Anolis roosevelti
Anolis roosevelti, also known commonly as the Virgin Islands giant anole, Roosevelt's giant anole or the Culebra giant anole, is an extremely rare or possibly extinct species of lizard of the genus "Anolis" in the family Dactyloidae. The species is native to the Virgin Islands and Vieques. Taxonomy and etymology. The Culebra Island giant anole was first described in 1931 by American zoologist Chapman Grant, grandson of U.S. President Grant. It is named in honor of Theodore Roosevelt Jr., who was the governor of Puerto Rico at that time. It was initially described as "Anolis roosevelti" but  some have suggested it should be transferred into the genus "Xiphosurus" in 2012. However, this new classification system is highly controversial because it creates polyphyletic groups in the genus "Anolis". Therefore, the new classification system of "Anolis" has not been universally accepted. Geographic range. "Anolis roosevelti" is endemic to Culebra Island in Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Habitat. "A. roosevelti" lives in forested zones on the slopes of Mt. Resaca. Description. "A. roosevelti" can reach a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of . The color of the body is brown-grey, while the tail has a yellow-brown hue and  the abdomen is whitish. The throat fan varies from gray on the upperparts to yellow on the underparts, and the eyelids are yellow. A further feature are two long drawn-out lines on both sides of the body; one starts at the ear, the other at the shoulder. Reproduction. "A. roosevelti" is oviparous. Threats. Though "A. roosevelti" was only observed again in 1932 after its discovery, there have been unconfirmed sightings since 1973 (the last one in 1978). Some experts believe that it might still exist. It preferred a habitat with gumbo-limbo and ficus trees because it fed from  the fruits of the trees. Due to human activities the habitat was almost destroyed; only a few specimens of the Culebra Giant Anole can be seen in museums. It was listed as federally endangered in the Endangered Species Act in 1977.