top of page

2- wikiHow to Care for Green Anole Lizards:

courtesy to :  www.wikihow.com/Care-for-Green-Anole-Lizards

 

Odds are, you will probably see this type of lizard in your garden. Green anoles are very common, and they enjoy sitting on branches of large, leafy plants. A delightful small lizard, the green anole (Anolis carolinensis) makes a popular choice for an easy care reptile pet. They're the kind of pet that will entertain you with their busy antics during daylight and their beautiful color is lovely to behold. A green anole has a life expectancy between 4 to 8 years and while that's a daily commitment for the upcoming years, they are reasonably easy to care for provided you get the set-up correct (which requires a bit of expenditure). This article explains the ins and outs of green anole care including shelter, food and keeping them happy in their artificial environment.


9-If you want to hold your anole and it bites you, don't panic and don't jerk or you will break its jaw!

o

Steps :


1-Prepare the artificial environment before purchasing the green anole. The size of the container used will be dependent on whether you're keeping one anole or a community of anoles. A typical container will be a tall vivarium or a tank. Inside the vivarium, be sure to supply plenty of plants (either real or artificial, or a mixture of both) and basking items such as branches or smooth rocks.

 

  • For a community consisting of one male and four females (known as a "harem"), the size of the container should be approximately 36 x 24 x 12 inches or 90 x 60 x 30cm. The height of the container is important, to allow for climbing around.

  • Fill the vivarium or tank evenly one or more inches or 2.5-5 centimeters with sterilized reptile bark big enough that it cannot fit in the anole's mouth. Never use unsterilized bark or floor covering you're not sure about; ask the pet store or your vet for advice if you're unsure.

  • Always use a tank cover. Other pets (like cats) like to 'play' with anoles and this usually means death for an escaped anole.

2- Provide a suitable temperature range for the anoles. Anoles need to be in a daily temperature range of approximately 75-86ºF / 24–30ºC. Use full spectrum lighting to ensure the healthy development of both anoles and the live plants. The nighttime temperature can drop to 68ºF / 20ºC but no lower.

  • A fluorescent 40 watt bulb will create the right temperature during the day but must be turned off at night and replaced with a black light.

  • Like people, anoles can fall asleep in the sun for longer than they intended to. While they like long days, you should still put a timer on their grow light so that it is on for 12 hours a day, so they can get 12 hours of darkness but there needs to be a black light on during the night as they will freeze if no warmth is added.

  • High humidity levels are important too, achieved through regular misting and perhaps a dripper or a water feature. Also be sure to supply adequate fresh air.

3- Decide on how many anoles you will keep. It's easiest to keep one anole and if you want more than one, you will need to be careful to only have one male in the one vivarium at any time as males fight. Moreover, unless you want to start breeding, avoid a male and female combination; opting for two females is likely to be the best; usually females do fine together, and may "snuggle" up to one another occasionally. If you're breeding anoles, the harem is ideal with four females and one male.

  • When younger, it is sometimes difficult to determine the sex of your lizards. Males always have a throat fan (or dewlap) underneath their throat that inflates into a red frill for mating/territory display on occasion. When older, males are typically larger and have longer snouts than females. Males also will have two large "scales" on their stomach at the base of their tail. Males have two bumps on the bottom base of the tail and females have only one or none. Males also tend to be more colorful than females.

  • Be aware that not everyone agrees that anoles are sociable enough to live in a close vivarium or tank community where they can't get away from each other. Some people believe that anoles should be kept separate from one another in different tanks or containers. This type of setup is more comfortable for the individuals inhabiting the tanks, and not as unnatural, therefore, it is less stressful and more healthy for the anoles. However, if you do keep them in the one vivarium, always provide many basking spots so as to avoid competition. And be aware, that unless it's breeding season, opposite sex anoles may be very stressed if kept in a single container; talk to your vet if you have any concerns.

