Added 2 May 2006. Last updated 30 December 2012: updated details for genus and Bibliography.

A look at the

Genus Polychrus - Bush Anoles

Family IGUANIDAE [POLYCHROTIDAE]

Genus Polychrus - Bush Anoles

Although known as anoles, the classification of Polychrus has always been fairly stable and not suffered the same shuffling about as Anolis and Norops. They are much less known than either of the two aforementioned genera, and I am not aware of many people (if any) having kept them in captivity.

Rogner gives the following details about the genus. The species are slim and laterally flattened, with a length of up to 50cm. The head is pointed with bulging eyes whose lids have grown over to reduce the opening in size. 1-2 toes are turned inwards and are used (like the tail) as an aid to climbing. Polychrus are also capable of rapid colour change in a similar manner to chameleons. The overall colour is mostly green, with a few irregular and indistinct transverse bands making up any pattern. Habitat is half-lit forest edges or relatively light secondary forest.

The following characteristics of the genus are taken from Boulenger: tympanum distinct; body compressed, covered with small scales; no nuchal or dorsal crest; head with enlarged scales; no transverse gular fold; male with small gular pouch; digits compressed, with carinated lamellae inferiorly; four large scales at the base of the claw; third and fourth toes equal; femoral pores present; tail very long, round; lateral teeth tricuspid; pterygoid teeth; no sternal fontanelle; abdominal ribs.

The listing below is taken from the excellent Reptile Database and included here for the moment for the sake of completeness, although we will try to add information to the species listing as it becomes available to us.

Scientific Name	Common Name	Distribution	Size	Notes
P. acutirostris	Brazilian Bush Anole	S Brazil, E Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina		Scalation details: dorsals distinctly keeled; lateral scales larger than middorsal scales and separated by much smaller granules; <12 femoral pores.
P. femoralis	Werner's Bush Anole	SW Ecuador, Peru		Scalation details: dorsals smooth or weakly keeled;lateral scales larger than middorsal scales and separated by much smaller granules; >15 femoral pores.
P. gutturosis	Berthold's Bush Anole	Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, Honduras, E Colombia, W Ecuador		Scalation details: dorsals smooth or weakly keeled;lateral scales same size as middorsal scales and in contact with one another; no low series of raised scales on midventral line between chin and throat.
P. g. gutturosis		Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua		In South America, found on higher western Andean slopes. Scalation details: canthus rostralis somewhat rounded; scales on pectoral region smooth or very weakly keeled.
P. g. spurrelli		NW Ecuador, Colombia		Found in lowland rain forests. Scalation details: canthus rostralis angular; scales on pectoral region strongly keeled, usually 1 but sometimes 2-3 keels.
P. jacquelinae		Peru		Described in 2011: see Reptile Database entry.
P. liogaster	Boulenger's Bush Anole	SE Peru, Brazil, Bolivia		Scalation details: dorsals smooth or weakly keeled;lateral scales same size as middorsal scales and in contact with one another; low series of raised scales forming midventral crest from mental chin to gular appendage; pectoral and ventral scales smooth.
P. marmoratus	Multi-Coloured Anole, Common Monkey Lizard	Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, S Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, French Guyana, Suriname, Guiane, Brazil		Scalation details: dorsals smooth or weakly keeled;lateral scales same size as middorsal scales and in contact with one another; low series of raised scales forming midventral crest from mental chin to gular appendage; pectoral and ventral scales keeled.
P. peruvianus		N Peru, poss. Ecuador		Founded in wooded Andean valleys. Originally considered a Polychroides species. See Reptile Database entry for full diagnosis.

Bibliography

See also Index of Iguanid Related Articles for articles on Polychrus species.

Links

Caribbean Anole Database - excellent site by Lluis Perez i Gorgoy in Spanish and English giving information on these lizards. Very good explanation of the different habitats, the islands and the different "types" - "twig-dwarves" and other loose groupings. Recommended.

Anole Pictures - superb Anglo-German site containing well-organised pictures of many different Anolis and kin. Please respect the copyright on these shots! As used by the EMBL reptile database.