The Cuban Knight Anole is a species of Anole lizard that is native to Cuba. It has also been introduced to Florida and some Caribbean islands.
It is the largest species of Anole lizard and can reach lengths of up to 50cm including their tail which makes up the majority of their length.
This species goes by a number of other common names including the Knight Anole and the Cuban Giant Anole.
Cuban Knight Anole Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The family that the Cuban Knight Anole belongs to is called Dactyloidae. This is simply the scientific name for the family of different kinds of Anoles.
The species in this family are native to the Americas and can be found from the South-Eastern United States to as far South as Paraguay.
There is debate over whether the Dactyloidae family should be considered a true family of lizard at all.
The debate is that they should be classified as a sub-family of Iguanidae. If this was the case, anoles would be classified in the same family as Iguanas.
However, regardless of whether you classify Dactyloidae as a family or sub-family, the lizards in this group are a relative of the lizards in the Iguana family.
Genus
The genus that the Cuban Knight Anole belongs to is called Anolis. This is one of the largest genera of reptiles with hundreds of species classified as Anolis since the genus was first published in 1802.
However, since then many of these species have been reclassified under different genera while there are also ongoing discussions to reclassify other species.
Despite this, the Anolis genus is still one of the largest and most diverse genera of lizards in the world.
Some of the other species in the Anolis genus include Brown Anole, the Knight Anole and the Green Anole.
Species
The scientific name for the Cuban Knight Anole is Anolis equestris and there are currently 11 recognised sub-species.
Research I’d still at an early stage with many of these sub-species so taxonomical changes in the future are possible.
The species was first described in 1820 by a German herpetologist named Blasius Merrem.
Merrem was also responsible for describing other species such as the Brown Tree Snake.
Cuban Knight Anole Description
The Cuban Knight Anole is a large species of lizard that can grow to between 15-20 inches in length including their tail.
This makes them the largest species of anole in the world. They are green in color and the body of these lizards is covered in granular scales.
They have a characteristic yellow or white stripe under their eye and another one running across their shoulder.
They have a large head with a long, wedge-shaped snout. The tail of the lizard is slightly compressed and the upper edge is serrated.
They have long elongated toes with sharp claws and adhesive toepads. These characteristics assist the anole while climbing.
It can be easy to tell the difference between males and females as males have a large dewlap which is a fold of skin under their neck that can be extended out.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
As its name suggests, the Cuban Knight Anole is native to Cuba where they can be found all over the island.
These anoles have also been introduced to some of the surrounding smaller islands as well as the United States where they can be found in many parts of Florida.
This is an arboreal species that can be found in trees and other tall vegetation. They can be found in a number of habitats but particularly like the shaded canopies of large trees.
Cuban Knight Anole Behaviour
The Cuban Knight Anole is a diurnal species of lizard meaning they are mostly active during the day and sleep during the night.
They can be very territorial and defensive around a potential threat. They will often turn sideways and make themselves look bigger by raising their back and extending their dewlap.
They will also open their mouth and gape aggressively towards the threat or the competing male.
