special for several reasons: They’re abundant on the island (chances are good you’ll see at least one no matter where you venture), but they’re also unique to the island. While other species of anoles live all across the Caribbean and beyond, Saban anoles can only readily be found on Saba. Evidence suggests that the Saban anole’s ancestors first arrived from Guadeloupe more than a million years ago, then were cut off from the Guadeloupe population (see the “Ask a Scientist” module below for details). Over time, the anole on Saba became so differentiated that today, it's a distinct species all its own!

Female Saban anoles are typically a pale gray or light tan color. Males usually have the same base coloration but with distinct black spots, and one additional iconic characteristic: a dewlap. These colorful neck-flaps come in handy when male anoles are trying to attract a mate or to assert dominance in a territory face-off with another anole. If you spot an anole fanning its dewlap in the wild, chances are: 1) there’s another anole nearby, or 2) you may look just enough like one of the Caribbean’s most endearing lizards to cause a dewlap-flapping.

Anoles’ specialized, grabby toe pads have adhesive scales on them that allow them to stick to most surfaces, so keep an eye out for them hanging around on curbs, walls, leaves, lampposts, and more. Since they stalk insects like crickets, ants, and beetles as a primary part of their diet, they’re skilled at staying extremely still, making them quite sneaky even when in plain sight. There are about 400 documented species of anoles around the world, nearly 150 of which are found distributed across the Caribbean, adding flashes of color wherever you go.

Header image by Kai Wulf.

This species is:
Endemic

Why that matters:
Endemic species aren’t just native, they’re species found nowhere else in the world — and high rates of endemism are part of what make islands like Saba so special. In fact, islands hold the greatest concentration of biodiversity on Earth. And when we consider that 75% of all recent bird, reptile, amphibian, and mammal extinctions on our planet have happened on islands, the need to better protect these incredible places is clear.

A Saban anole rests on a tree-branch — easily identified as a male by its black-spotted patterning. Credit: @michaelbakkerpaiva, iNaturalist (CC-BY).

iNaturalist Observations

Saban anole

iNaturalist user @djscho (CC-BY)

Where locals, researchers, and visitors have seen this species.

Saba Island Map and Pins: iNat Taxonomy ID 36630

This map shows geotagged observations of this species made on iNaturalist, the world’s largest community-science platform.

iNat depends on people like you. By uploading photos of species you see in the wild, you can easily learn more about them — while also contributing critical data used by scientists and conservation-managers around the globe.

See something odd?

Observations of land species in water:
Connectivity can affect how accurate location services are, and in the case of endangered species, location is often automatically obscured.
Missing observations:
Your help is needed to collect more data for this species!

Ask a Scientist

Question: Is the Saban anole considered a native species due its roots on another island, or is it truly endemic to Saba?

Answer: The Saban anole is endemic to Saba! The ancestor of Anolis sabanus most likely came to Saba from Guadeloupe an estimated 1.5- to 3-million years ago, but DNA sequencing allows us to see that over time (and it's been a very long time), the Saban anoles became so distinct from those on Guadeloupe that they're indeed a new species — found on Saba, and nowhere else.

Dr. Michael Yuan
Herpetologist & researcher with the Islands 2030 initiative, California Academy of Sciences