4- Purchase an anole. Choose a reputable place to buy the anole from and be sure that you can check the anole before purchase. When buying an anole, make sure to check for parasites, sluggishness, and their body weight. This latter can be ascertained by looking for obvious ribs showing. An unhealthy anole will have sunken-in cheek areas and will look much like a skeleton with skin. Make sure that your anole is in a tank of it's own when you buy it, or check the others for signs of stress, parasites, loose droppings, missing tails, and coloration. A green colored anole is less stressed out, and therefore a healthier specimen. (Slow anoles may just be cold, or it may be too hot. It all depends on their surroundings.)

  • Use common sense when choosing a new pet. Don't pick the smallest, skinniest anole because you "feel bad for him." Chances are you'll feel worse for him when you have to bury him in a shoe box in your garden.

5-Feed and water the anoles. Anoles are insectivores and the size of insects they'll eat ranges from small to medium. Anoles need a minimum of twice weekly feeding and preferably every 2 to 3 days, or ask for advice from your vet. If you have more than one anole, it is vital that you keep an eye to see that each anole gets several insects every feeding. The food must be live – canned foods will not be eaten since it is lifeless and won't compete with your anole – so here are some suggestions on what to feed:

  • Feed crickets. One meal anoles enjoy is cricket; buy the smallest cricket offered, and if there is only "one size" at a pet store, go to a different one. Dust the crickets with a supplement powder at each feeding to help ensure the anoles get enough calcium and vitamins (anoles missing the key nutrients can get metabolic bone disease (MBD) and die). If you keep crickets around in bulk, "gut-load" them by feeding them a vitamin rich cricket food prior to feeding them to your lizards. This way, all of the nutritious food your crickets just ate will then, in turn, be passed on to your anole. Equally, if your crickets are starved, your anole soon will be too. Baby anoles (should you be breeding them) require micro crickets or tiny fruit flies.

  • Occasional fast prey like small cockroaches or flies will give your lizards some much needed exercise.

  • Anoles may also eat waxworms, fruit flies, small worms, canned crickets, small spiders, or earthworms.

  • Avoid feeding anoles with mealworms. These pass through them undigested, wasting energy in eating and not getting any energy from the food.

  • Anoles prefer to get their water in the form of droplets off plants. As such, daily misting is an essential activity in the vivarium. Mist both the anoles and the plants for 10 seconds 2 to 3 times a day. If you can't remember to do this or don't want to, have an automated mister or drip system installed.

  • Green anoles like to have their food in separate quarters than their homes unless it's feeding time. This way the "leftovers" won't munch on your lizard while he's asleep and medium to large crickets can eat the anole's extremities. If you place the crickets in a low feeding dish, make sure the crickets you put in the container aren't hiding under food bowls and such and your anole will be thankful that they aren't ganging up on him in the night! If they're small enough, they probably won't bother your anole but some owners of anoles advise to never release or leave crickets loose in the tank with the lizard but rather to place them in a separate container, move the anole to the container for 5–10 minutes to eat and then move the anole back to his tank when done.

  • The anole must have proper vitamins and calcium; since it eats feeder insects all of the lizards extra nutrients must be contained in those insects. Give the lizard UVB light (full spectrum) so the anole can regulate its vitamin balance. Make sure it's rated for the tank size and the anole. (Replace these special bulbs every few months even if they are still producing light. After a while they will stop making UVA and UVB.)

6- Keep the vivarium or tank cleaned regularly. Reptiles in captivity are susceptible to germs and debris that builds up over time in their containers. It is important to maintain and clean their home regularly, at least weekly. And leftover, uneaten food should always be removed after mealtime.

  • To make tank cleaning easier, try putting a sheet of plastic down before you put in the substrate.

7-Keep a watch out for health problems and be active about averting any potential concerns. Some anoles will get infections on their snout along the mouth. This can be cleaned by gingerly and delicately wiping the snout with a cotton swab barely wetted in either hydrogen peroxide or Neosporin® (an antibiotic ointment) or ask your vet for a reptile-suitable product. Do not do this more than once a day and not for more than a few days. Don't force the treatment on them though; if they try to dodge you, let them, as it is likely that the stress of this procedure will harm them more. Instead, try keeping the container cleaner, and maybe drier if it happens to be too moist.

