Brown anole, (Norops sagrei,)
Norops sagrei, the brown anole, is a small, highly invasive lizard native to the Bahamas and Cuba. Scientists estimate that it invaded peninsular Florida 6 separate times in the 1940s. By the 1970, the brown anole was well established in urban areas all over Florida. They are now one of the most abundant lizards in Florida. In the US, the brown anole spread to Georgia, Texas, Southern California and Hawaii. They have also been introduced other Caribbean Islands, Central America. Most recently they have been documented in Taiwan, spreading from a founding population in an agricultural area near a plant nursery.
The generalist habitat of the brown anole allows populations to grow large and densely. They live in open habitats, on the ground or low tree trunks, and readily adapt to disturbed and urban areas. In the time since brown anoles arrived in the United States they have outcompeted the North American native green anole, which has significantly declined in numbers as a result. Original public domain image from Flickr