Interactions among Members of the Anolis distichus Complex in and near the Sierra de Baoruco, Dominican Republic

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Abstract
Examination of contact areas between sibling species of the Anolis distichus complex at several montane sites in the Sierra de Baoruco, Dominican Republic, and at those nearby lowland localities reported by T.P. Webster, indicates a multiplicity of interactions between species in this complex. Anolis distichus and A. brevirostris exhibit diverse interactions at the montane localities, including parapatry with dewlap similarity, syntopy with dewlap similarity, and sympatry with marked dewlap difference. No evidence of hybridization between the two species was found at any montane site. At the two lowland localities, where interspecific difference in dewlap coloration was either variable or minimal, hybridization between Anolis distichus and A. brevirostris was common, with hybrids representing 18 and 31% of the two samples. A difference in dewlap coloration appears to be only one of several factors required for proper species recognition. Habitat and behavioral differences, as well as historical factors, also influence the present interactions between the two species.