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 other regions of the United States including southern Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Hawaii, North Carolina, and Southern California.

The native range of the brown anole extends over much of the Caribbean, including Jamaica, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and other countries.

[22] It is believed that these lizards were unintentionally brought to the area in cargo shipments for the Caribbean, as well as an intentional release of approximately 100 individuals in 1941.

[16][24] Although the brown anole was initially found in the Caribbean and then introduced to southern Florida, the species is now moving north.

[22] While the brown anole is an invasive species in the United States,[20] they likely do provide some benefits to their ecosystems.

[22] No concentrated efforts have been made to mitigate the spread of the brown anole populations in the United States.

[16] Studies suggest that male brown anoles exhibit territoriality over ground below perches on which they rest.

[28] Additionally, research shows that the success of an individual male anole in competition with another is dependent on his size relative to his competitor.

[31] Generally, individuals, regardless of sex, prefer to remain in their original territory as migrating poses predation risks and energetic costs.

[31] Brown anoles feed on small arthropods such as crickets, moths, ants, grasshoppers, cockroaches, mealworms, beetles, flies, earwigs, butterflies, spiders, waxworms, amphipods, and isopods.

[33] If near water, they eat aquatic arthropods or small fish – nearly any prey that will fit in their mouths.

[17][18] Occasionally, individuals will also consume figs and plant material; it might be interpreted as a hydration mechanism or accidental ingestion.

[22] The brood size of a single female brown anole is one egg, which it lays in damp environments.

[12] Sexual maturation of both males and females occurs within a year of hatching, so an individual can participate in the mating season following its birth.

[34] Dewlap extension occurs alongside a number of behaviors exhibited by the brown anole, namely during courtship.

[34] In an experiment by Richard Tokarz, an experimental group of male brown anoles underwent a surgery that rendered them unable to extend their dewlaps; a control group of male anoles were subject to the same surgery, but without the final step, so they retained the ability to extend their dewlap.

[36] There were no observations of female brown anoles seeking out different males or entering a new territory.

[36] Additionally, female brown anoles are more likely to participate in mating behaviors in the presence of precipitation.

[12] The coloration of the brown anole allows it to easily blend in with its surroundings, making it difficult for predators to spot.

[38] Brown anoles demonstrate phenotypic plasticity in this trait, akin to very rapid evolution.

In areas recently affected by hurricanes, anoles with large, strong-gripping toepads were more successful in surviving.

[41] The dewlap of the Anolis sagrei is typically a shade of red or yellow, while the rest of an individual is brown.

[42] Dewlaps are believed to be involved in mate selection, as well as communication between individual brown anoles.

The unshed layer of skin can build up around the eyes, preventing the lizard from feeding and may lead to starvation.