Anolis vermiculatus


The Vinales anole, also known as the Cuban aquatic anole or Cuban stream anole, is a species of lizard in the family Dactyloidae, endemic to Cuba.

Range and habitat

A. vermiculatus is endemic to the Pinar del Río Province in western Cuba where it is only found in the Viñales region. It lives in densely vegetated and heavily shaded habitats close to water, typically streams.

Description and behavior

This blue-eyed species is a relatively large anole with males reaching up to in snout-to-vent length and females up to. It is one of only two anoles that completely lacks a dewlap, the other being the West Cuban anole.
A. vermiculatus is fast to retreat and will dive into water to escape potential enemies, reportedly sometimes staying submerged for almost an hour. It can also run bipedally across water, similar to A. lionotus, A. poecilopus and A. oxylophus from Central America and Colombia, as well as the basilisks. A. vermiculatus feeds on small animals like frogs, shrimp and fish, which often are caught in water. It is one of two semi-aquatic anoles from the Caribbean, the other being A. eugenegrahami of Hispaniola.