The lizard community of a subtropical dry forest: Guánica forest, Puerto Rico

Globally, dry forests represent a threatened ecosystem, and documentation of biodiversity in the few remaining remnants of dry forest is needed as a basis for conservation planning. Guánica forest, one of the best remaining representatives of subtropical dry forest habitat, supports the richest, and most complete native dry forest lizard community on the is- land of Puerto Rico. The lizard community there is comprised of 10 species, some of which are differentially distributed among coastal scrub, deciduous, and semi-evergreen forest. Anolis cristatellus and Sphaerodactylus nicholsi are the most abundant in all forest types, while Ano- lis cooki, a threatened species, is restricted to coastal scrub habitat. Sphaerodactylus nicholsi was most abundant in habitats where leaf litter was deep, especially in humid ravines. These data on lizard community composition and abundance in a relatively undisturbed dry forest provide insights into dry forest community ecology and a reference against which other dry for- est lizard communities in disturbed or otherwise impacted habitats can be compared.