CR

Nelson's Anole

Anolis nelsoni

Declining

Overview

Anolis nelsoni, also known commonly as Nelson's anole and the Swan Islands anole, is a species of lizard in the family Dactyloidae. The species is endemic to the Swan Islands of Honduras.

Anolis nelsoni faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and urban development on Mona Island, Puerto Rico. The species' extremely limited range makes it particularly vulnerable to introduced predators, especially cats and rats, which prey on both adults and eggs. Hurricane damage and climate change-induced weather extremes pose additional risks to the remaining forest fragments that support this critically endangered anole.

Threat summary

Habitat

Anolis nelsoni inhabits dry coastal forests and scrubland vegetation on Mona Island, preferring areas with dense canopy cover and rocky outcrops. The species is typically found in the remaining native forest patches at elevations up to 60 meters above sea level.

Forest· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical dry· majorRocky areas· major

Conservation measures underway

Species recovery

Other threatened species in ANOLIDAE

EN

Black-throated Stout Anole

Anolis armouri

Unknown
Bay Islands AnoleCR

Bay Islands Anole

Anolis bicaorum

Stable
EN

Pineland Bush Anole

Anolis inexpectatus

Unknown
EN

Roatan Anole

Anolis roatanensis

Unknown

Threatened in Honduras

Honduran Lowland Worm SalamanderVU

Honduran Lowland Worm Salamander

Oedipina quadra

Declining
EN

Baird's Tapir

Tapirus bairdii

Declining
Conant's Mushroomtongue SalamanderVU

Conant's Mushroomtongue Salamander

Bolitoglossa conanti

Declining
EN

Perymenium hondurense

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Nelson's Anole classified as Critically Endangered?
Nelson's Anole is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Anolis nelsoni faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and urban development on Mona Island, Puerto Rico. The species' extremely limited range makes it particularly vulnerable to introduced predators, especially cats and rats, which prey on both adults and eggs. Hurricane damage and climate change-induced weather extremes pose additional risks to the remaining forest fragments that support this critically endangered anole.
Where does Nelson's Anole live?
Nelson's Anole occurs in Honduras. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Nelson's Anole?
The main threats to Nelson's Anole are 8.1, ai-1, ai-2, and ai-3. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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