That Reptile Blog – Reptile, Amphibian and Exotic Pet Care and Information

Please see Part I and Part II of this article for further information on Green Anole care. For Green Anole Natural History, Check out here.

Social Grouping

Keeping Several Males Together

Male anoles usually establish territories of at least 4 ft x 4 ft x 4 ft in captivity, so “one male only” is the rule in most home situations.   However, establishing 2 males in a suitably large enclosure is a worthwhile undertaking if at all possible.  If enough space is provided so that each can establish a territory, the males will display vigorously but will largely avoid physical contact (if crowded, the dominant animal will attack the other).  The presence of a competitor for female attentions may spur the males to breed as well.

Be sure to keep at least 3-4 females per male when attempting multi-male exhibits, as their presence may divert attention from aggressive displays and combat.  Another key to success lies in providing a complex environment filled with escape routes and sight barriers.  Vines, hanging plants and inter-twined branches will go a long way in increasing the effective size of your enclosure.

The Value of Smaller Pets and Zoo Animals

Observing anoles in colony-type situations will provide you with insights not possible in single-animal terrariums.  I have always preferred to keep smaller animals that could be well-provided for in captivity, as it is from these that we can truly get a feel for how life is conducted in the wild.

In a zoo or at home, one can more easily provide a “complete environment” for an anole than for an alligator.   Surrounded by creatures from all over the world during my years working for the Bronx Zoo, it was to those creatures most able to carry out a full range of behaviors that I was drawn.  I learned far more sitting in a greenhouse watching a colony of nearly “free-living” green anoles than I did in  front of multi-million dollar exhibits that, for all their good qualities, provided rhinos, bears, gorillas and other large mammals only a minimal replication of their wild habitats.

Female Dominance

Female green anoles will also establish a dominance hierarchy, based largely upon size. Those at the top may inhibit others from feeding and basking, so be sure to offer numerous basking and feeding opportunities and sight barriers.

Immature males are difficult to distinguish from females.  Watch smaller animals as they mature and remove any males, as these will be attacked by the adult male (please see Part I of this article for tips on distinguishing the sexes).

Compatible Species

Anoles, if given enough room, are ideally suited for community terrariums.  In the wild, they dwell in “edge habitats” (areas where 2 distinct habitat types meet) such as meadow-forest borders, and in the ecologically similar overgrown fields and gardens.  Habitat borders and edges usually support a greater variety of animals than do the interiors of either associated habitat.

The moderate temperatures and humidity levels favored by green anoles are suitable for a wide range of other interesting creatures.  It is often difficult to house amphibians and reptiles in the same enclosure, due to the great differences in their requirements, but green anoles uniquely span this gap.

Mixed-Species Considerations

When maintaining a mixed group of animal species, always provide more space than would be required for the same number of individuals in a single-species terrarium.  Be sure also to keep in mind the different feeding strategies of each.  For example, American toads will likely gobble up all non-climbing insects before anoles even begin to feed. On the other hand, anoles will leave no food for nocturnal hunters, such as green treefrogs, if all feeding is done during the day (the solution is to add a portion of the diet after the lights have gone out).

Click: The Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis carolinensis) in the Wild and Captivity – Care in Captivity Part I, to read the first part of this article.

Light, Heat and Humidity
Green anoles rarely live for long if maintained without full spectrum lighting. If a florescent bulb is used, be sure that all animals can bask within 12 inches of it (within 20 inches of the Zoo Med 10.0 UVB Bulb). These lizards are completely diurnal and most active in bright sun, and UVA and UVB are essential if they are to thrive and reproduce. Horizontal and diagonal branches are preferred over vertical perches as basking sites.

Zoo Med’s High Output 10.0 Florescent Bulb is a fine source of UVB light for green anoles. The Zoo Med Reptile Halogen Bulb is ideal for providing UVA, along with heat for the basking site. For larger cages, a Mercury Vapor Bulb will supply UVB over a greater distance than will a florescent bulb.

The ambient air temperature should be 84-87 F, with a basking spot of
92-95 F. Over-night temperatures can dip to the low-mid 70’s, assuming the animals are in good health (use a ceramic heater or Reptile Nightlight Bulb if supplementary nighttime heating is required).

Green anoles prefer moderate to high humidity levels, but need to bask and dry out as well. The terrarium should be misted twice daily, more often if needed to combat the drying influence of incandescent bulbs. A screen top should be used to ensure adequate air circulation.

Feeding
Crickets and Commercially Available Insects
A “cricket only” diet, while convenient, should be avoided. I have found that a varied diet is vital for long-term maintenance of green anoles. When using crickets, be sure to select only half-grown or smaller animals for adult anoles, as they are prone to blockages when fed adult crickets. The crickets should themselves be well fed before being offered to your pets.

