In a genus of approximately 300 described species, Anolis carolinensis is the only one native to North America.  It is commonly called the Green Anole and can often be found in pet shops.  It is a small lizard (adults are typically 45-65 mm long excluding the tail) that is especially common in the southeastern United States, although it also ranges west to Texas and can be found on the Hawaiian Islands.  This lizard is also capable of changing colors from green to black which changes due to their social context and not their habitat.  Reproduction occurs April-July, during which time females laying single-egg clutches at approximately weekly intervals.  Beyond oviposition, there is no parental care exhibited by adults of either sex.

Breeding occurs in a polygynous social structure; females settle in comparatively small territories and large, competitive males establish territories that overlap on average three female territories, but range from zero to six.  Males spend the majority of their time defending their territories from intruder males, and larger males exclusively overlap with more females than do smaller
males.
 

Consistent with life history characteristics and male and female reproductive strategies, adult A. carolinensis show dramatic sex differences in behavior and morphology.  Males are on average one-third larger than females, they move 7-fold the distance of females per day, have territories 9-fold the size of female territories, spend 30-fold more time than females in territory defense, communicate via headbobbing displays at 8-fold the rate of females, with dewlaps (extensible red throat fans used during displays to increase conspicuousness) that are 7-fold the size.  Females tend to remain brown more often than their male counterparts. Larger males are better able to attain breeding territories, with access to more breeding females.  To be reproductively successful, males must be able to maintain these territories and stay in reproductive condition over an extended time period, because females remain receptive and continue to lay single egg clutches over the four month breeding season.