Male vs. Female Green Anoles
The basic difference is the size and dewlaps. Males are larger and have colorful dewlaps than the females they display for courting and defending their territory. The dewlap of males are vibrant in colors like yellow and green while females are less colorful, often staying brown or green.
People often get confused between male green anole and female green anole and being an anole breeder I can tell you how you can differentiate between the two.
In this blog post, we’ll see the difference between male and female green anole, their look, and other related queries.
Difference Between Male and Female Green Anole
| Characteristics | Male | Female |
| Size | Upto 8 inches | Upto 5 inches |
| Coloration | Vibrant colors including, green, yellow, red | Subdued green or brown |
| Dewlap | Bigger and colorful | Smaller and less noticeable |
| Head Crest | Bigger | Smaller |
| Behavior | Territorial and agressive | Focused on nesting |
| Fremoral Pores | Relatively larger | Smaller and less developed |
| Overall Appearance | Larger, colorful, bolder appearance | Smaller and subdued |
What Do Female Green Anole Look Like
Female green anoles are relatively small and slender in size with less developed dewlap and head crest. The coloration of dewlap is pale green or brown. They show less territorial behavior and focus on nesting and laying eggs.
Female green anoles can grow up to 5 inches and their color is not as vibrant as a male green anole. They have a subdued green or brown color with less developed dewlap or throat fan.
Female green anoles select a male for mating based on various parameters and then focus on finding suitable nesting sites to lay eggs.
They are not as aggressive as male green anoles as they do not engage in any territorial fight.
Female Green Anole Dewlap
The female green anole dewlap is small and lacks vibrant coloration. The exact size can vary among individuals but it is not as large as a male anole.
Females display their dewlap to attract males or in interaction with other anoles. Their dewlap is small in size with subdued coloration such as green or brown.
Dewlap is a flap of skin beneath the throat and it serves various purposes such as communication, display behavior, and other stimuli.
Are Female Green Anoles Brown
Female green anoles can sometimes appear brown or have a brownish-green coloration. Female green anoles have the ability to change color to some extent but they usually display less vibrant colors.
However, while mating or other specific behavior their color can change to a more vibrant color.
What Do Male Green Anole Look Like
Male green anoles are relatively bigger in size than female green anoles. They have more vibrant colors, their dewlap is fully developed which they use to attract females or establish their territorial power.
Male green anoles can grow up to 8 inches and their head crest is big in size which they display during courting. They have vibrant colors such as green, yellow, or even red with the ability to change hue.
Male green anoles are aggressive and they show territorial behavior to establish their authority. To establish their territory, male green anoles do head bobbing and push-up contests with other male anoles.
They focus on attracting females by displaying their power, territory, head crest, dewlap, or body posturing to make themselves distinguishable from other males.
To Wrap Up
Now you must have understood the difference between male vs. female green anole. When you see an adult green anole, you’ll easily differentiate between a male and a female anole.
Vibrant colors, a large dewlap and head crest, bigger in size is a male whereas small and slender size, subdued color, small dewlap is a female.
If you still have any queries, you can ask in the comment below.
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