us ISSN 0O27.4100 Bulletin OF THE Museum of Comparative Zoology An Analysis of Variation in the Hispaniolan Giant Anole, Anolis ricordi Dumeril and Bibron ALBERT SCHWARTZ HARVARD UNIVERSITY VOLUME 146, NUMBER 2 CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, U.S.A. 19 APRIL 1974 PUBLICATIONS ISSUED OR DISTRIBUTED BY THE MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY HARVARD UNIVERSITY Bulletin 1863- Breviora 1952- Memoirs 1864-1938 JoHNSONLV, Department of MoUusks, 1941- OccAsioNAL Papers on Mollusks, 1945- Other Publications. Bigelow, H. B., and W. C. Schroeder, 1953. Fishes of the Gulf of Maine. Reprint Brues, C. T., A. L. Melander, and F. M. Carpenter, 1954. Classification of Insects. Creighton, W. S., 1950. The Ants of North America. Reprint. Lyman, C. P., and A. R. Dawe (eds.), 1960. Symposium on Natural Mam- malian Hibernation. Peters' Check-list of Birds of the World, vols. 2-7, 9, 10, 12-15. Sprinkle, J., 1973. Morphology and Evolution of Blastozoan Echinoderms. Turner, R. D., 1966. A Survey and Illustrated Catalogue of the Teredinidae (MoUusca: Bivalvia). Whittington, H. B., and W. D. I. Rolfe (eds.), 1963. Phylogeny and Evolu- tion of Crustacea. Proceedings of the New England Zoological Club 1899-1948. (Complete sets only.) Publications of the Boston Society of Natural History. Authors preparing manuscripts for the Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology or Breviora should send for the current Information and Instruction Sheet, available from Editor, Publications OflBce, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, U.S.A. © The President and Fellows of Harvard College 1974 AN ANALYSIS OF VARIATION IN THE HISPANIOLAN GIANT ANOLE, ANOLIS RICORDI DUMERIL AND BIBRON ALBERT SCHWARTZ' Abstract. The nominal Hispaniolan species of from tlie Sierra de Baoruco in the south- is to be in giant anole, Anolls ricordi, considered western Republica Dominicana. Still later, of three distinct allopatric spe- actuality composed Williams (1965) studied an additional 80 cies: A. ricordi, A. barahonae, and A. baleatus. and named A. r. leberi from Subspecies of all three species are described, but specimens Perrin on the extreme distal only A. baleatus is well represented in collections. Camp portion A theoretical history of this species complex upon of the Haitian Tiburon Peninsula. Thus, is Hispaniola presented. with increasing quantities of material from more diverse localities, our knowledge of Anolis ri- The Hispaniolan giant anole, the distribution and variation in this species has been cordi Dumeril and Bibron, 1837, has increased accordingly. known to science for more than a century; A great many problems remain, however, has it become yet only in the hist 35 years when one deals in detail with the variation is not evident that this species homoge- in A. ricordi. Williams (1962, 1965) neous in its characteristics throughout Haiti were pointed out that records of the species Dominicana. The and tlie Republica spe- of such a scattered nature (especially on Anolis cies was first named (as ricordii) the Tiburon Peninsula but also elsewhere from Santo as the entire island Domingo, on the island) that intergrades between was known at that historical but period, several of the subspecies remained unknown to have been rare in col- specimens seem and also that there were no specimens lections thereafter. Schmidt 10) re- (1921: available from large areas between named four A. ricordi from two Dominican in ported populations. Williams and Rand (1969), localities. Cochran Hsted 24 (1941: 133) their excellent summary of the geographic but one of which were in specimens (all differentiation in all species of Hispaniolan the National Museum of Natural History) Anolis ri- anoles, pointed out (p. 15) that from 11 localities. Mertens (1939: 68-70) cordi was composed of "several described studied 17 specimens in European collec- are subspecies, some of which sharply tions and was the first to that recognize enough distinct to raise the question of pos- there were two readily distinguishable pop- sible species status." This is most especially ulations that he considered A. subspecies: true of the taxa ricordi, baleatus, and bara- r. ricordi in Haiti, and A. r. baleatus well Cope honae, all of which are extremely in the Dominicana. Williams Republica characterized by both pigmental and struc- 1962 reviewed the in more detail areas ( ) species tural details, but all of which occupy and examined 90 specimens. For this suite and ba- (extensive in the cases of ricordi of anoles, he described A. r. barahonae be- leatus) without known intergradation tween them or without close geographic 1 Miami-Dade Community College, Miami, the closest Florida 33167. approximation. Thus, ap- 1974 89 Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 146(2): 89-146, April, \ 90 Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 146, No. 2 I o 00 CM i HiSPANiOLAN Giant Angle • Schwartz 91 proaclu's of the ranges of ricordi and 1)0- material upon whieh A. r. leheri was based. leatits (Copey and Peiia, both in the Our unique experience at Camp Perrin— Republica Dominieana) are separated by namely, of many— A. ricordi received from some 115 kilometers airline. The subspe- local Haitians showed that the species cies harahomie and ricordi (Sierra de Bao- may not be necessarily rare. However, as rueo and associated eastern coastal areas in A. equestris in Cuba, the cryptic greens in the Republica Dominieana, and Saltrou of A. ricordi render the species virtually in- in Haiti) are known from localities sepa- visible during the day except to all but the rated by about 115 kilometers, and bara- most experienced observer. In 1963, Rich- honae and balcatus by a gap of about 115 ard Thomas discovered that A. ricordi kilometers (between the Sierra de Baoruco might be seemed at night, since individ- and near Villa Altagracia, both in the Re- uals sleep quite exposed in a variety of ar- publica Dominieana). boreal situations and are very conspicuous. Schwartz and Garrido (1972) recently Thus, with the knowledge that the agroma showed that the Cuban giant anole, Anolis (as the species is known in Haitian Creole) in a of or the saltacocote as the is equestris Merrem, is, fact, complex ( species known five species; they also suggested (p. 71) in Dominican Spanish) might be common that, as Williams and Rand had pointed and thus easily secured by native collectors, out, there was a good possibility that the and that individuals might be readily se- Hispaniolan Anolis ricordi in time might cured at night while they slept, I had as likewise be shown to be a complex of spe- one of my objectives to secure as many A. cies. It is the purpose of the present paper ricordi as possible in order to clarify the to discuss the variation in A. ricordi, based status of the named subspecies and in an upon the examination of 403 specimens attempt to narrow the geographic gaps that from a broad selection of geographic local- seemed to exist between ricordi, baleatus, ities throughout Hispaniola. Despite my and barahonae. As more material accumu- ha\'ing studied far more material than any lated, we were successful in the latter at- previous investigator, there still remain tempt, but the range of variation in newly many problems that cry out for solution, acquired material showed that the situation As Schwartz and Garrido also pointed out was more complex than was supposed. In in their analysis of Anolis equestris, the addition to specimens in the Albert present paper in no way should be consid- Schwartz Field Series (ASFS), collected ered as the final word on A. ricordi; rather by myself and field assistants, I have ex- it is an attempt to comment in detail upon amined material in the American Museum the known variation and distribution of of Natural History (AMNH), the Museum this species in Hispaniola which may serve of Comparative Zoology (MCZ), and the as a stepping stone for further work upon National Museum of Natural History the For the loans of I am species. ( USNM). specimens Between 1962 and 1971, I and my asso- grateful to Richard G. Zweifel, George W. ciates collected extensively in both Haiti Foley, Ernest E. Williams, and George R. and the Republica Dominieana. Latterly, Zug. In all of these collections there are between 1968 and 1971, my work in His- other specimens that I have deliberately paniola has been under the sponsorship of not elected to study, since many of them two National Science Foundation grants, are from localities that are now well repre- GB-7977 and B-023603. Specimens of Ano- sented by more recently collected lizards lis ricordi collected in 1962-63 were avail- or that have poor locality data. Specimens able to Williams and were reported upon in the collection of the Museum of Com- by him (1965); in fact, the long series of parative Zoology have been collected un- A. ricordi from Camp Perrin, Haiti, secured der NSF grant B-019(S01X and previous the re- for me by native collectors in 1962, was the grants to Dr. Williams. Most of 92 Bulletin Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. 146, No. 2 cently taken ASFS A. ricordi have detailed His figure 41 shows this character ex- descriptions of color and pattern in life, tremely clearly: in nominate ricordi from but, as in all such endeavors that span sev- Haiti, the nuchal crest scales are low and eral years, it is unfortimate that all details inconspicuous, whereas in Dominican ba- of color and pattern have not been consis- leatiis the nuchal crest scales are long and tently recorded as time has passed. Like- attenuate. In addition, Mertens (1939: 69) wise, there are no color or pattern data on characterized ricordi as having 9 to 12 most old specimens; thus, I feel less secure scales between the eyes; males of this sub- in dealing with these older specimens or species have one or more sharply defined those collected by others than myself and black blotches on the sides of the nape, the parties than I am with those in the ASFS occipital area flecked with black, and often which are carefully documented.