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64-513: In 1935, the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration (Spanish: Administración de Reconstrucción de Puerto Rico ) acquired 3,500 acres in and around Monte Guilarte in the municipality of Adjuntas with the goal of preserving the area as a forest reserve. The reserve was intended to be a wildlife preserve for the conservation of numerous plant and animal species found in the area but also for recreational purposes. Today

128-442: A closed canopy. Twigs are selected carefully as sleeping perches. These lizards show a preference for dense vegetation during the day and no particular preference for dead or living foliage for selection of sleeping perches. A. occultus prefers dead twigs and vines in close proximity to breaks in the forest canopy. A. occultus required a relatively dense bundle of twigs and vines in the canopy with close proximity to an opening where

192-525: A different scale pattern than other Anoles in that it has no enlarged or elongated scales. Its dorsal scales of the head and tail are very small and smooth. The lizard's head is narrow and elongated with oval nostrils. The ears are small, round are located far back on the lizard's head behind the corner of the mouth. Middorsal scales are smooth, flat, and equal in size to the scales on the flank. The ventricles scares are slightly larger than flank or dorsal scales, but still smooth and round. The gular fan, or dewlap,

256-685: A dramatic drop in Puerto Rico's two primary exports, raw sugar and coffee, due to a devastating hurricane in 1928 and the plummeting demand from global markets in the latter half of the decade. 1930 unemployment on the island was roughly 36% and by 1933 Puerto Rico's per capita income dropped 30% (by comparison, unemployment in the United States in 1930 was approximately 8% reaching a height of 25% in 1933). Average wages for employed agricultural workers in 1931 ranged from roughly 23 cents per day for children, 25 cents per day for women, 60 cents per day for men,

320-431: A high-pitched scream which serves to startle an attacking predator. A. occultus has been assessed by IUCN as Least Concern because of its widespread observance throughout Puerto Rico. It is unlikely that any population declines are occurring because of the in-place land/water protection in managed forests and National Parks. However, Puerto Rico's Department of Natural and Environmental Resources' (DNER) suggests that

384-486: A number that varied due to the seasonal nature of their employment. Since the majority of Puerto Rico's arable land was reserved for export crops, 98% of Puerto Rican family income was spent on food and other necessities, which were imported from the United States and sold at inflated prices. In 1930, agricultural exports to U.S. comprised 94.3% of total Puerto Rican exports and food accounted for roughly 33% of total imports by 1935. High unemployment rates and low wages at

448-460: A poor standard of living. Malnutrition, poor sanitation, lack of sewage systems, and dangerous working and living conditions led to high mortality rates due to workplace accidents and diseases such as dysentery, diarrhea, malaria, and tuberculosis. In the years immediately preceding the depression, negative developments in the island and world economies perpetuated an unsustainable cycle of subsistence for many Puerto Rican workers. The 1920s brought

512-403: A rarely enforced land tenure measure written into the 1900 Foraker Act and the 1917 Jones Act . The 500-acre law, which stipulated that corporations operating in Puerto Rico were forbidden from owning more than 500 acres of land, was usually circumvented by proxy landownership and absenteeism. Under the proposed Chardón system the confiscated land would be redistributed to small-scale farmers and

576-428: Is able to stabilize itself on these perches to eat by wrapping its tail around surrounding twigs. A. occultus is an oviparous lizard meaning it produces young by laying eggs that are hatched later. Male and females are often found sleeping within inches of each other suggesting pair-bonding behavior. It is thought that these lizards form pair-bonds because of the occurrence of males and females close together despite

640-580: Is home to species such as the Tabebuia shumanniana and the Ocotea spatulata which are evergreen trees with small leaves often found in the highest parts of Puerto Rico. Other trees found in this area include the Spanish elm or capá prieto ( Cordia alliodora ) and the introduced yet naturalized swamp mahogany or swamp eucalyptus ( Eucalyptus robusta ), which are adapted to the cooler temperatures. The Guilarte Forest

