Ecuador’s Eccentric Anoles – Anole Annals

Ecuador is one of the most biodiversity-rich and unique locations in the world – especially for herps. Currently, there are 207 species of lizards there, 41 of which are some of the most spectacular anole species around (Arteaga 2025). As a herp wildlife photographer and an employee of the Khamai Foundation, I have had many chances to encounter and document some of these incredible animals. In this post I will offer some photos, stories, and natural history information about the anole species I witnessed on a ~10 day trip to Ecuador in 2022. The locations we visited included Mindo, at the Septimo Paraiso Lodge; the Choco, at Parque Bosque La Perla; and the Amazon lowlands, at the Yasuni Scientific Station and Yarina Lodge.

Mindo

Observed species: Anolis poei, Anolis fraseri, Anolis proboscis, Anolis aequatorialis

The Mindo Cloud Forest is a very unique ecosystem in the Ecuadorian Andes. While it is famous in the birding community, it also supports a variety of colorful and strange anoles. Mindo’s hallmark anole species is, of course, the Pinocchio anole (Peters and Orces, 1956), famously discussed on AA numerous times. The Pinocchio anole’s trademark nose is actually just flesh and scales – it bends when touched, and would clearly be useless in a jousting battle. Some observations of these lizards show that they can actually raise/lower their horn at will – to move it out of the way to eat, for example – despite the seeming lack of muscle. This species is extremely cryptic, as most herpetologists have found after returning disappointed from Mindo, and very little is known about their life cycle and behavior. This can be attributed to the fact that these lizards tend to prefer the canopy of the cloud forest (the individual we found was knocked down from a two-story tree!) and they move at a snail’s pace during the day. Like many other anole species, A. proboscis can turn from bright greens and black to muddy brown colors when stressed. After a stunning photo shoot, the male individual we found was returned to a safe location away from the owls near the lodge

Male Hippie Anoles (Anolis fraseri) have some of the most stunning colors in the nighttime cloud forest. Most males have bright red heads, as this old individual did, with some also having blue and purple colors down their backs – very 70’s indeed! These diurnal lizards are actually uncommon to see, since they perch higher in the forest than most common lizards. We were lucky to see two individuals, a male and a juvenile, who both offered their best poses.

Juvenile Anolis fraseri. Photo by Sam Schenker.

Adult male Anolis fraseri. Photo by Sam Schenker.

Chocó

Observed species: Anolis granuliceps, Anolis gracilipes, Anolis fasciatus

The Chocoan banded anole, Anolis fasciatus, is a common diurnal lizard found within the Chocó. These lizards dwell closer to the ground than our previous two species, and rely on their camouflage to blend into the green of their jungle habitat. Their bright blue eyes, however, would attract anyone searching for herps! A. fasciatus’s eyes are a much brighter shade of blue than those of anoles in the Caribbean, though the reason for this strange characteristic is unknown.

Amazon

Observed species: Anolis punctatus, Anolis transversalis

The Amazon green anole, Anolis punctatus, is the largest anole species in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Despite their large size, these lizards are barely seen, since they are another diurnal crown-dweller with excellent camouflage. The males of these species have bright orange dewlaps, and both male and female green dorsals are speckled with bright sky blue. They can change color from green to brown, though their blue spots seem to stay in this transition.

Amazon Green Anole, Anolis punctatus. Photo by Sam Schenker.

Our final crown-dwelling, diurnal anole species was the banded tree anole – Anolis transversalis. This was, in my opinion, one of the most stunning anoles we saw. This species can be quite variable, with juveniles and some females having dark, thick bands running down their dorsal, and males having thinner, dotted bands. Males also have a small crest on their nape and down their spine. Their colors can shift from bright green to mottled brown when upset – and I caught this male’s photo right during the transition. This is another species with bright blue eyes, though there seems to be little relation between the banded tree anole and the Chocoan banded anole – considering the width of the Andes mountain range separates their two habitats.

Male Banded Tree Anole, Anolis transversalis. Photo by Sam Schenker.

Sam Schenker is a student researcher, herpetologist, and wildlife photographer in her senior year of high school. Her expeditions across Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, and India have primarily focused on finding and photographing rare species of reptiles and amphibians, in collaboration with scientists and local explorers. In Ecuador, she continues to partner with herpetologist Alejandro Arteaga, with whom she has helped document two highly elusive snake species and a newly identified population of the endangered Spotted Rocket Frog (Hyloxalus maculosus). Her field photography and observational data have supported both scientific publications and short film documentaries.

Sam is also currently an intern in the Reynolds Lab of Vertebrate Biodiversity at the University of North Carolina Asheville, conducting Anolis scriptus genomic research. Her photography will be featured in the upcoming book Boas of the World (Reynolds & Henderson, 2026), and her broader work is available at www.scalesnaps.com.

She was elected the 2025 IHS Junior Herpetologist, and is a student member of the Explorers Club, the Herpetologists’ League, and the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, where she continues to deepen her scientific engagement.

My photographs and other engagements can be found on my website: www.scalesnaps.com

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