Published May 26, 2022. Updated January 27, 2024. Open access. | Purchase book ❯ |
Pearl Anole (Anolis peraccae)
Reptiles of Ecuador | Sauria | Anolidae | Anolis peraccae
English common names: Pearl Anole, Chimbo Anole, Peracca’s Anole.
Spanish common names: Anolis perla, anolis de Peracca.
Recognition: ♂♂ 17.5 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=5.2 cm. ♀♀ 18.3 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=4.8 cm..1–3 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.4,5 The Pearl Anole (Anolis peraccae) differs from the other slender and blue-eyed Chocoan anoles (particularly A. anchicayae, A. fasciatus, and A. festae) based on dorsal coloration, dewlap pattern, and presence of a dark postocular band.6 The dorsum in males is greenish brown with oblique black streaks; in females, there is a light vertebral stripe with a dark border.3,6 Anolis fasciatus differs from A. peraccae by having dorsal bands that enclose a reticulation of light spots and by lacking a distinct postocular dark band.6 The dewlap in adult males of A. peraccae it is uniformly grayish-white whereas in males of A. anchicayae is saffron yellow; in males of A. festae it is white with a distinct black blotch at the base.5,7
Figure 1: Individuals of Anolis peraccae from Hacienda Cerro Chico, Los Ríos province, Ecuador.
Natural history: Anolis peraccae is a locally abundant arboreal lizard that thrives in a variety of habitats, including evergreen lowland and foothill forests, pastures with scattered trees, plantations (such as palm, banana, and naranjilla), rural gardens, and forest borders alongside rivers and roads.1–9 Pearl Anoles are active between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm during sunny and cloudy days when the ambient temperature is 19.8–25.1°C.1,8 They are usually seen active on leaves, twigs, stems, and palm fronds 0.5–2.5 cm in diameter, but they also use broad branches and trees in semi-open areas at heights up to 15 m above the ground.2,5–8 Pearl Anoles are included in the “grass-bush” anole ecomorph because they primarily use the undergrowth and herbaceous forest strata at 38.1–104 cm above the ground.1,10 Though primarily arboreal, these lizards descend to the ground when chased by a predator or when chasing prey. They also use man-made structures such as wood poles and thatched roofs.2 At night, they sleep on flimsy perches within 1 m from the ground level.2 This strategy allows the lizards to detect potential predators by sensing the vibration on the perch, to which they respond by jumping and disappearing into the dark. Anolis peraccae feeds primarily on insects of the order Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, and Orthoptera, but also include flies, ants, butterflies, insect larvae, mollusks, spiders, pseudoscorpions, plant matter, and seeds in its diet.8 In Ecuador, gravid females containing two oviductal eggs have been reported in January,6 but the real clutch size is not known.
Conservation: Least Concern Believed to be safe from extinction given current circumstances..9–13 Anolis peraccae is listed in this category due to its abundance in human-altered environments and its extensive distribution across regions that have not suffered severe deforestation.9,14 The species appears to have stable populations and is also present in large protected areas, including Awá Ethnic and Forest Reserve, Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological Reserve, and Cayapas Mataje Ecological Reserve.
Distribution: Anolis peraccae is native to an area of approximately 55,616 km2 in the Chocoan lowlands and adjacent Andean foothills of Colombia and Ecuador. The species occurs from Cauca department in Colombia to Chimborazo province in Ecuador (Fig. 2).
Figure 2: Distribution of Anolis peraccae in Ecuador. The star corresponds to the type locality: Chimbo, Chimborazo 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.15 The specific epithet peraccae honors Mario Giacinto Peracca (1861–1923), an Italian herpetologist who described new genera and species of reptiles from Ecuador.3
See it in the wild: Pearl Anoles can be reliably found in semi-open forested areas across their distribution in Ecuador. These lizards are easy to spot during daylight hours, as they favor large tree trunks and broad branches. When night falls, they can be located roosting on low vegetation. In Ecuador, the areas with the most recent sightings of Anolis peraccae include Centro Científico Río Palenque, Rancho Suamox, and Hacienda Tinalandia.
Authors: Fernanda GordonaAffiliation: Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador. and Alejandro ArteagabAffiliation: Khamai Foundation, Quito, Ecuador.
Photographer: Jose VieiracAffiliation: Tropical Herping (TH), Quito, Ecuador.,dAffiliation: ExSitu, Quito, Ecuador.
How to cite? Gordon F, Arteaga A (2024) Pearl Anole (Anolis peraccae). 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/JJDV5258
Literature cited:
- Miyata KI (2013) Studies on the ecology and population biology of little known Ecuadorian anoles. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 161: 45–78.
- Field notes, Reptiles of Ecuador book project.
- Boulenger GA (1898) An account of the reptiles and batrachians collected by Mr. Rosenberg in western Ecuador. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 9: 107–126.
- 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.
- Castro Herrera F, Ayala SC (1988) Saurios de Colombia. Unpublished, Bogotá, 692 pp.
- MECN (2010) Serie herpetofauna del Ecuador: El Chocó esmeraldeño. Museo Ecuatoriano de Ciencias Naturales, Quito, 232 pp.
- Poe S, Velasco J, Miyata K, Williams EE (2009) Descriptions of two nomen nudum species of Anolis lizard from Northwestern South America. Breviora 516: 1–16.
- Boada Viteri EA (2015) Ecología de una comunidad de lagartijas del género Anolis (Iguanidae: Dactyloinae) de un bosque pie-montano del Ecuador occidental. BSc thesis, Quito, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, 111 pp.
