All printables
Green Anole — printable fact sheet
Free to print or save as PDF. Great for classrooms, homeschooling, and young explorers.
Creature Atlas
Animal Fact Sheet
Name: ____________________
Date: ____________________
Green Anole
Anolis carolinensis
Anolis carolinensis is the only anole native to the United States, and its ability to shift from bright green to dark brown has nothing to do with matching a background - it is driven by temperature, stress and hormonal state, mediated by melanophores under the surface, so the "…
Did you know?
- Despite being called 'American chameleons,' Green Anoles are not true chameleons and are only distantly related.
- Green anoles can detach the tail and regrow it, but the replacement is cartilage, not vertebrae, and is usually a different shade and shape. They have a functional parietal eye - a light-sensitive spot on top of the head - used to regulate hormonal cycles and detect shadows from above. Anolis carolinensis was the first non-bird reptile to have its genome sequenced, in 2011, making it the reference lizard for comparative genomics.
What I learned
Draw the green anole
© Creature Atlas · www.creatureatlas.com · Free for classroom & personal use
Want the whole set?
Get printable fact-sheet packs, coloring pages, and classroom worksheet bundles for dozens of animals — ready to download and print.
Browse printable packsGet a free printable each week
Join the newsletter for a new Creature of the Week + printables.