Giant Anole (Dactyloa microtus)

Our Chiriquí correspondent, Rafa Gutierrez, sent us these pictures of this species of Giant Anole, Dactyloa microtus (synonym Anolis microtus), an iguanian lizard belonging to the family Dactyloidae with 391 species.

Anolis microtus is a short-legged giant anole with a total length of 330mm, has light yellow or tan ground color, marked with a series of light brown-centered dark bands that may change to green on flanks, and a postorbital stripe.

Its habitat is undisturbed rainforests of the premontane zones and marginally into similar forests of the upper lowlands from northwestern Costa Rica to southwestern Panama. It's apparently a canopy species and rare.