Published July 4, 2023. Updated November 9, 2023. Open access. | Purchase book ❯ |
Roughskin Anole (Anolis trachyderma)
Reptiles of Ecuador | Sauria | Anolidae | Anolis trachyderma
English common names: Roughskin Anole, Common Forest Anole.
Spanish common names: Anolis áspero, anolis de piel áspera.
Recognition: ♂♂ 15.4 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=6.1 cm. ♀♀ 14.7 cmMaximum distance from the snout to the tip of the tail. Snout–vent length=5.8 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. The Roughskin Anole (Anolis trachyderma) can be identified by its small body size, small orangish dewlap with rows of black scales (Fig. 1), and dark chin with one or two narrow transverse pale lines.1 There is usually a dark interocular bar, two pale reddish oblique lines on the dorsal surface of the hind limbs, and a broad irregular white stripe along the belly.1–4 Females are larger than males and have a rudimentary dewlap.3,4 This species is often confused with A. ortonii, which has a large yellow-striped bright orange dewlap, and A. fuscoauratus, which has a large pink-red dewlap with white scales.1,5
Figure 1: Individuals of Anolis trachyderma from Ecuador: Río Curaray, Pastaza province (); Cabeceras del Río Bobonaza, Pastaza province (); Jatun Sacha Biological Reserve, Napo province (). j=juvenile.
Natural history: Anolis trachyderma is a frequently encountered anole that inhabits well-shaded and damp rainforests.3 It is most abundant in terra-firme forest,6 but also occurs in swamps, igapó (=blackwater-flooded forests), and inundated forests along white-water rivers.1,4,7 This species inhabits pristine rainforests as well as logged forests and edge situations,2,4 but is usually absent from clearings and cultivated areas.1,3,8 Roughskin Anoles are included in the “leaf-litter and bush” anole ecomorph9 because they primarily use the forest floor and undergrowth forest strata.1,10 Activity occurs from sunrise to sunset2,6 during cloudy or sunny days.3 Preferred microhabitats are leaf-litter and low shrubs,3 but also tree-trunks, herbaceous plants, thickets, and dense foliage within two meters from the ground.1,2,4 Roughskin Anoles are primarily active in the shade or in filtered sunlight when ambient temperatures hover around 27°C.3,4 At night, individuals roost at heights of 0.1–2 m above the ground on flimsy leaves and twigs that will move if disturbed by a predator.3,4,7 Anolis trachyderma is an ambush predator that feeds primarily on spiders, grasshoppers, crickets, and roaches,1,3,6 but also on at least 17 other prey items, from insect larvae to termites and pseudoscorpions.3,10 Males defend territories by performing head bobs and dewlap displays.11 Females lay one egg at a time, in leaf-litter, up to three times per year, and the incubation period is 77 days (~2 months).1,6 Breeding seems to take place year-round throughout the upper Amazon.1,2 Roughskin Anoles avoid predators by remaining perfectly still; which, combined with their dry-leaf camouflage, makes them hard to detect. When disturbed, they jump into the leaf-litter.6 If on a trunk, they move to the opposite side or run to the base of the trunk.2 Predators include snakes (notably Imantodes cenchoa12 and Xenoxybelis argenteus1), birds,13 and lizards (A. scypheus1 and K. pelviceps1).
Conservation: Least Concern Believed to be safe from extinction given current circumstances..14 Anolis trachyderma is listed in this category given its wide distribution, presence in major protected areas, lack of widespread threats, and presumed large and stable populations.14
Distribution: Anolis trachyderma is widely distributed throughout the western Amazon basin in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador (Fig. 2), and Perú.15
Figure 2: Distribution of Anolis trachyderma in Ecuador. 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.16 The specific epithet trachyderma comes from the Greek words trachys (=rough) and derma (=skin) and refers to the granular scales on the head and dorsum.17
See it in the wild: Roughskin Anoles are easily located in forested areas throughout the species’ area of distribution in Ecuador. Some of the best localities to find these lizards are Yasuní Scientific Station, Jatun Sacha Biological Reserve, and La Selva Lodge. These shy reptiles can be spotted by scanning the understory vegetation along forest trails at night.
