Anolis marmoratus Duméril & Bibron, 1837

Common Names and Endemic Range

Anolis marmoratus, commonly known as the leopard anole, Guadeloupe anole, or Guadeloupean anole, is a species of anole endemic to the islands of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean Lesser Antilles.

Former Subspecies Elevation

Five of its former subspecies have been elevated to full species status: A. ferreus, A. terraealtae, A. kahouannensis, A. chrysops, and A. desiradei.

Current Subspecies Distribution

Among the currently accepted subspecies of leopard anole, five are found on the island of Basse-Terre, and two are found on the island of Grande-Terre.

Subspecies Validity Concerns

The validity of these currently accepted subspecies has been questioned, because there is extensive intergradation between them, and the species displays extreme appearance variability both between different regions and between individuals within the same region.

Drivers of Appearance Variability

This variability has possibly been increased by human-caused habitat changes, which let different populations come into contact more easily, and by human translocation of individual leopard anoles.

Subspecies Morphological Fit

Most individual leopard anoles do not clearly fit into the typically recognized subspecies.

Genetic Assortative Mating Findings

Genetic studies confirm that strong assortative mating does not occur between the different populations of this species, despite their distinct appearance differences and despite the fact that these populations split from each other roughly 650,000 years ago, with a confidence interval starting at 351,000 years ago.