Do Anole Lizards Chirp?

After hearing the chirping sounds of a Lizard, you may be concerned or interested to know if Anole Lizards Chirp (Click here to see why these are the best 7 substrates for Anoles). Maybe you are considering picking one up as a pet or just interested. I was also interested in the answer to this, so I have decided to write this article to explain.

Do Anole lizards chirp? No, Anole Lizards do not make sound. In fact there are almost 5000 different Lizard species and very few have the vocal ability to make sounds. The gecko is one example of a Lizard that is known to make sounds.

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Now that you know about the Anole lizard, let us look into which lizards make this chirping sound, as well as other weird sounds. Not just that, but the reasons why they make these sounds. Also, lets understand other forms of communication that lizards use.

Which lizards do chirp?

The Gecko is known for making a chirping sound, along with an array of other sounds. It is one of the few lizards that has vocal ability to make sound (more about this later). This chirping sounding is sometimes confused with weird barking sounds too.

It is believed that this chirping sound can happen for one of two reasons:

Territorial
Mating Calls

Territorial mating calls

The first reason, as listed above is for territorial reasons. But what do I mean? Basically it used to repel predators or rival male Geckos.

Mating Calls

The second reason is for mating calls. This is relatively straight forward, it is an opportunity for the Gecko to entice the female into its trap for mating.

What other sounds are lizards known to make?

There are different species of lizards that make weird and wonderful sounds. My objective is to explain to you now what they are.

Mediterranean House Gecko Sounds

The first one to discuss is the Mediterranean house gecko. It makes a range of different sounds. Firstly, it’s known to make a chirping sound as well. This is known to be used to fend off his enemies.

In particular, it has a very distinctive “single chirp”. It also has a loud squeak. Again, this is used to ward off enemies as well.

Another one of its sounds is the “click”. This clicking sound is known to attract the opposite sex. Females are lured in for mating.

The turnip-tailed Gecko Clicking Sounds

The turnip-tailed Gecko is known to make clicking sounds as well. These clicking sounds have often been compared to insects. It is almost as if it’s mimicking these insect sounds.

It is also known to make a chirping sound. This is also associated with attracting females for mating.

The New Caledonian Gecko “Growling Devil” Sound

The New Caledonian Gecko has quite an interesting sound. This sound is quit distinctive. And if you heard it, you would probably be freaked out.

It is known to make a really loud and weird growling sound. Almost like a growling dog. It has also been nicknamed the “Devil in the trees” for this very disturbing growl sound.

The Tokay Gecko Lizards “Tokay” Sound

The Tokay Gecko lizard is known for its a very distinctive “Tokay” sound. So much so, that it is named based on this sound. if you heard this sound, you would be quite amazed.

The “Chee Chak” Gecko Lizard Sounds

This is another gecko which is named based on its distinctive sound. It makes it a weird “Chee Chak” sound, hence the name.

How do lizards actually make the sounds?

As discussed earlier, Geckos are one of a few lizard species that can make sounds. But the question is, how do they actually make these sounds? Let me explain at a high level.

Geckos actually have vocal cords, which most lizards do not have. As well as this, they have a well developed larynx. Along with this they have cartilage and muscle positioned in their throat to help create the sound.

Air is passed from its lungs and manipulated using its throat muscles. As it passes by the larynx its vocal cords create vibrations. Depending on the frequencies of these vibrations, different sounds are made.

How do lizards communicate?

Lizards communicate in a few different ways, not just sound. They communicate using visual (body language), Chemical based communication and also a combination of these. Let me explain this now.

Visual communication

The first example of this is the Green anole. It has what is called a “dewlap”. It is a large throat fan, which can be expanded. This Dewlap has amazing visual communication qualities.

It can entice and trigger ovulation in a female Anole. It can also be used to inflate and discourage any unwanted male predators.

The next example of this visual communication is the Frill-necked lizard. It has an extended flap of skin around its head. This can be inflated and used to intimidate any Predators It may not always work to scare them off, but it is one of their ways of communicating, “do not mess with me”!

The island lizard has a couple of different ways of communicating for a number of different reasons. Firstly it will jump high in the air to grab the attention of the female, to try and differentiate itself from all the other competing males.

They also have an interesting way to flatten out their body and lie on their side, to trick their enemy. If this doesn’t work, this is usually followed by physical confrontation.

Another known communication behaviour from lizards is push-ups. They will literally do push ups to try and send a message to their predators. This may be seen in captivity, for example in a zoo.

It has been known to see lizards doing push-ups, if the see a visitor getting too close to their lizard enclosure.

Chemical communication

A good example of these chemical communication methods is the skink. The skink is known to let out chemical pheromones. These pheromones are known to be excreted from its legs.

These pheromones can be decoded by another lizard by smelling and then reacting to the chemical. However lizards do not smell in the same way that we do, as humans. They actually use their tongue which is similar to snakes.

By using their tongue, they can grab the smell and decode the communication methods used by the skink.