Culebra Island giant anole

Roosevelt Anolis ( Xiphosurus roosevelti ( Syn: Anolis roosevelti ) ) is an extremely rare or extinct probably lizard of the genus Xiphosurus.

Description

The Roosevelt Anolis 1931 was described by the American zoologist Chapman Grant, the grandson of former U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant for the first time. It was named in honor of Theodore Roosevelt. It is endemic to Culebra, an island belonging to Puerto Rico. Here he lives in wooded areas on the slopes of Monte Resaca.

He is up to 160 mm long. The ground color is brownish - gray, which is yellowish brown towards the tail. At the belly bottom it is whitish. The wattles is yellowish gray at the top and at the bottom. The eyelids are yellow. Another characteristic of two elongate lines on both sides of the body, of which one starts at the ear and the other to the shoulder.

Endangering

Although he has been seen since its discovery only once in 1932, there is since 1973 again unconfirmed sightings and some experts believe that it still exists today. He considers himself preferred to balsam trees ( gumbo limbo ) and fan palms up, he feeds on their fruit itself. Due to human activity through the construction of settlements its habitat has been severely damaged. Only a few copies of the Roosevelt Anolis can be found in museums and since 1977 he is on the list of endangered species in the United States.