704-406: Is large in this species and present in both males and females. The dewlap is slotted, so it falls into the general skin of the neck and has much smaller scales than the rest of the body. The limbs are short and have much smaller scales than the dorsal or ventral scales. However, the scales on the limbs remain smooth like the other parts of the body. A. occultus is largely an arboreal lizard and

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768-491: Is most commonly found in the canopies of the forest. It can also be found in bushes, ferns, and close to the edge of the forest suggesting this species is not restricted to the canopy layer. This lizard is endemic to Puerto Rico and is found throughout the forest of the Cordillera Central mountain range that spans the midline of Puerto Rico from west to east. The species has been found from 65m to 1,326 m above sea level at

832-460: Is most numerous. In addition to this palm tree the forest is also home to other indicator species such as the caimitillo tree ( Micropholis sp. ) and the tabaiba tree ( Sapium laurocerasum ). Another notable tree species is the Puerto Rican magnolia or jagüilla ( Magnolia portoricensis ). The montane forest, also referred to as the cloud forest , located in the highest parts of the forest

896-491: Is one of the few protected areas in Puerto Rico that are home to numerous endangered or threatened animal species such as the red fruit bat ( Stenoderma rufum ), only found in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands , Eneida's coquí ( Eleutherodactylus eneidae ), the mountain coquí ( Eleutherodactylus portoricensis ), the Puerto Rican boa ( Epicrates inornatus ), the Puerto Rican vireo or bien-te-veo ( Vireo latimeri ), and

960-403: Is represented by 10 separate species. All share adaptations to live primarily arboreal , diurnal lives, while being insectivorous . In comparison to all other Puerto Rican anoles, A. occultus is smaller in size and has a smaller, elongated head. The scales of the head are much smaller in this lizard.  The dewlap is also sparsely scaled laterally and tucks under the heavily scaled skin of

1024-450: Is rounded and has small dorsal, overlapping scales. The coloration of the lizard varies and can be shades of white, brown, olive-green, yellowish-green, or dark orange. A. occultus has a mottled, cryptic pattern on its head and body with distinct body banding running from its neck to its vent. The head is grey with sparse dark mottles and the eyelids are a lighter yellow coloration. The flanks are yellowish grey and turn slightly green towards

1088-408: Is the smallest of the Puerto Rican anoles with a snout to vent length of 34–42 mm. In comparison to other twig anoles, A. occultus is extremely cryptic through its unique sleeping behaviors and mottled pattern. Sleeping behavior including site selection minimizes the probability of predator encounter along with A. occultus' extensive list of antipredator behaviors. In Puerto Rico, Anolis

1152-408: The A. occultus population. In the 1940s only 6% of forest cover remained because agriculture still made up the vast majority of the Puerto Rican economy and deforestation was very prevalent. Few areas of the forests on the island remained unaltered by humans. The market began to shift after the 1940s and agriculture was taken over by industry allowing for regrowth of the forest over many years. 42% of

1216-469: The Great Depression through job creation, land distribution, public works projects, as well as environmental and health initiatives. The agency was officially liquidated on February 15, 1955. By time the Great Depression arrived in 1929, working class Puerto Rican citizens, especially rural agricultural laborers, were already facing economic hardship. After Spain ceded sovereignty of Puerto Rico to

1280-737: The Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources . Parking is available at the DRNA ranger office in Guilarte, Adjuntas at the corner of PR-518 and PR-131 roads. Camping is not allowed within the forest but the area outside the reserve also offers additional opportunities for recreation such as Garzas Lake which is used for fishing and camping, and numerous waterfalls and pools for swimming such as Charco Mangó and Charco El Ataúd . Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration The Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration (PRRA)

1344-507: The palo de Ramón tree ( Banara vanderbiltii ), the endemic dwarf tree fern ( Alsophila dryopteroides ) and the Monte Guilarte hollyfern ( Polystichum calderonense ). The latter is also endemic, highly endangered and can only be found in two locations in this forest. The most common type of forest zone found in the reserve is the Sierra palm tree forest where the species of the same name