  • Kill any red spider mites that you see in the tank. An insecticidal soap can be made out of ivory soap shavings, tepid water, and vegetable oil shaken in a spray bottle. They are to anoles what ticks are to us.

  • Make sure to get rid of any mold growth the second you see it! Don't hesitate by "waiting to see what happens" because your anole will suffer and probably die.

8-Handle with care. It is possible to handle an anole and even have it eat from your hand. The anole may learn to sit on your hand in exchange for a treat but don't put the anole there. Instead, allow it to crawl onto your hand of its own volition, as this is much less stressful for it. Also bear in mind that anoles move very fast and are very agile, so don't handle it anywhere it might escape from. On the whole though, an anole is much more of a pet for watching than for holding, so keep handling to a minimum.

  • If you need to move an anole (and this may be for feeding and cleaning purposes at the very least), be very gentle. Grip firmly but very gently and move him without delay.

  • Always wash your hands after handling the green anole, as with any reptile or pet. In addition, wash your hands after handling any bedding or tank decorations to prevent the spread of salmonella. While this disease won't usually show on a reptile (more often the aquatic species like turtles will carry salmonella) and you are usually safe when dealing with arboreal "live off the ground" creatures like the green anole, better safe than sorry.

Tips :

 

  • Although these lizards are cheap to buy, keep in mind that they are not cheap in the needs department. They will need special heating/lighting setups, weekly cricket purchases (if you don't breed your own), vitamin supplements, special watering techniques, and their tanks or containers will need weekly maintenance and cleaning. Be sure that the budget stretches to all this!

  • Anoles only develop fat reserves in their tail. Ergo an anole with a fat tail is a well-fed anole.

  • Much of this advice applies to other anoles (of which there are about 300 species and sub species), although the brown anole prefers a more terrestrial habitat than the green anole (thus, give it a wider rather than taller container).

  • If you're going to feed your anole earth worms, try home grown worms or compost worms due to the fact the worms could have eaten something bad for the anole.

  • Anoles don't drink from a bowl, like most pets, They like to sip from a source of flowing water.

  • If you catch yours please don't just take them without a plan. They are not the easiest to take care of but you can try to take care of them if you would like. There are also brown anoles that are much easier to catch.

  • If you always drop the anoles food in the same location, they will involuntarily learn this and expect their food to be dropped there.

  • Males often chase females around the tank during mating season but it is often the female who will decide when coitus occurs and will decide when to approach the male. While the males stress out the females, they rarely hurt the females. However, the stress should be avoided, so remove the male from the tank when it's not breeding season.

  • Small crickets go down easier than large ones. Be careful of too many excess crickets so they do not bite at the anoles. Spiders such as daddy long legs help the anoles exercise, but offer limited nutrition.

  • Waxworms are nice treats for your anole and have a high fat content. They are great additions to the diet of any anole. Mealworms are a nice crunchy treat. They, however, can be hard on the digestive system for green anoles, so should be given infrequently.

Things You'll Need :

 

  • At least a 10 gallon (37.9 L), preferably a 20 gallon (75.7 L) aquarium with a full metal-mesh lid (for strength and ventilation)

  • At least one bag of substrate

  • A water spray bottle that has never been used for anything else

  • Decorations that allow hiding and basking spots

  • A heat lamp with an appropriate wattage bulb (specially rated with the proper amounts of UVA/UVB etc.)

  • At least one potted plant or fake plant strong enough for the anole to rest on

  • At least one branch (preferably more) the length of the aquarium, for climbing

  • A small shelter for privacy, such as half of a coconut shell with an opening

  • A thermometer on each end of the enclosure

  • A hydrometer

  • Vitamin powder for sprinkling on crickets

  • Cricket chow

  • A place to temporarily house crickets, so you can gut-load them prior to feeding your anole. (Remember to give them a wedge of fruit to provide moisture without them drowning in a bowl. They will also eat fruits and vegetables if you don't have cricket food. Adding cardboard tubes not only makes their last days happier, it makes it easier to remove them from their container without touching them. Simply remove the tube and shake it into your lizard's house.)

