'Anolis carolinensis': A Temperate Anole that is a Potentially Continuous Breeder

Abstract

The green anole, 'Anolis carolinensis', is the only temperate member of a genus of about 300 tropical species. It exhibits seasonality in its reproductive behavior and physiology, while most of its congeners are continuous breeders. Males kept under stimulatory conditions of temperature and photoperiod had significantly larger testes and levels of sperm production during the traditionally non-reproductive season than did those living under natural ambient conditions. Thus, green anoles are potentially continuous breeders but in nature are cyclic because of constraints imposed by the periodicity of their temperate environment.