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1408-583: The 500-acre law came with the Puerto Rican government's 1940 victory in a U.S. Supreme Court case against the Robert Hermanos Company, which owned 12,000 acres on the island. This pivotal lawsuit upheld the validity of the 500-acre law and set the stage for subsequent land reform in the 1940s. In 1941, the Land Authority of Puerto Rico was created under legislation entitled Law 26 of April 12, 1941. The Land Authority's parcelas provision allowed for

1472-533: The PRERA received only $ 770,000 from the federal government due to oversights in application processes. By the fall of 1933, the PRERA was unable to keep up with the flood of relief applications from Puerto Ricans, which totaled approximately 50,000 per month. Adding to the program's relative ineffectiveness was the 1933 implementation of an agricultural tax under the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA). The tax

1536-494: The PRRA built a model coffee farm and instituted reforestation and soil erosion projects in Puerto Rico's rural regions. The PRRA also organized a Producer's Association among small coffee and fruit farmers, which offered financial assistance and provided instruction in the use of new agricultural and marketing techniques. By 1936 the administration had employed between 50,000 and 60,000 Puerto Rican workers. The most enduring program of

1600-402: The PRRA was its rural electrification program. The project facilitated the construction of seven hydroelectric dams and extended power lines and stations across the island, bringing affordable power to thousands of rural citizens for the first time in Puerto Rico's history. In addition to providing power, the hydroelectric dams also provided crucial flood control, irrigation for crops, and improved

1664-429: The Puerto Rican sharp-shinned hawk or Sierra hawk ( Accipiter striatus venator ), a highly endangered subspecies of the sharp-shinned hawk . Other animal species found in the forest are the scaly-naped pigeon ( Patagioenas squamosa ), the Puerto Rican emerald hummingbird ( Riccordia maugeaus ), the Puerto Rican tody or San Pedrito ( Todus mexicanus ), the Puerto Rican woodpecker ( Melanerpes portoricensis ),

1728-460: The Puerto Rican twig anole ( Anolis occultus ), the olive bush anole ( Anolis krugi ), the yellow-bearded anole ( Anolis gundlachi ), the emerald anole ( Anolis evermanni ), the Puerto Rican giant anole ( Anolis cuvieri ), and the Puerto Rican galliwasp or four-legged snake ( Diploglossus pleii ). The forest reserve is open during daylight hours and offers opportunities for hiking, birdwatching and cabins. There are two main hiking trails in

1792-819: The United States following the 1898 Spanish–American War the island increasingly became economically dependent on the United States through an unbalanced colonial trade relationship that favored U.S. sugar, tobacco, coffee, and fruit companies. By 1910, four U.S. sugar corporations held near monopolies on sugar cane cultivation and sugar production had multiplied by 331%. By 1921, the United States Tobacco Trust also held monopolies on cigarette and cigar markets in Puerto Rico, giving them an economic advantage over small scale tobacco farmers. While American companies expanded and profited, sugarcane and other agricultural workers saw little to no change in wages between 1898 and 1920 and Puerto Rican laborers generally experienced

1856-453: The United States. By 1938, the program's total funding had reached $ 57,953,189.00 an estimated 12 percent of which had been used to buy goods and supplies from the mainland. Additionally, approximately 80 cents per dollar spent by the administration was funneled back into the United States economy. The PRRA was officially dismantled by an act of Congress (67 Stat 584, August 15, 1953) on February 15, 1955, but its actual demise began as early as

1920-423: The allotment of one to three acres of land to many poor, rural landless workers. With Chardón as its head, by 1945 the organization had parceled out plots to 14,000 families and by 1959 the number of families with acreage reached 52,287. Puerto Rican New Deal policies also did little in the way in improving wages for the island's workers. In 1940, the average per capita income for Puerto Rican workers remained roughly

1984-457: The authority of the Department of Interior and its secretary Harold Ickes . Modeled on Plan Chardón, the PRRA fell under the direction of American Ernest Gruening and Carlos Chardón . Gruening and Chardón oversaw a large bureaucratic agency whose administrators consisted of young Puerto Rican New Deal liberals, many of whom would become integral actors, along with Luis Muñoz Marín , in creating