  • Tasty juices for feeding time

Warnings :

 

  • Only feed your anoles live food; adult anoles will not attempt to eat inanimate objects, and they will starve.

  • Flies alone cannot provide the lizards with fat. They will slowly starve to death much as humans did on all-rabbit diets in frontier times.

  • Do not rely solely on a water dish for your lizards' hydration; anoles will usually not drink from pools of still water. Furthermore, small hatchlings often drown in any amount of standing water. Frequent misting the sides of the tank or any decorations will assure that your anole gets enough to drink.

  • If you are unfamiliar with an insect species but want to feed it to your lizards, research it further until you know it is neither poisonous or has stingers. Wasps, hornets, bees, wolf-spiders, and scorpions are not suitable for anoles. Even if your anole doesn't try to eat it, they can still get hurt by being in too close proximity to the insect or arthropod in an enclosed cage.

  • UVB lighting is important particularly for calcium regulation. Without this enriched lighting the anole will grow weak and eventually die. Remember to change the UVB lighting every 9-12 months as it slowly stops producing UV rays.

  • Simply having UVB lighting will not remove the need for vitamin supplementation, nor vice versa. The captive feeder insects must hold all the nutrients the lizard will get!

  • They don't have a good immune system at all. Double check to make sure anything you feed them doesn't have pesticides because they have almost no white blood cells (basically immune system).

  • Do not put more than one male in a tank. They will fight constantly over the limited territory. Don't forget that they are naturally loners, male anoles in particular, so even if you have two it's still "overcrowding" in their eyes if their vivariums are facing.

  • Keep in mind that the majority of their heat and light comes from the sun shining down on them, so a heat source that radiates upwards is highly unnatural.

  • Be very careful how you heat the vivarium or tank:

    • Do not use heating rocks or caves. They often overheat, causing burns or death.

    • Avoid using "hot rocks"; they are much liked by the anoles but they can cook the lizard from the inside out from over-exposure.

    • If you use a "sun lamp" or infra red bulbs, make sure it is not sitting directly on the screen topper. Many people have lost their anoles because of them literally 'cooking' in the tank.

    • Do not use a heating pad. They are potential fire-hazards if not used with the proper tank set-ups.

Light :

 

Visible white light: In addition to heat, incandescent bulbs also provide visible white light. A combination of fluorescent and incandescent light fixtures can be used to provide visible light to all areas of the enclosure for 12-14 hours a day.

 

Ultraviolet light: In addition to heat and white light, anoles must have access to natural sunlight for good health. This is because they need a certain spectrum of ultraviolet (UV) light called UVB. UVB is necessary for the anole to make Vitamin D. No artificial light is as good as sun in providing UVB, so when the outside temperature on a sunny day is over 70°F, place your anole outside in a secure screen or wire cage with a locking door. Provide some shade and a hiding place within the enclosure. UV rays do not penetrate window glass so anoles placed in a sunny window are not receiving UV light.

 

If an anole does not have access to bright sunlight, special black lights are used to provide the UVB light. These black lights for reptiles are NOT the black light tubes used for lighting fluorescent minerals, posters, and psychedelic paraphernalia (often called BLB lights). Fish/aquarium and plant 'grow' lights, either incandescent or fluorescent, do NOT produce UVB. You need a black light, which emits light in the 290-320 nanometer range. Lights producing only UVB, and lights which produce a combination of UVB and white lights are available. ZooMed's reptile or iguana lights, and Durotest's Vita-Lite are two good products. These UVB light sources should be replaced every 6 months.

