This little lizard lives only on St. Martin. It used to live on Anguilla, but was last collected there in 1922. It’s scientific name is Anolis pogus. The name pogus was given to this lizard by the herpetologist James “Skip” Lazell. He named the lizard after the cartoon character Pogo the Possum to make a point that scientific names don’t necessarily have to describe the animal or have any relevant meaning. This particular lizard is sleeping on a leaf, which is where they usually sleep at night in order to be safe from predators. This species is considered “vulnerable” because it is found only on St. Martin and is primarily found in shady forested areas.
I think this lizard should be the official animal mascot of the island, but as far as I can tell, we don’t even have a local name for it. If you know of one, please post it!
When we first went to Sint Maarten in 1983, it was loaded with tiny lizards climbing walls and such. We returned a couple more times, and each time it seemed there was less wildlife and–very sadly–too many stray domesticated animals like dogs and cats. On Saba, we saw mainly iguanas. I really wonder what those islands are like now, after the recent deadly hurricanes…. Too awful.