Guilarte State Forest - Misplaced Pages Continue

2048-422: The canopy is closed overhead or to the side. A. occultus are observed from heights just above the forest floor to 4.5 m above the ground in structures of twigs and vines. A. occultus inhabit the peripheral foliage of the mountain rangers and is best defined as a canopy-dwelling species. A. occultus prefers bare twigs and vines in clearings of the canopy. They will not occupy any vegetation in an area with

2112-511: The chance of encountering a predator using crypsis and by selecting microhabitats that are less frequently coinhabited by predators. While avian predation is reduced at night, arthropod predation increases for wandering lizards. Therefore, remaining stabilized on a perch is an antipredator behavior itself. By positioning its body parallel to its perch, these lizards are able to stay very inconspicuous with their mottled patterns. A. occultus sleeps most often on horizontal twigs with its mouth facing

2176-412: The conservation status should be 'Data Deficient'. Furthermore, there is a growing need for an accurate assessment of A. occultus' population status and research into the threats and habitat trends that could put this species in danger. Deforestation has been a serious issue in Puerto Rico's land-use history and information regarding climate change projections and habitat changes need to be explored. For

2240-562: The creation of public housing and parks as well as the construction of a fully functional cement factory, which provided essential materials for the construction of hurricane proof buildings. In 1935 and 1936 it purchased the Ponce Electric Company and two large centrals (sugar processing factories) in Arroyo and Arecibo . Island wide, it established health clinics and parasite eradication programs for farm animals and crops. Additionally,

2304-421: The effective conservation of A. occultus , research on the degree of deforestation and how this is damaging these lizard's habitat is required. Urbanization of deforested areas is causing severe changes to habitat. These changes in habitat introduce new predators to these lizards on the edges of urban areas. Introduced predators include raccoons, domestic animals, and feral cats, which prove particularly harmful to

2368-481: The forest has recovered according to scientists conducting measurements 60 years later. Rural to urban migration and industrialization of a former agricultural economy has resulted in the regeneration of Puerto Rican forests. Rapid regrowth of forests means that the composition of plants differed substantially between different areas. Novel plants contributed to the regrowth of the forests and isolated these lizards into patches of native vegetation. They are very specific in

2432-425: The forest is managed by the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA), which has enlarged the protected area of the forest which now extends 4,822 acres. The forest has altitudes varying from 2,500 to 3,950 feet above sea level and it is divided into two forest zones: the subtropical moist broadleaf forest in the form of the Sierra palm tree forest and the montane rain forest found in

2496-552: The forest: the San Andrés Trail which circumnavigates the forest and the Pico Guilarte trail which leads to the summit of Monte Guilarte , the highest point of the forest. Both trails offer views through a series of lookout points. Other facilities in the forest include bathrooms, barbecue pits and cabins for visitors. There are seven cabins (with room for 4 guests) available, and reservations must be made in advanced by contacting

2560-453: The ground. These lizards select perches to sleep on that are a quarter inch or diameter or less and they cling tightly to this perch with their hands, feet, and tail while they sleep. The anoles are at increased danger at night because they are elevated in the air and unaware of their surroundings. They select more exposed areas in the canopy than normal when they sleep in order to warm themselves on cool mornings. By doing this, they can maximize

2624-460: The highest mountain top in this mountain range. These mountain forest dwellers were observed perching on vines and twigs of the forest canopy from the Sierra de Cayey range in the southeast to the central-western mountain ranges of Maricao. These lizards like to associate themselves with openings in the canopy and narrow path cuts in the edges of the forest. They do not like to inhabit trees or bushes where

Guilarte State Forest - Misplaced Pages Continue

2688-647: The highest peaks of the forest. These preserved forests are very important for the protection of various hydrological basins such as those of the Arecibo River , the Añasco River and the Guayanilla River , all of which have their sources within the forest's boundaries. The forest is home to approximately 227 species of trees of which 4 are endangered or threatened: the West Indian walnut ( Juglans jamaicensis ),

