For citation:
Gordeev D. A., Ananjeva N. B. Combinations of caudal autotomy modes in representatives of the genus Anolis Daudin, 1802 (Anolidae, Squamata) and their evolutionary reconstruction. Current Studies in Herpetology, 2026, vol. 26, iss. 1, pp. 36-39. DOI: 10.18500/1814-6090-2026-26-1-2-36-39, EDN: PVIVWA
Combinations of caudal autotomy modes in representatives of the genus Anolis Daudin, 1802 (Anolidae, Squamata) and their evolutionary reconstruction
Anoles (Anolis Daudin, 1802) are a large genus of recent Neotropical lizards characterized by high morphological diversity, rapid microevolutionary processes, and disappearance of the autotomy plane in the distal caudal vertebrae during ontogeny. Tail radiographs of 15 species of anoles from the herpetological collection of the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg) were examined to reveal autotomy in the tail regions where the autotomy planes were lost. In two species, namely, A. equestris and A. cybotes, specialized pseudoautotomy, previously described in Agamidae representatives, was revealed.
- Bellairs A. d’A., Bryant S. V. Autotomy and Regeneration in Reptiles. In: Gans C., Billett F., eds. Biology of the Reptilia. Vol. 15: Development B. New York, Wiley and Sons, 1985, pp. 303–410.
- Cox P. G. Some aspects of tail regeneration in the lizard, Anolis carolinensis. I. A description based on histology and autoradiography. Journal of Experimental Zoology, 1969, vol. 171, iss. 2, pp. 127–150. https://doi.org/10.1002/jez.1401710202
- Etheridge R. Lizard caudal vertebrae. Copeia, 1967, no. 4, pp. 699–721. https://doi.org/10.2307/1441880
- Gordeev D. A., Ananjeva N. B., Korost D. V. Autotomy and regeneration in squamate reptiles (Squamata, Reptilia): Defensive behavior strategies and morphological characteristics (Using Computer Microtomography Methods). Biology Bulletin, 2020, vol. 47, iss. 4, pp. 389–398. https://doi.org/10.1134/S1062359020040068
- Macedonia J. M., Echternacht A. C., Walguarnery J. W. Color variation, habitat light, and background contrast in Anolis carolinensis along a geographical transect in Florida. Journal of Herpetology, 2003, vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 467–478. https://doi.org/10.1670/159-02a
- Nicholson K. E., Crother B. I., Guyer C., Savage J. M. It is Time for a New Classification of Anoles (Squamata: Dactyloidae). Auckland, Magnolia Press, 2012. 108 p.
- de Queiroz K. The correct name for the taxon ranked as a family containing the genus Anolis under rank-based nomenclature and the author of the name Anolis loysiana. Herpetological Review, 2022, vol. 53, no. 3, pp. 418–420.
- Uetz P., Freed P., Reyes F., Aguilar R., Kudera J., Hošek J., eds. The Reptile Database. 2025. Available at: http://www.reptile-database.org (accessed January 5, 2025).
- Winchell K. M., Reynolds R. G., Prado-Irwin S. R., Puente-Rolon A. R., Revell L. J. Phenotypic shifts in urban areas in the tropical lizard Anolis cristatellus. Evolution, 2016, vol. 70, iss. 5, pp. 1009–1022. https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.12925