3- wikiHow to Determine the Sex of a Green Anole

courtesy  to :  www.wikihow.com/Determine-the-Sex-of-a-Green-Anole

 

 

 

 

 

 

It feeds on insects and spiders, it wiggles, it's about 5 to 8 inches (12.7 to 20.3 cm) long, and it changes color! It is a green anole, a common pet lizard native that is native to the southern United States. But is it a boy or is it a girl? It can be pretty hard to tell, especially with young anoles. However, you can figure it out by learning about the sexual dimorphisms specific to the Anolis carolinensis, and observing your lizard's appearance and behavior closely.

PART 1 :  Looking for Physical Clues

1-Determine the length of your anole. Female anoles are generally smaller than males. Adult females (12 months old and up) usually measure around five inches long, while males can grow to be up to eight inches long. Both larger females and smaller males are possible, however, so you will need more information to you’re your determination.[1]

2- Look for a stripe. Adult female anoles often have a white stripe running down the middle of the back. Not all females have the stripe, and juveniles of both sexes can have a stripe that eventually fades, so you will need to look for other signs to be certain of the sex of your lizard.[2]

 

 

3- Check the throat. Male anoles have a pink or red dewlap, or flap of skin hanging in an arc from the neck region, which they can inflate during courtship and aggression displays. Of course, some female anoles also have this dewlap, although it is often lighter in color.[3] While most anoles with a prominent dewlap are males, remember that this is still not a 100% guarantee that your anole is male.

  • Many people find it surprising that female anoles can also use their dewlaps in displays of aggression or during mating, just as males do.[4]

4- Check the tail. Carefully pick up your anole and look underneath its tale. Male anoles develop 2 larger scales, called postanal scales, at the base of the tail. This is one trait that female anoles never mimic, so if you spot these scales, you can be certain that your anole is a male.

  • Spotting the postanal scales on a young lizard can be difficult. You may need to wait until the anole is fully mature at around 12 months to know for sure.


PART 2 :Looking for Behavioral Clues


1-Look for aggressive behavior. Male anoles will often fight each other, especially if there is a female around to fight over. When male anoles fight, they display their dewlaps and open their mouths, bob their heads, and eventually lunge at one another. If they are extremely agitated, black spots will form behind their eyes.[5] The anoles will then bite and wrestle, and can fight until one submits.

  • If your anoles begin fighting like this, you will likely need to separate them to prevent serious injury.[6]

  • Female anoles will occasionally fight one another, especially if they are overcrowded, but it is less common and generally less intense.[7]

2-Watch for courtship behavior. If conditions are right in the anoles' habitat, they will breed in captivity between April and September. If a female is present, male anoles will often make courtship displays that include bobbing their heads rapidly up and down and flaring their dewlaps. Males will also aggressively charge females and try to catch them by the scruff of the neck. [8]

  • Courtship and aggression displays begin in a similar fashion, but usually end very differently. If you see this kind of behavior in your anoles, observe them closely to see which is happening. If they are fighting, you will likely need to separate them.

3- Catch them in the act. Catching your anoles in the act of mating is a pretty decisive way to determine the sex of your lizards. Should you spot them twined together mating, the one on top is the male, and the one on the bottom is the female.[9]

  • Observing an anole lay an egg is also a clear sign that your lizard is a female!

4- Green Anoles (Anolis carolinensis) Species Profile: Housing, Diet, and Care :

courtesy to :  www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=17+1796&aid=3304

 

The Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) is one of the most familiar lizards in North America. There are more than 300 species of anoles throughout the world, over half of which are found in North, Central, and South America. The Green Anole is the only anole native to the United States. Although they are not closely related to true chameleons, Green Anoles are often referred to as "chameleons" or the "American Chameleon" due to their ability to change color.

Natural environment :

 

Native to the United States, the Green Anole is found in the southeastern states from North Carolina to Florida and across to Texas. Green Anoles are arboreal lizards, mostly keeping to trees and shrubs, and will find their way to fences and walls.

 

Physical characteristics :

 

Green Anoles are small lizards that grow to 5-8" in length. They have a long tail, long claws, and are lighter in color around the throat and neck.