Author: Alejandro ArteagaaAffiliation: Khamai Foundation, Quito, Ecuador.
Photographer: Jose VieirabAffiliation: Tropical Herping (TH), Quito, Ecuador.,cAffiliation: ExSitu, Quito, Ecuador.
How to cite? Arteaga A (2023) Roughskin Anole (Anolis trachyderma). 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/LATF1482
Literature cited:
- Duellman WE (1978) The biology of an equatorial herpetofauna in Amazonian Ecuador. Publications of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas 65: 1–352.
- Dixon JR, Soini P (1986) The reptiles of the upper Amazon Basin, Iquitos region, Peru. Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, 154 pp.
- Vitt LJ, Avila-Pires TCS, Zani PA, Espósito MC (2002) Life in shade: the ecology of Anolis trachyderma (Squamata: Polychrotidae) in Amazonian Ecuador and Brazil, with comparisons to ecologically similar anoles. Copeia 2002: 275–286. DOI: 10.1643/0045-8511(2002)002[0275:LISTEO]2.0.CO;2
- Avila-Pires TCS (1995) Lizards of Brazilian Amazonia (Reptilia: Squamata). Zoologische Verhandelingen 299: 1–706.
- Duellman WE (2005) Cusco amazónico: the lives of amphibians and reptiles in an Amazonian rainforest. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, 433 pp.
- Vitt LJ, De la Torre S (1996) A research guide to the lizards of Cuyabeno. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, 165 pp.
- Field notes, Reptiles of Ecuador book project.
- Beirne C, Burdekin O, Whitworth A (2013) Herpetofaunal responses to anthropogenic habitat change within a small forest reserve in eastern Ecuador. The Herpetological Journal 23: 209–219.
- 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.
- Pinto Aguirre JA (2014) Ecología de una comunidad de lagartijas del género Anolis en el Parque Nacional Yasuní. BSc thesis, Quito, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, 52 pp.
- Losos JB (2009) Lizards in a evolutionary tree: ecology and adaptative radiation of anoles. University of California, Berkeley, 507 pp.
- Photo by John Sullivan.
- Espinoza F, Yánez-Muñoz M (2023) Predation on a Roughskin Anole (Anolis trachyderma) by a Smooth-billed Ani (Aves: Cuculidae). Reptiles & Amphibians 30: e18528. DOI: 10.17161/randa.v30i1.18528
- Castañeda MR, Cisneros-Heredia DF, Perez P, Avila-Pires TCS, Gagliardi G (2020) Anolis trachyderma. The IUCN Red List of threatened species. Available from: www.iucnredlist.org. DOI: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T44577804A44577813.en
- Ribeiro-Júnior MA, Amaral S (2016) Diversity, distribution, and conservation of lizards (Reptilia: Squamata) in the Brazilian Amazonia. Neotropical Biodiversity 2: 195–421. DOI: 10.1080/23766808.2016.1236769
- Allsopp R (1996) Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 776 pp.
- Cope ED (1875) Report on the reptiles brought by Professor James Orton from the middle and upper Amazon and western Peru. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 8: 159–183.
Appendix 1: Locality data used to create the distribution map of Anolis trachyderma in Ecuador (Fig. 2). Go to the section on symbols and abbreviations for a list of acronyms used.
