Green Anoles

Introduction
    Anoles are often referred to “New World” chameleons for their ability to change colors. They are, however, not a real species of chameleons. They are actually part of the iguanid family. They are...

found in warm tropical regions such as the Caribbean and the coastal southeast of the United States.

Choosing a Specimen
    Anoles are abundant in the pet trade since they are easily collected. Since they can easily be obtained from the wild, there is little demand for captive bred specimens. The capturing and shipping can be very stressful on an anole and it is therefore important that you choose a healthy specimen.
    When choosing an anole, try to get one displaying a green color. If the animal is constantly brown it could be a signal that the animal is stressed or that it is not being properly cared for. Observe the base of the tail and the rest of the body. Make sure it does not appear emaciated. A healthy anole should have a good buildup of fat at the base of the tail. The anole should be alert and seem to be constantly searching for its next meal. Anoles will rarely be on the ground so don’t choose one that seems to be “asleep” on the ground. This could be a sign that they are close to death. The eyes should not be sunken in because this may be a sign that the animal is dehydrated.


Housing
    Anoles are very easy lizards to house. A sexed pair can easily be kept in a 10-gallon aquarium, though, as with almost every reptile, bigger is always better. Be careful when putting two males together because they might end up fighting. These fights will most likely cause little to no harm but it will put undue stress on both of the animals.
    The cage should contain numerous logs and fake and real plants. These should be arranged throughout the cage giving the anoles places to hide and in return giving the viewer an eye-pleasing scene.

Heating and Lighting
    Anoles will benefit from full-spectrum UVB lighting 12-14 hours a day. A heat lamp should be provided to create a basking spot of about 90 degrees F. The rest of the cage should range from 78 on the cool end to 85 on the warm end. A heating pad can be provided to help warm the overall temperature in the cage though the anoles will probably never directly use it.

Humidity
    Anoles are from a semi-tropical to tropical regions and will enjoy an environment where the humidity is from 60-70%.

Water
    Most anoles will not drink form a water dish so you will have to use a different method. One method is using a spray bottle and misting the cage with dechlorinated water two to three times a day. Another option is setting up a drip system where it drips over the live plant and thus waters it also. This can be as cheap as placing a few ice cubes on top of the screen and letting them melt. Another more expensive method is actually buying or creating your own mist system.

Food
    Anoles are easy to feed and will consume a variety of different insects. The main portion of their diet should be comprised of crickets. They are voracious eaters and can easily consume 3 or 4 crickets a day. This may not seem like a lot but if you are planning to have more than one anole, the cost can quickly add up. Appropriately sized mealworms and waxworms can be offered also to the anoles. These worms should be offered in a dish to ensure that they will not be able to crawl down into the substrate and hide.

Substrate
    Cage carpet is probably the best choice for a substrate. With cage carpet you will not have to worry about your anole accidentally ingesting a piece of bark that may cause intestinal impaction. Intestinal impaction can easily lead to death. Another reason to use cage carpet is because crickets can easily hide in the bark and escape you anole.

Supplies
·    10-gallon tank
·    Cage carpet
·    Fake plants
·    Live plant (pothos works well)
·    Spray bottle
·    Crickets
·    Mealworms
·    Mealworm dish
·    Vitamin dust
·    Calcium dust
·    Flourescent light fixture
·    Full spectrum UVB fluorescent bulb
·    Heat Lamp fixture
·    Heat Lamp bulb (100Watt)
·    2x Thermometers
·    1x Hygrometer