''Anolis agassizi'', Agassiz's anole, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of lizard in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Dactyloidae Dactyloidae are a family of lizards commonly known as anoles (singular anole ) and native to warmer parts of the Americas, ranging from southeastern United States to Paraguay. Instead of treating it as a family, some authorities prefer to treat ...

. The species is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Malpelo Island Malpelo is a small oceanic island in the eastern Pacific Ocean, located about west of the Colombian mainland with a military post manned by the Colombian Armed Forces. It consists of a sheer and barren rock with three high peaks, the highest ...

, which is part of

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

Etymology

The

specific name Specific name may refer to: * in Database management systems, a system-assigned name that is unique within a particular database In taxonomy, either of these two meanings, each with its own set of rules: * Specific name (botany), the two-part (bino ...

, ''agassizi'', is in honour of

Alexander Agassiz Alexander Emmanuel Rodolphe Agassiz (December 17, 1835March 27, 1910), son of Louis Agassiz and stepson of Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz, was an American scientist and engineer. Biography Agassiz was born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, and immigrated t ...

, who was an American zoologist and mining engineer.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (''Anolis agassizi'', p. 2).

Habitat

The preferred natural

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

of ''A. agassizi'' is moist rocky areas, at altitudes from sea level to .

Description

Males of ''A. agassizi'' grow to snout-to-vent length (SVL), while females may reach SVL. The females and some of the males have spotted heads and grey-brown colouration. The remainder of the males have black nuptial crests, grow larger, and have larger testes. The reason for this is unknown, but may be related to the reduced predation on larger males.

Ecology

''Anolis agassizi'' is less territorial than other anoles, sharing perches and food sources without dispute. Their territories often overlap. Malpelo Island is quite barren of vegetation, and the anoles mainly eat insects, especially beetles. Based on an attraction to the colour orange, they may also eat bird eggs, as large numbers of boobies nest on the island. Their main predator is ''

Diploglossus millepunctatus The dotted galliwasp or Malpelo galliwasp (''Diploglossus millepunctatus'') is a carnivorous species of lizard endemic to Malpelo Island, Colombia. Description Adults of the species grow to 50 cm in total length and can reach a weight of 5 ...

''.Graham, Jeffrey B. (editor) (1975). "The Biological Investigation of Malpelo Island, Colombia". Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology Number 176. http://www.sil.si.edu/smithsoniancontributions/zoology/pdf_hi/SCTZ-0176.pdf

Reproduction

''A. agassizi'' is

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that reproduce by depositing fertilized zygotes outside the body (i.e., by laying or spawning) in metabolically independent incubation organs known as eggs, which nurture the embryo into moving offsprings kno ...

Etymology

Habitat

Description

Ecology

Reproduction

References

Further reading