Final for my little Green Anole illustration. Dactyloidae is the family group more commonly known as Anoles, a group of lizards that range across much of south and central America, the Caribbean, and the southeastern United States.
Anoles make up one of the most diverse groups of vertebrates with nearly 400 species known to science. While possess a wide range of color variations and adaptive traits that set each species apart from the others, most (not all) possess a rather noticeable feature known as a dewlap, a bit of erectile cartilage that is covered in skin, often flush with bright colorations and used to do everything from signal potential mates, threaten territorial rivals, and deter predators.
Anoles mostly feed on small invertebrates, while others might feed on small mice or birds when the opportunity arises.
Fossil evidence of Anoles is rare, though several well preserved specimens have been found in Amber deposits dating back 15-20 million years, early phylogenetic and immunological studies have indicated that their origins could date back to between 44 and 66 million years ago.
This particular piece was inspired by a small Green Anole that my sister found sitting on the inside of her window after she and her family moved to Georgia.
