Mo Ganji: Finca Ceres Anole | Finca-Ceres-Anolis | Anolis juangundlachi | No. 076/250 from work group 8/99

Finca Ceres Anole | Finca-Ceres-Anolis | Anolis juangundlachi

Mo Ganji’s single line engages the Finca Ceres anole — a small arboreal lizard adapted to humid forest understories — through a gesture of reduction that brings presence into focus without explanation. The continuous line offers a sparse indication of form, enough to suggest a living being while remaining open to other interpretations. In this economy of means, essence emerges where descriptive certainty is withheld.

Anolis juangundlachi is listed as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List. Endemic to Puerto Rico, the species is known from a limited number of localities, including the area around Finca Ceres from which it takes its name. It inhabits shaded forest habitats and relies on stable microclimatic conditions, making it sensitive to environmental change.

The primary threats include habitat loss and fragmentation from development, agriculture and deforestation, as well as the degradation of forest structure that alters humidity and temperature regimes. Because the species has a restricted range and specific habitat requirements, even localized disturbances can significantly affect population viability.

Ganji’s single line allows the anole to be encountered beyond its taxonomic label or ecological role. It invites attention to a presence that exists prior to naming, gently reminding us that the distinctions we draw between ourselves and other forms of life are conceptual constructions — and that our own existence remains inseparably woven into the same ecological fabric we continue to modify.