Dactyloidae
The
Dactyloidae are a family of lizards commonly known as
anoles /əˈnoʊliːz/. NCBI places the anole in subfamily
Polychrotinae of the family Iguanidae. The family is generally considered to be monotypic, containing only the genus
Anolis; however recent genetic research has identified several clades within
Anolis which may sometimes be elevated to generic status. These clades are:
Dactyloa,
Deiroptyx,
Ctenonotus,
Xiphosurus,
Norops,
Chamaelinorops,
Anolis and
Audantia. The taxon
Polychrus was previously also placed in the family under the family name
Polychrotidae; however recent genetic studies confirm that
Polychrus is not a sister to
Anolis and is in fact more closely related to
Hoplocercidae. Therefore
Polychrotidae has been restricted to containing only
Polychrus. Due to their ability to change color, anolis lizards are frequently referred to as American chameleons. Also, because they can run up walls, they are sometimes confused with geckos.