Published April 4, 2022. Updated December 26, 2025. Open access. | Purchase book ❯ |
Two-marked Anole (Anolis binotatus)
Reptiles of Ecuador | Sauria | Anolidae | Anolis binotatus
English common names: Two-marked Anole, Roof Anole, West Ecuadorian Anole, White-Ribbon Anole.
Spanish common names: Anolis de dos marcas, anolis de dorso cubierto, anolis de cinta blanca.
Recognition: ♂♂ 17.9 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=5.4 cm. ♀♀ 14.6 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=5.5 cm..1,2 Anoles are easily distinguishable from other lizards by their diurnal habits, extensible dewlap in males, expanded digital pads, and granular scales on the dorsum and belly.3 The Two-marked Anole (Anolis binotatus) is a small brown lizard that can be differentiated from other co-occurring anoles by having a white ventrolateral stripe,4 inverted chevrons on the back, brown iris, and an orange dewlap in males.1,5 Anolis binotatus can be confused with A. gracilipes, a species lacking white ventrolateral stripes and in which males have a saffron yellow dewlap (instead of orange-red).6,7 Males of A. binotatus differ from females by having a dewlap and a thickening at the base of the tail due to the presence of the hemipenes.
Figure 1: Individuals of Anolis binotatus from Ecuador: Hacienda Cerro Chico, Los Ríos province (); Cerro de Hayas, Guayas province (); Buenaventura Reserve, El Oro province (). j=juvenile.
Natural history: Anolis binotatus is a common diurnal lizard that inhabits old-growth to heavily disturbed evergreen lowland forests and seasonally dry forests.1 This species also occurs in semi-open human-modified habitats such as plantations, roadside vegetation, border of pastures, and planted forests.1,2,8 During the day, Two-marked Anoles dwell on soil, leaf-litter, grass, rocks, or on shrubs typically no more than 2 meters above the ground.1,2,8 At night, these anoles sleep perched on thin branches, leaves, grass blades, twigs of bushes, and wire fences at 0.3–2.7 m above the ground.2 Anolis binotatus is an insectivorous species,2 but the specific prey items consumed have not been reported. There are records of snakes (Bothrops asper and Imantodes cenchoa) preying upon individuals of this species.2 Two-marked Anoles rely primarily on their “dry leaf” camouflage to go unnoticed, but they can also jump to the ground and swiftly run away.2 When grabbed by a predator, Two-marked Anoles can shed the tail, which remains wiggling on the ground while the lizard escapes.2 Females of A. binotatus containing two oviductal eggs have been recorded,1 but the clutch size and nesting sites are not known.9
Conservation: Least Concern Believed to be safe from extinction given current circumstances..1,10,11 Anolis binotatus is listed in this category primarily on the basis of its comparatively large distribution, adaptability to agricultural areas, and presence in more than a dozen protected areas.1 Nevertheless, the species occurs over an area where more than 81% of the forest has been converted to pastures, agricultural fields, and human settlements.12 Furthermore, the use of agrochemicals could be affecting some populations.
Distribution: Anolis binotatus is endemic to an estimated 38,982 km2 area on the Chocoan–Tumbesian transition area as well as adjacent foothills of the Andes in western Ecuador (Fig. 2).
Figure 2: Distribution of Anolis binotatus in Ecuador. The star corresponds to the type locality: Guayaquil, Guayas province. See Appendix 1 for a complete list of the presence localities included in the map.
Etymology: The generic name Anolis is thought to have originated from Cariban languages, specifically from the word anoli, which is the name Arawak peoples may have used to refer to this group of lizards.13 The specific epithet binotatus, which is the combination of the Latin words bi (=two) and notatus (=mark),14 probably refers to the longitudinal marks on the flanks of this species.15
See it in the wild: Two-marked Anoles are easily located in forested areas throughout the species’ area of distribution. The best way to find these lizards is to search for them at night along forest borders or trails while they sleep on thin branches or wire fences. Anolis binotatus appears particularly common in Buenaventura Reserve, Lalo Loor Reserve, and Cerro de Hayas Protected Area.