 

Green Anoles have the ability to change color among shades of green and brown. These color changes are not used for camouflage; they are used to reflect stress or to communicate. For example, a content Green Anole is green. When active, they tend to be bright green. When they are cold or displaying social subordinance, they will turn brown. When aggressive, they will be bright green with a dark brown patch behind the eyes.

 

Male Green Anoles have a throat fan, or dewlap, that ranges from pink to white in color. During courtship and territorial disputes, muscles extend the throat fan for a colorful visual display.

 

Green Anoles live approximately 3-6 years.

 

Housing :

 

A vivarium, a container similar to an aquarium with a vented hood, is ideal housing for anoles, as it will maintain the heat and humidity required to keep anoles healthy. Generally, a ten-gallon aquarium is sufficient for two anoles. Green Anoles can be kept alone or in groups of one male and several females. Two or more males kept together without adequate space could result in territorial aggression and fighting.

 

Substrate: The substrate, the material that lines the bottom of the enclosure, should mimic the natural substrate to which anoles are accustomed. This includes slightly dampened sphagnum moss or peat moss. The moss can also be layered over an inch of pea gravel. Another method is using one to two inches of potting soil covered with bark mulch.

 

 

Landscaping and furniture: Green Anoles like to climb and bask, so logs or branches should be provided. Added cover such as rocks will benefit anoles if a number of them are kept in the same enclosure. Small plants should also be provided; nontoxic plants in the enclosure provide humidity, shade, and a sense of security as well as adding an aesthetic quality. Dragon plants (Dracaena), Ficus benjamina, and hibiscus are good choices. Be sure the plants have not been treated with pesticides and the potting soil does not contain

vermiculite, pesticides, fertilizer, or wetting agents. Washing the plant with a water spray and watering it thoroughly several times to the point where water runs out of the bottom of the pot, should help remove toxic chemicals, which may have been used. Keeping purchased plants in a different part of the house for a while before putting them in the enclosure will also be helpful.

Hygiene :

 

Maintaining a clean environment for Green Anoles is important. The enclosure, food and water bowls, fixtures, and landscaping pieces should be cleaned routinely to keep the anole healthy. Detailed instructions on how to clean a cage can be found in our article, Cleaning Reptile Cages.

 

Temperature :

 

Anoles are cold-blooded and require supplemental heat for proper digestion. If a reptile is cold, it cannot properly digest its food and is more likely to become ill. Lizards require a temperature gradient so if they are cold, they can move to a warmer part of the cage and vice versa. Two thermometers should be used, one inside and one outside the basking area, to monitor the temperatures throughout the day and night.

 

Primary heat source: A primary heat source is necessary to keep the temperature of the entire cage within the proper range. Daytime temperatures should range between 75-82°F for 12-14 hours per day. A series of incandescent lights over the cage is one of the best heat sources. At night, the temperature should not fall below 65°F. At night, these lights will need to be turned off and another heat source may be needed depending on the ambient temperature. A heating pad placed under the cage, ceramic infrared heat emitters or panels, or more expensive nocturnal reptile incandescent light bulbs which produce heat, but little visible light, can be used. For larger enclosures, a space heater or separate room thermostat can be used to keep the room at the appropriate temperature. Fire alarms should be placed in rooms where lights or other heat sources are used.

Secondary heat source: During the day, a basking area with a basking light should be provided in which temperatures range between 85-90°F during the daytime. A secondary heat source is used to create these basking areas in specific areas of the cage and help to provide a temperature gradient. To best supply this gradient, the secondary heat source should cover only 25-30% of the surface of the enclosure. The secondary heat source could be a 50-75 watt incandescent bulb in a ceramic base, securely mounted where the animal can not touch it. There are also special 'basking lights' available. Either type of light should shine down on a particular basking area from outside the cage. DO NOT USE HOT ROCKS AS HEAT SOURCES.

