The Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei), also known commonly as the Bahaman anole or De la Sagra's anole, is a species of lizard in the family Dactyloidae. The species is native to Cuba and the Bahamas. It has been widely introduced elsewhere, via the importation and exportation of plants where the anole would lay eggs in the soil of the pots, and is now found in Florida and as far north in the United States as southern Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Hawaii, and Southern California. It has also been introduced to other Caribbean islands and Taiwan in Asia.
This species is highly invasive. In its introduced range, it reaches exceptionally high population densities, is capable of expanding its range very quickly, and both outcompetes and consumes many species of native lizards. The brown anole's introduction into the United States in the early 1970s has altered the behavior and negatively affected populations of the native green anole (Anolis carolinensis), which have since generally been relegated to the treetops.
It is an insectivore, typically feeding on small insects. When attacked by a predator, the brown anole is able to drop its tail, which continues to wiggle to distract the predator and allow the anole to escape, with the tail regrowing later on. Like all male anoles, male brown anoles possess a flap of skin called a dewlap on their neck, which it extends during dominance or mating displays.