Acknowledgments: Special thanks to Lina Parra for helping compile information used in this account.
Authors: Jose VieiraaAffiliation: Tropical Herping (TH), Quito, Ecuador.,bAffiliation: ExSitu, Quito, Ecuador. and Alejandro ArteagacAffiliation: Fundación Khamai, Reserva Arlequín, Ecoruta Paseo del Quinde km 56, Santa Rosa de Mindo, Pichincha 171202, Ecuador.
Photographer: Jose VieiraaAffiliation: Tropical Herping (TH), Quito, Ecuador.,bAffiliation: ExSitu, Quito, Ecuador.
How to cite? Vieira J, Arteaga A (2025) Two-marked Anole (Anolis binotatus). In: Arteaga A, Bustamante L, Vieira J (Eds) Reptiles of Ecuador: Life in the middle of the world. Available from: www.reptilesofecuador.com. DOI: 10.47051/SQSO7747
Literature cited:
- Ayala-Varela A, Poe S, Posse-Sarmiento V, Fläschendräger A, Köhler G, Torres-Carvajal O (2025) Systematics of Ecuadorian anoles: Anolis bitectus Cope, 1864 and A. lemniscatus Boulenger, 1898, two junior synonyms of A. binotatus Peters, 1863 (Reptilia: Squamata: Anolidae). Breviora 502: 1–47. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5647.1.2
- Field notes, Reptiles of Ecuador book project.
- Peters JA, Donoso-Barros R (1970) Catalogue of the Neotropical Squamata: part II, lizards and amphisbaenians. Bulletin of the United States National Museum, Washington, D.C., 293 pp.
- Poe S (2019) Identification key for Anolis: Anolekey 2019.1. Available from: http://www.stevenpoe.net
- Castro Herrera F, Ayala SC (1988) Saurios de Colombia. Unpublished, Bogotá, 692 pp.
- Arteaga A, Bustamante L, Guayasamin JM (2013) The amphibians and reptiles of Mindo. Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Quito, 257 pp.
- MECN (2010) Serie herpetofauna del Ecuador: El Chocó esmeraldeño. Museo Ecuatoriano de Ciencias Naturales, Quito, 232 pp.
- Cruz García FK (2017) Diversidad y preferencia de microhábitats de la herpetofauna del Bosque Protector Pedro Franco Dávila (Jauneche) y del Área Provincial Natural de Recreación Cerro de Hayas (Naranjal). BSc thesis, Universidad de Guayaquil, 94 pp.
- Uetz P, Freed P, Hošek J (2021) The reptile database. Available from: www.reptile-database.org
- Ayala F, Caicedo JR, Calderón M, Ines Hladki A, Ramírez Pinilla M, Renjifo J, Rivas G, Urbina N (2013) Anolis binotatus. The IUCN Red List of threatened species. Available from: www.iucnredlist.org. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T44577183A44577188.en
- Reyes-Puig C (2015) Un método integrativo para evaluar el estado de conservación de las especies y su aplicación a los reptiles del Ecuador. MSc thesis, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, 73 pp.
- MAE (2012) Línea base de deforestación del Ecuador continental. Ministerio del Ambiente del Ecuador, Quito, 30 pp.
- Allsopp R (1996) Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 776 pp.
- Brown RW (1956) Composition of scientific words. Smithsonian Books, Washington D.C., 882 pp.
- Peters WCH (1863) Über einige neue Arten der Saurier-Gattung Anolis. Monatsberichte der Königlichen Preussische Akademie des Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1863: 135–149.
