A mostly grey to olive-brown bodied lizard, A. occultus is the smallest of the Puerto Rican anoles with a snout to vent length of 34–42 mm.

[2][3] In comparison to other twig anoles, A. occultus is extremely cryptic through its unique sleeping behaviors and mottled pattern.

A. occultus has the ability to change color with ease and become slightly darker or lighter in a short period of time.

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.

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.

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 the sky is visible.

This species can perch on twigs and vines and consume nectar from flower buds on the Camasey Almendro plant.

[6] A. occultus is an oviparous lizard meaning it produces young by laying eggs that are hatched later.

[7] 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 have been observed selecting perches higher in the forest canopy at night in order to reduce the probability of predator encounter.

They tend to occupy sleeping sites that are both higher and less stable than their daytime perches to reduce nocturnal predation.

However, Puerto Rico's Department of Natural and Environmental Resources' (DNER) suggests that the conservation status should be 'Data Deficient'.

[10] 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.

For the effective conservation of A. occultus, research on the degree of deforestation and how this is damaging these lizard's habitat is required.

Introduced predators include raccoons, domestic animals, and feral cats, which prove particularly harmful to the A. occultus population.

[11] 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.

Rural to urban migration and industrialization of a former agricultural economy has resulted in the regeneration of Puerto Rican forests.

They are very specific in the vegetation they require to be able to select suitable perches and bask in direct sunlight underneath the openings in the canopy.