Glass cages, even those with a screen top, should NEVER be used when providing access to natural sunlight. Glass cages will trap heat and can cause fatally high temperatures.

Remember that UV light can not penetrate glass, so when overhead UVB light sources are used, the top of the enclosure must be a wire mesh that is not too fine. It is recommended that the UVB light source should be less than 18 inches from where the anole spends most of its time; 10-12 inches is optimal.

 

The areas illuminated by the incandescent basking light and the UV light should overlap. If the anole spends almost all his time basking under the incandescent light, and the UV light is at the other end of the cage, he is not going to receive any benefit from it.

 

Photoperiod: Green Anoles generally need 12-14 hours of light and 10-12 hours of darkness. The visible light and the UVB light source should be turned off at night to give the anole a light-dark cycle. As mentioned above, supplemental heat may need to be added.

 

In summary, a variety of lights are needed, some for heat, some for white light, and some for UVB light.

 

 

Second to the sun, the best light source is a combination of visible light from fluorescent or incandescent lights, and UVB light from special reptile black lights or combination lights.

Water and humidity :

 

In the wild, Green Anoles lap up water from leaves. Spraying the leaves of plants in the enclosure will ensure that they get the appropriate amount of water in their diet. A shallow water dish should also be provided as they may learn to drink from it. To aid in teaching them to drink from a water dish, set up a dripper bottle to drip water into the bowl. The sight and sound of dripping water will attract the anole.

 

Diet :

 

In the wild, Green Anoles eat a variety of crickets, spiders, cockroaches, moths, and grubs. Anoles are primarily insectivores, so a diet of live foods should be given. The size of the food should be no larger that half the size of the anole's head. It is also important that the food given is nutritious and keeps the anole's diet balanced. This can be achieved by feeding a varied diet and by treating the foods with supplements. Supplements include multivitamin/mineral and calcium preparations in the forms of spray-ons, powders, and foods to be fed to the insects. Some anoles may also enjoy an occasional piece of fruit.

 

Temperament and handling :

 

When they aren't searching for food, anoles spend much of their time basking. If housed properly, anoles will live peacefully and quietly together. Male anoles, however, display territorial behaviors when housed with other males. This behavior is usually aggressive, with a colorful display of his throat fan and the slow bobbing of his head and body. Aggressive behaviors rarely result in a physical attack but if kept in close proximity, the biting of noses and dorsal spines can occur.

 

Some anoles become accustomed to being gently handled, but to most anoles, handling is very stressful. Be sure the anole is used to its new home before being handled. Be consistent in the way the anole is handled and remember that it would rather hold onto you than have you hold onto it. If grabbed by the tail, an anole may 'drop it' (i.e., the tail will separate from the body, which is called autotonomy) and the tail will slowly grow back.

 

It is important to wash hands both before and immediately after handling anoles to prevent the possible transmission of bacteria and viruses to and from other anoles and yourself.

 

 

Reproduction :

 

Anoles will breed in captivity if the conditions are right. Breeding seems to be affected by photoperiod, or daylight length. Increasing photoperiods in the spring and summer months along with increased temperature and humidity play a role in inducing captive anoles to breed.

 

Breeding behavior often mimics the behavior seen in aggressive males. This includes head bobbing, throat fan display, and other body movements. When the female is receptive, she will bow her head and the male will grab her neck with his mouth.

 

The Green Anole is oviparous, or egg laying. The female does not usually prepare a nest but may make a scrape in the substrate with her nose, and deposit the egg in the indentation. From late spring throughout the summer, the female lays a single egg (rarely, two) about every two weeks in a moisture-rich area. The eggs can be removed or left in the vivarium with the adults. If removed, the eggs should be put in a damp substrate and covered. They should be kept at a temperature of 82-85°F and checked weekly to ensure the substrate remains moist. Incubation of the egg lasts less than two months, about 35-40 days.

 

Hatchlings are roughly two inches in length. They eat much more than adults and must be given a lot of small live foods treated with supplements.

 

 

 

 

 

bottom of page