| Country | Province | Locality | Source |
| Colombia | Amazonas | Puerto Nariño | Ribeiro-Júnior & Amaral 2016 |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Centro Experimental Amazónico | Betancourth-Cundar & Gutiérrez-Zamora 2010 |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Kanakas | Cahueño & Barbosa 2022 |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Las Américas | IAvH-R-09792; Instituto Humboldt & Agencia Nacional de Hidrocarburos 2022 |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Monte Verde | Geopark Colombia S.A.S., Ingeniería y Medio Ambiente S.A.S., M&L CONSULTORES S.A.S. 2022 |
| Colombia | Putumayo | Playa Nueva | IAvH-R-09783; Instituto Humboldt & Agencia Nacional de Hidrocarburos 2022 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Estación Biológica Wisui | Chaparro et al. 2011 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Macuma | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Sawastian | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Tukupi | QCAZ 4940; Ayala-Varela & Carvajal-Campos 2023 |
| Ecuador | Morona Santiago | Villa Ashuara | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Cotococha | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Napo | Gareno | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Napo | Jatun Sacha Biological Station | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Napo | Liana Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Napo | Minga Lodge | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Napo | Río Cotopino | Ribeiro-Júnior & Amaral 2016 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Runa Huasi | Ayala-Varela 2004 |
| Ecuador | Napo | San Jose Viejo de Sumaco | Ribeiro-Júnior & Amaral 2016 |
| Ecuador | Napo | Suchipakari Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Napo | Tena | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Napo | Yachana Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Napo | Yachana Reserve | Beirne et al. 2013 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Bloque 31 | Libro PetroAmazonas |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Comunidad El Edén | Ayala-Varela 2004 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Hacienda Primavera | Ribeiro-Júnior & Amaral 2016 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Kawymeno | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Nenkepare | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Orellana | NPF | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Pozo Amo 2 | Ribeiro-Júnior & Amaral 2016 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Puesto Cavero | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Río Bigal | García et al. 2021 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Río Yasuní, near Lake Jatuncocha | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Orellana | San José de Payamino | Maynard et al. 2016 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Shiripuno Lodge | Photo by Fernando Vaca |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Sinchichicta | Ribeiro-Júnior & Amaral 2016 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Tiguino | Ayala-Varela 2004 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Tiputini Biodiversity Station | Cisneros-Heredia 2003 |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Yarentaro | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Orellana | Yasuní Scientific Station | Ayala-Varela 2004 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Balsaura | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Bataburo Lodge | Ayala-Varela 2004 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Cabeceras del Río Bobonaza | This work; Fig. 1 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Canelos | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Conambo | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Curaray Medio | This work; Fig. 1 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Finca Heimatlos | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Juyuintza | QCAZ 4983; Ayala-Varela & Carvajal-Campos 2023 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Kapawi Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Kurintza | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Llanchamacocha | Ayala-Varela 2004 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Oglán | MZUTI 3799; collection catalogue |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Pindoyacu | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Pozo Danta | Ayala-Varela 2004 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Río Bufeo | Ortega-Andrade 2010 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Río Corrientes | Ribeiro-Júnior & Amaral 2016 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Río Lorocachi | Ayala-Varela 2004 |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | San Virgilio | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Sarayacu | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | Tihuano | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Pastaza | UNOCAL Base Camp | Ribeiro-Júnior & Amaral 2016 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Comunidad Cofán Zábalo | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Dureno | Yánez-Muñoz & Chimbo 2007 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Estación PUCE en Cuyabeno | Ayala-Varela 2004 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Garzacocha | Ribeiro-Júnior & Amaral 2016 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Güeppicillo | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Kichwa Lodge | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | La Selva Lodge | Reptiles of Ecuador book database |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Lago Agrio | Duellman 1978 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Limoncocha Biological Reserve | Ayala-Varela 2004 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Lumbaqui, 5 km E of | Dueñas and Báez 2021 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Paradise Huts | Ayala-Varela 2004 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Plataforma Espejo 1 | Consultora Cinge 2012 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Puerto Libre | Duellman 1978 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | San Pablo de Kantesiya | Avila-Pires 1995 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Santa Cecilia | Duellman 1978 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Santa Elena | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Shushufindi | Ayala-Varela 2004 |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Tara 2 | MZUTI 2570; collection catalogue |
| Ecuador | Sucumbíos | Unión Orense | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Perú | Loreto | Nauta | Cope 1876 |
| Perú | Loreto | Río Tahuayo | iNaturalist; photo examined |
| Perú | Loreto | Yurimaguas | Boulenger 1885 |
| Perú | Loreto | Zona Reservada Güeppí | Yánez-Muñóz & Vanegas 2008 |