- Castañeda MR, Velasco J (2020) Anolis peraccae. The IUCN Red List of threatened species. Available from: www.iucnredlist.org. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T44577649A44577654.en
- Moreno-Arias R, Velasco JA, Urbina Cardona J, Cárdenas-Arévalo G, Medina Rangel G, Gutiérrez Cárdenas P, Olaya-Rodriguez M, Noguera-Urbano E (2021) Atlas de la biodiversidad de Colombia. Anolis. Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, Bogotá, 72 pp.
- 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.
- Carrillo E, Aldás A, Altamirano M, Ayala F, Cisneros-Heredia DF, Endara A, Márquez C, Morales M, Nogales F, Salvador P, Torres ML, Valencia J, Villamarín F, Yánez-Muñoz M, Zárate P (2005) Lista roja de los reptiles del Ecuador. Fundación Novum Millenium, Quito, 46 pp.
- Morales-Betancourt MA, Lasso CA, Páez VP, Bock BC (2005) Libro rojo de reptiles de Colombia. Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt, Bogotá, 257 pp.
- Hansen MC, Potapov PV, Moore R, Hancher M, Turubanova SA, Tyukavina A, Thau D, Stehman SV, Goetz SJ, Loveland TR, Kommareddy A, Egorov A, Chini L, Justice CO, Townshend JRG (2013) High-resolution global maps of 21st-century forest cover change. Science 342: 850–853. DOI: 10.1126/science.1244693
- Allsopp R (1996) Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 776 pp.
Appendix 1: Locality data used to create the distribution map of Anolis peraccae 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 |
| Colombia | Nariño | Tangarial del Mira | MCZ 170490; VertNet |
| Colombia | Nariño | Tumaco | MCZ 170467; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Bolívar | Balzapamba | Werner 1901 |
| Ecuador | Carchi | Ojalá (El Ojal) | CM 94557; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Carchi | San Juan river | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Chimborazo | Chimbo* | Boulenger 1898 |
| Ecuador | Chimborazo | Cumandá | Photo by Eduardo Zavala |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | Bosque Privado El Jardín de los Sueños | Pellet 2017 |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | Río Sillagua Cabiloña | Photo by Becca Tarvin |
| Ecuador | Cotopaxi | Yakusinchi | Photo by Jane Sloan |
| Ecuador | El Oro | Playas del Daucay | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Bilsa Biological Reserve | Ortega-Andrade et al. 2010 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Bosque Protector La Perla | Photo by Plácido Palacios |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Caimito | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Canandé Reserve | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Charco Vicente | Morales 2004 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | El Aguacate | Vázquez et al. 2005 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Estero Chipa | Vázquez et al. 2005 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Estero Inés | Vázquez et al. 2005 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Estero María | Photo by Néstor Acosta |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Finca de Carlos Vásquez | Photo by Carlos Vásquez |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Hacienda Cucaracha | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Hacienda de Germán Cortez | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Hacienda Equinox | USNM 234761; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Itapoa Reserve | Photo by Rául Nieto |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | La Mayronga | Field notes of Giovanni Onore |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Mouth of Río San Miguel, 30 upriver | MCZ 153170; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Partidero-Poza Honda | Vázquez et al. 2005 |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Reserva Itapoa | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Río Balsalito | USNM 234759; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Río Cupa | MCZ 124389; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Río Sapayo | MCZ 16785; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Ruta del Spondylus | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Tundaloma Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Esmeraldas | Mompiche, 2 km SE of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Imbabura | Bosque Protector Los Cedros | Los Cedros Reserve 2022 |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Buena Fé | MCZ 147155; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Centro Científico Río Palenque | Miyata 2013 |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Hacienda Cerro Chico | This work; Fig. 1 |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Puerto de Ilá | USNM 234772; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Quevedo | MCZ 38941; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Quevedo, 4 km S and 2 km E of | MCZ 147167; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Río Congo | MCZ 124391; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Los Ríos | Santo Domingo, 41 km S of | MCZ 147168; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Cerro San Sebastián | Cisneros-Heredia et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Cerros de Ayampe | Photo by Matteo Resisto |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Jama Coaque Reserve | Lynch et al. 2016 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | La Crespa | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Parque Nacional Machalilla | Almendariz & Carr 2007 |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Three Forests Trail | Photo by Paul Maier |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Zapotal | Photo by Pablo Loaiza |
| Ecuador | Manabí | Recinto El Mamey | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Alto Río Toachi | USNM 234689; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Cascada Azul | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Hacienda La Hesperia | Brouwer 2018 |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Highway 28, 13 km from jct with Highway 30 | MCZ 147170; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Hostería Selva Virgen | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Mashpi Shungo | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Puerto Quito | Photo by Raúl Nieto |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Rancho Suamox | Photo by Rafael Ferro |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Reserva Un Poco del Chocó | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Mashpi Lodge Reserve | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pichincha | Río Blanco | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Santa Elena | Cascada Dos Mangas | Salvatierra et al. 2014 |
| Ecuador | Santa Elena | Comuna Dos Mangas | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Santa Elena | Finca La Selva | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Santa Elena | Reserva Ecológica Loma Alta | Online multimedia |
| Ecuador | Santa Elena | La Delicia | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | El Centinela | USNM 285674; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | El Esfuerzo, 2 km E of | GBIF |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Hacienda Dyott | USNM 234767; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Hacienda Tinalandia | MCZ 144302; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | La Florida | MCZ 175914; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Otongachi Reserve | Boada Viteri 2015 |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Río Baba, 19 km S of Santo Domingo | UIMNH 66137; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Río Baba, 24 km S of Santo Domingo | UIMNH 92104; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Santo Domingo de los Colorados | MCZ 124388; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Santo Domingo, 15 km E of | MCZ 150227; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas | Santo Domingo, 5 W of | USNM 234770; VertNet |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchillas | La Libertda del Toachi, 1 km S of | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Santo Domingo de los Tsáchillas | San Luis Housing Plan | iNaturalist; photo examined |