2752-597: The island rather than on its initial goal of economic reform. University of Puerto Rico - Digital Collection - PRRA Anolis occultus The Puerto Rican twig anole or dwarf anole ( Anolis occultus ) is a species of small, arboreal anole endemic to Puerto Rico and primarily inhabiting the Cordillera Central from the Sierra de Cayey range in the Southeast to the central-western ranges of Maricao . A mostly grey to olive-brown bodied lizard, A. occultus

2816-444: The landless who would in turn process sugar locally rather than ship it to the United States for refining. Other proposed projects included the creation of island-based fruit and vegetable canning and bottling facilities, and the promotion of island tourism and the cardboard manufacturing industries. The central intent of the plan was to break the monopolies of American corporations, diversify the economy, and to utilize available labor in

2880-466: The late 1930s. In 1939, the administration received only $ 7 million in operating costs, just over half of its estimated budgetary requirements of $ 13 million and due to economic constraints, several of its initiatives were stalled. As a result, the insular government increasingly gained financial and administrative control over many of the PRRA's projects. Particularly hard hit were educational, health, and sanitation facilities. By World War II , Puerto Rico

2944-415: The limbs. The ventral side of the lizard is white besides speckling on the throat and tail. A. occultus has the ability to change color with ease and become slightly darker or lighter in a short period of time. The lizard has radiating eye lines and one or two visible yellow spots on the base of the tail. It has a pinkish-grey dewlap that is folded into an opening on the front of the chest. A. occultus has

3008-537: The number of hours they are active during the daytime.  This makes them an easy target for avian predators and arthropods that can attack these lizards on their sleeping perches. A. occultus do have a cryptic existence in the foliage because of their long and slender body that allow them to merge easily with the outline of a twig. They forfeit much of this camouflage by exposing themselves at night, but position themselves to minimize this loss of crypsis. Due to this increased vulnerability at night, this anole can reduce

3072-543: The outer edge of the twig. The species also selects twigs that are often too skinny and fragile to support larger predators such as snakes. They have been observed selecting perches higher in the forest canopy at night in order to reduce the probability of predator encounter. Their selection for sleeping sites is strongly based on their diurnal behavior. They tend to occupy sleeping sites that are both higher and less stable than their daytime perches to reduce nocturnal predation. A. occultus select specific sleeping sites and adopt

3136-525: The plan and subsequent reconstruction efforts were not radical enough in that they still facilitated Puerto Rico's political and economic cooperation with the United States. Campos also called for a change in the 500-acre law that would amend the land owning quota to 300 acres. On May 28, 1935 the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration (PRRA) was created by President Roosevelt under executive order 7057 and would operate under

3200-414: The pro-United States Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico ( Partido Popular Democratico , or PPD) in 1938. With the $ 35 million in allotted federal funds it received in late 1935, the PRRA instituted a variety of initiatives that were mostly experimental in nature, but geared toward changing the Puerto Rican socioeconomic infrastructure. In the early years of its existence, the PRRA's projects included

3264-414: The promotion of locally sourced industrial and agricultural development with the hope of raising the overall Puerto Rican standard of living. Plan Chardón was never officially enacted, as it did not receive the required approval of the U.S. secretary of agriculture. Further thwarting its implementation were questions of financing and the lobbying of U.S. sugar companies. Critics such as Albizu Campos claimed

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3328-451: The quality of drinking water. The electrification program also helped to create the infrastructure for the future urban industrialization efforts under Operation Bootstrap . Although another initial intention of Chardón-influenced PRRA was to seek enforcement of the 500-acre law and aid in land distribution among Puerto Rican citizens, the agency took no steps in this regard as it was not within its legal power to do so. Legal enforcement of

3392-504: The radical labor organizing leadership of Puerto Rican nationalists Albizu Campos and Jose Enamorado Cuesta who also called for independence from the United States. These factors combined with the economic fallout of the depression prompted the Roosevelt Administration to create relief, recovery and reconstruction policies specifically aimed at Puerto Rico. The first New Deal agency created to improve conditions in Puerto Rico

