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Anolis demissus SCHWARTZ, 1969

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Higher TaxaAnolidae, Iguania, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Île Grande Cayemite green anole 
SynonymAnolis coelestinus demissus SCHWARTZ 1969: 35
Anolis coelestinus — WILLIAMS 1965 (in part.)
Anolis coelestinus demissus — SCHWARTZ & THOMAS 1975
Anolis coelestinus demissus — SCHWARTZ 1980 (in part.)
Anolis coelestinus demissus — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1988
Anolis coelestinus demissus — SCHWARTZ & HENDERSON 1991
Anolis coelestinus — POWELL et al. 1996 (in part.)
Anolis coelestinus demissus — RAMOS & POWELL 2001b
Anolis coelestinus demissus — HENDERSON & POWELL 2009
Deiroptyx coelestina demissa — NICHOLSON et al. 2012
Anolis demissus — KÖHLER & HEDGES 2016: 24
Deiroptyx demissa — NICHOLSON et al. 2018 
DistributionÎle Grande Cayemite (Haiti)

Type locality: “vicinity of Pointe Sable, Ile Grande Cayemite, Haiti”  
ReproductionGarcia et al. (1994) documented hybridization between A. chlorocyanus and A. coelestinus. 
TypesHolotype: MCZ 92049 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: A moderate-sized to moderately large species of Anolis that differs from all other Hispaniolan congeners except A. coelestinus and A. pecuarius and two species described below by the combination of having (1) predominantly green overall coloration in life (capable of rapid color change to brown); (2) white subocular stripe that continues as a white streak onto lateral neck usually absent (3) hind legs relatively short (fourth toe of adpressed hind leg reaching to ear opening or only slightly beyond ear opening); (4) ventral scales at midbody usually faintly to distinctly keeled; (5) 39–47 subdigital lamellae on Phalanges II–IV of Toe IV of hind limbs; (6) male dewlap yellowish green or brown (after metachrosis) in life with longitudinal or oblique double rows of gorgetal scales; (7) ratio tail length / SVL >1.7, usually >2.0. Among the Anolis species treated here, A. demissus is most similar to A. coelestinus, A. pecuarius, and two species described below. Anolis demissus differs from A. coelestinus by (1) usually not having a white subocular stripe and white streak above shoulder (vs. such a pattern usually present in A. coelestinus); (2) a dark gray to greenish gray male dewlap in life (vs. some shade of green in A. coelestinus); and (3) by lacking any pattern on flanks (vs. usually a pattern of pale green vertical bars or blotches present in A. coelestinus); (4) 5 supracaudals per caudal segment throughout all discernable segments (vs. 4 supracaudals per caudal segment, either throughout all discernable segments or having the reduction from 5 to 4 supracaudals per segment before the 5th segment); (3) usually smooth ventral scales (vs. usually weakly to distinctly keeled). Anolis demissus further differs from A. pecuarius by having a dark gray to greenish gray male dewlap in life (vs. yellowish green to yellowish brown in A. pecuarius). Anolis demissus differs from A. chlorocyanus, A. cyanostictus, and A. peynadoi by having (1) a yellowish green or brown (after metachrosis) in life dewlap with longitudinal or oblique double rows of gorgetal scales (vs. dewlap bicolored with a darker posterior portion and with regularly spaced more or less homogeneous gorgetal scales); (2) and a blue iris in life (vs. brown to reddish brown). Anolis demissus differs further from A. cyanostictus (1) by having a distinct white subocular stripe that continues as a white streak onto lateral neck (vs. no such stripe and streak in A. cyanostictus) and (2) by the lack of pale brown blotches above and anterior to shoulder as well as immediately posterior to eye (vs. such blotches present in A. cyanostictus). Anolis demissus differs from A. aliniger and A. singularis by (1) having a longer tail with a ratio tail length / SVL >1.7, usually >2.0 (vs. <1.7); (2) a distinct white subocular stripe that continues as a white streak onto lateral neck (vs. no such stripe and streak); (3) usually >38 subdigital lamellae on Phalanges II–IV of Toe IV of hind limbs; and (4) no conspicuously dark colored distal portion of tail in front of pale colored tail tip (vs. such a tail color pattern present, most obvious in life). For differences between A. demissus and the species described below, see the respective accounts of the new species [KÖHLER & HEDGES 2016: 24]. 
CommentSynonymy: mostly after KÖHLER & HEDGES 2016: 18.