Appendix 1: Locality data used to create the distribution map of Anolis binotatus in Ecuador (Fig. 2). Go to the section on symbols and abbreviations for a list of acronyms used. Asterisk (*) indicates type locality.
| Country | Province | Locality | Source |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Cacaoloma | Photo by Diego Armijos |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Camilo Ponce Enriquez | MZUA.Re.0112; examined |
| Ecuador | Azuay | La Envidia | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Orilla del Río Tenguel | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Recinto La López | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Río Patul | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Road E from Shurimal (17.4 km) | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Road E from Shurimal (22.0 km) | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Sarayunga | José Manuel Falcón, pers. comm. |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Sector Gaby | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Sector Papagrande | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Sector Puntudo | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Azuay | Tamarindo, 20 km SW of | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Bolivar | Cascada Milagrosa | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Bolívar | Balzapamba | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Bolívar | Caluma | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Bolívar | Las Playas | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Bolívar | Moraspungo, 5 km E of | USNM 286070; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Bolívar | Pilahuín | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Bolívar | Puente en vía San José del Tambo–Chillanes | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Bolívar | Río Chimbo | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Bolívar | Río Telimbela | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Bolívar | Santa Rosa de Agua Clara | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Bolívar | Telimbela | Ayala-Varela et al. 2014 |
| Ecuador | Cañar | Río Patul | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Cañar | Ventura | AMNH 23033; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Chimborazo | Hostería SantVal | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Chimborazo | Mayaguan | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Chimborazo | Naranjapata | CAS 94237; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Chimborazo | Pallatanga | Cope 1864 |
| Ecuador | Chimborazo | Recinto La Victoria | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Chimborazo | Río Chanchán | CAS 94762; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Chimborazo | San Pablo | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | La Maná | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | Las Minas | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | Puente de La Maná | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | Río Calope | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Alrededores La Avanzada | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Bella María | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Buenavista, 7 km SE of | USNM 234592; VertNet |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Cascadas de Manuel | Garzón-Santomaro et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Lote Tituana | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Machala, 7 km ESE of | USNM 234593; VertNet |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Ñalacapac | Garzón-Santomaro et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Pasaje, 3 km E of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Piñas, 24 km SW of | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Remolinos | Garzón-Santomaro et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Reserva Biológica Buenaventura | Betancourt et al. 2018 |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Reserva Militar Arenillas | Garzón-Santomaro et al. 2019 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Bosque Protector Balao | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Cerro Mutiles | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Codesa | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Estación Terminal Marítimo OCP | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Hacienda Cucaracha | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Hacienda de Germán Cortez | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Hacienda Guinchele | GBIF |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | La Sexta | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Partidero–Poza Honda | Vázquez et al. 2005 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Quinindé, 11 km SE of | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Recinto El Paisaje | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Tonchigue | Photo by Martín Carrera |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Bosque Protector Cerro Blanco | Salvatierra et al. 2014 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Caseta Jaguar | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Centro Shuar Tsuer Entsa | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Cerro de Hayas | This work; Fig. 1 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Cerro El Mate | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Chimbo | Boulenger 1898 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Eco Hostería Monoloco | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | El Triunfo | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Empalme | UF 83798; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Guayas | ESPO | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Guayaquil* | Peters 1863 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Hacienda Ithaca | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Isla Santay | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Isla Santay, sendero Huaquillas | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Las Pavas | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Naranjal | MCZ 176377; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Paují | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Rancho Alemán | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Río Congo | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Río Congo | USNM 234590; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Río de la Esperanza | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Guayas | Río Ochoa | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Bosque Protector Pedro Franco Dávila | Cruz & Sánchez 2016 |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Centro Científico Río Palenque | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Finca María José | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Hacienda Cerro Chico | This work; Fig. 1 |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Juan Montalvo, Río Cristal | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | La Planada | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Miraflores, 2 km NW of | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Pacalori | MZUA.Re.0163; examined |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Pichilingue | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Quevedo, 14–22 km S of | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Quevedo, 4 km N of | KU 132480; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Santo Domingo, 50.7 km S of | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Bosque Seco Lalo Loor | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Carbonera | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Chone, 25 km N of | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Eloy Alfaro | Photo by Regdy Vera |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Estación 19 | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Reserva Jama Coaque | Lynch et al. 2016 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Río Coaque | KU 218372; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Three Forests Trail | Photo by Paul Maier |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Tito Santos Reserve | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Río Pachijal | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Crest of Montañas de Ilá | USNM 285673; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Río Lulo Grande | Ayala-Varela et al. 2025 |