The pale yellow dewlap is a hallmark of this anole species.
Anolis cybotes cybotes, is known as the large-headed anole (aka largehead anole when the writer is too lazy to put in a hyphen and add two letters). Males, the larger sex, can attain a robust 8 ½ inches while the females are seldom more than 6 inches in length. This large size (for an anole) places this Hispaniolan species firmly in the position of 2nd largest anole in the USA, being

exceeded in size only by the comparatively immense knight anole, A. e. equestris. The large-headed anole (the head of adult males is noticeably enlarged) is a brown species, sometimes pale brown, sometimes rich, often darkest vertebrally, and equally often with a very pale (sometimes greenish) lateral stripe on each side. The stripe may be thick, thin, or absent and may or may not be outlined with a narrow edging of darker pigment. The male’s dewlap is pale yellow to pale gray.

The large-headed anole has been established in Florida since 1967. The first introduction was deliberate as was one in 1986. Pet trade escapees are probably responsible for several other small populations.The lizard is no longer present at the original release site but continues to exist in relatively small numbers at several newer locales. It is at one of these latter that Jake and I often stop to get our periodic “cybotes-fix.” (by the way, the species name is pronounced ki-boat-ees, not sigh-boat-ees). And sure enough, they were there.

A small population, before we left Jake and I were both speculating that it may soon become even smaller for perched quietly on an upright tree trunk we spied a 14 inch long knight anole as well. This latter looked fat and healthy and since lizards figure prominently in the diet of the knight anole we pondered whether this population of large-headed anoles would soon become even smaller?

I guess we’ll know after a couple of future checks.