Conservation: Critically Endangered based on criterion B1ab(iii) of the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria (KÖHLER & HEDGES 2016: 27).

Distribution: see map in KÖHLER & HEDGES 2016: 22 (Fig. 10).

Species group: Deiroptyx chlorocyana species group (fide NICHOLSON et al. 2012).

Abundance: only known from its original description (Meiri et al. 2017). 
References
  • Henderson, Robert W. & Robert Powell 2009. NATURAL HISTORY OF WEST INDIAN REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS. University Press of Florida, 576 pp.
  • Köhler, Gunther and S. Blair Hedges 2016. A revision of the green anoles of Hispaniola with description of eight new species (Reptilia, Squamata, Dactyloidae). NOVITATES CARIBAEA 9: 1-135 - get paper here
  • Meiri, Shai; Aaron M. Bauer, Allen Allison, Fernando Castro-Herrera, Laurent Chirio, Guarino Colli, Indraneil Das, Tiffany M. Doan, Frank Glaw, Lee L. Grismer, Marinus Hoogmoed, Fred Kraus, Matthew LeBreton, Danny Meirte, Zoltán T. Nagy, Cristiano d 2017. Extinct, obscure or imaginary: the lizard species with the smallest ranges. Diversity and Distributions - get paper here
  • NICHOLSON, KIRSTEN E.; BRIAN I. CROTHER, CRAIG GUYER & JAY M. SAVAGE 2012. It is time for a new classification of anoles (Squamata: Dactyloidae). Zootaxa 3477: 1–108 - get paper here
  • NICHOLSON, KIRSTEN E.; BRIAN I. CROTHER, CRAIG GUYER & JAY M. SAVAGE 2018. Translating a clade based classification into one that is valid under the international code of zoological nomenclature: the case of the lizards of the family Dactyloidae (Order Squamata). Zootaxa 4461 (4): 573–586 - get paper here
  • Powell, R., R. W. Henderson, K. Adler, And H. A. Dundee. 1996. An annotated checklist of West Indian amphibians and reptiles. In R. Powell and R. W. Henderson (eds.), Contributions to West Indian Herpetology: A Tribute to Albert Schwartz, p.51-93. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Ithaca (New York). Contributions to Herpetology, volume 12. [book review in Salamandra 36 (2): 136]
  • Ramos, Yanerys M. and Robert Powell 2001. Anolis coelestinus Cope. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (729): 1-5 - get paper here
  • Schwartz, A. 1969. A review of the Hispaniolan lizard Anolis coelestinus Cope. Carib. J. Sci. 9 (1-2): 33-38.
  • Schwartz, A. 1980. The herpetogeography of Hispaniola, West Indies. Stud. on the Fauna of Curacao and other Caribbean Islands 61: 86-127. - get paper here
  • Schwartz, A. & Henderson, R.W. 1988. West Indian Amphibian and Reptiles: A Checklist. Milwaukee Publ. Mus. Contr. Biol. Geol. No. 74: 264 pp. - get paper here
  • Schwartz, A. & Henderson, R.W. 1991. Amphibians and Reptiles of the West Indies. University of Florida Press, Gainesville, 720 pp.
  • Schwartz, A. and R. Thomas. 1975. A checklist of West Indian amphibians and reptiles. Carnegie Mus. Nat. Hist. Spec. Publ. 1:1-216. - get paper here
  • Williams, E. E. 1965. The species of Hispaniolan green anoles (Sauria, Iguanidae). Breviora (227): 1-16. - get paper here
 
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