3456-441: The relative rarity of these lizards compared to other lizards in Puerto Rico. This suggests these lizards form a monogamous pair because of the unlikely probability that these lizards are found in pairs by chance. A. occultus is preyed upon by birds, snakes, and spiders because of their elevated perches in the forest canopy. The adult Loggerhead Kingbird is a very common predator to these lizards and can attack them on branches off

3520-518: The same as per capita income from 1930. From its inception other problems such as minor financial mismanagement, opposition from members of the U.S. Congress and sugar companies also plagued the PRRA, and it was also criticized by the Puerto Rican Republican-Socialist coalition for purported political and economic corruption. Three years after its inception, statistics show that PRRA expenditures often benefitted business interests in

3584-529: The sky is visible. It seems that the lizards would therefore also occupy the clearing in edges of the forest but this has not been indicated by any research. A. occultus is primarily insectivorous preying on insects smaller than itself. It has also one of the Anolis species that is nectavorous. This species can perch on twigs and vines and consume nectar from flower buds on the Camasey Almendro plant. The anole

3648-407: The sleeping position with their head to the outside of the perch to enable approaching predator detection. Furthermore, the tail of A. occultus had been determined to be sensitive to vibration explaining why they wrap their tails around their perches. Besides stabilization, they can detect the vibration of approaching predators through their perch and flee in time. When captured, these lizards release

3712-555: The start of the Great Depression led to increased labor unrest in Puerto Rico, which alarmed American officials and business interests. Beginning in August 1933 and lasting through the next two years, numerous violent strikes broke out among roughly 16,000 workers in the textile, stevedore, tobacco, taxi, and sugar industries and boycotts were called against American petroleum and electric corporations. American officials were also alarmed by

3776-461: The throat, which is unique to this species. The mostly closely related lizards by similarity in features include A. fuscoauratus, A. Chloris, and  A maculiventris . A. occultus is a slender lizard with a downwards sloping snout and very short limbs. This anole is a small lizard averaging only 1.25 inches in snout to vent length. In contrast to other anole species, both sexes of A. occultus look identical in appearance. The tail of A. occultus

3840-421: Was crafted by assistant secretary of agriculture, Rexford G. Tugwell , University of Puerto Rico rector Carlos Chardón , and Puerto Rican Liberal Party senator Luis Muñoz Marín . Entitled Plan Chardón, it called for the restructuring and decolonization of the Puerto Rican economy through the government acquisition of private U.S. sugar company land and mills. The acreage and production sites were to be taken under

3904-582: Was forced to limit the services of or close numerous health care clinics, hospitals, and schools. Puerto Rico's location in the Caribbean and proximity to the United States, the Panama Canal, and Cuba made a place of strategic importance during World War II and the Cold War. Although the PRRA continued to receive aid from Washington, D.C. until 1955, most of its funding was directed toward the military fortification of

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3968-399: Was leveled on surplus crops and served to increase food prices for Puerto Rican families who were already at a financial breaking point. The PRERA's primary successes came with its implementation of disease control measures, the building highway infrastructure, and in its distribution of food to needy families. In 1934, recognizing a need for long term economic recovery and reform, a proposal

4032-834: Was one of the alphabet agencies of the New Deal established by the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt . Created on May 28, 1935, the PRRA's first directors included American journalist and politician Ernest Gruening and Puerto Rican educator and politician Carlos Chardón . Falling under the authority of the Department of the Interior and the Farm Security Administration (FSA) its primary goals were to establish long term economic stability in Puerto Rico during

4096-680: Was the Puerto Rico Emergency Relief Administration (PRERA) in 1933. The PRERA worked under the authority of the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) and through matching grants would provide direct relief funding and the creation of jobs through public works initiatives. Under its directors, the Roosevelt appointee James Bourne , and the island's governor, the American Robert H. Gore ,

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