Small roaches, waxworms, butterworms and mealworm beetles should also be provided. Anoles are often reluctant to come to the ground to feed, so provide these insects in a cup suspended among the branches. Pinch off several legs of the roaches in order to keep them confined – being nocturnal, they will likely escape notice if released into the terrarium. Only small, newly molted (white in color) mealworms should be fed to green anoles, and these not more than once monthly.

Wild Caught Insects – the most important part of the diet
Wild caught insects (i.e. collected via Zoo Med’s Bug Napper) should be provided often. Anoles under my care have been particularly fond of moths, flies, tree crickets, hairless caterpillars, harvestmen (“daddy longlegs”) and small spiders. During the warmer months of the year, I collect nearly all of the invertebrates that I give to insectivorous reptiles, but even an occasional wild-caught insect will be of great value to your pet. The Bug Napper is indispensible in this regard. Small silkworms and house flies should be ordered from insect suppliers periodically.

Canned Insects
In order to increase dietary variety, anoles should be acclimated to tong feeding and offered canned grasshoppers, silkworms and other commercially-available insects.

Nectar and Water
Wild anoles of various species have been observed lapping at sap and nectar, although in my experience not all green anoles do so in captivity. The following mixture, suspended in cups set among the branches, should be offered weekly:
1/3 jar papaya, apricot or mixed fruit baby food
1 teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon liquid bird vitamins or powdered reptile vitamins
Water sufficient to achieve syrupy a consistency

Anoles will not drink water from bowls (some will if the water is kept in motion by an air stone); their enclosure should be misted twice daily.

Frequency of Feeding
Green anoles have fairly high metabolisms and do best on small frequent feedings – meals should be provided daily or every other day. This is especially important in group situations, where competition may limit feeding opportunities for some animals. The food of adults should be sprinkled with a reptile vitamin/mineral supplement twice weekly.

Green anoles are taken for granted – while not “easy”, they are manageable with a bit of effort, and may well turn out to be one of your most interesting lizard-keeping endeavors. I’ll continue with their captive care next time.

Please see Green Anole Natural History for information concerning the natural history of the green anole and its relatives.

General
Green anoles became a US pet trade staple in the 1960’s and early 70’s. Labeled “chameleons” due to their color-changing abilities, millions were collected in Florida and Louisiana and sold at circuses, fairs, pet stores and through the mail. In time, they became the “first lizard” for a generation of budding herpetologists. A host of grossly inappropriate supplies (including lapel chains!) and husbandry techniques assured most of the unfortunate creatures a short and unhappy captive existence.

My Less-Than-Promising Start
I remember well purchasing a green anole (packaged, oddly enough, in a small pie box) at the famous Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey Circus at Madison Square Garden in the early 60’s. I knew enough to bypass the recommended diet of “sugar water and dried ant eggs” but was ignorant of the beast’s UVB requirements. I did, however, gather that it craved sunlight, and during one basking trip the lizard escaped up a caterpillar- laden apple tree where, I hope, it at least enjoyed the NYC spring and summer.

A Bit Delicate, but Well-Worth the Effort
Green anoles do reasonably well in captivity but are not the hardy, “starter lizards” they are often proclaimed to be. They are prone to stress-related ailments, require careful attention to the diet, and are quite sensitive to light, temperature and humidity levels.

That being said, I feel that their potential is largely ignored – a properly maintained group will readily display numerous social interactions, and makes as active and interesting a lizard exhibit as can be imagined. What’s more, establishing a colony of green anoles in such a situation is well within the financial and space constraints of many pet keepers, which cannot be said of most lizard species.

My co-workers at the Bronx Zoo frowned when I began adding green anoles to several large exhibits, but they (the lizards, not co-workers!) quickly became crowd pleasers. Even in an exhibit housing 2 huge water moccasins, it was the leaping, displaying anoles that drew most of the public’s attention.

Enclosure and Physical Environment
Green anoles are highly arboreal and will prefer the upper reaches of their enclosure. Branches of various thicknesses and orientations should be provided, along with plentiful sight barriers in the form of suspended live or artificial plants.

Despite their small size, green anoles require a good deal of room, as they are very active and are easily stressed by tight quarters or if confined too closely to one another. Ideally, a trio should be provided with a well-planted, 20 gallon aquarium.

Males are intolerant of each other. If several females are kept, horizontal and diagonally oriented basking sites (these are preferred over vertical branches) should be plentiful, as dominant animals will exclude others from these important areas.

Anoles do best in complex exhibits, especially those with live plants. They are quite easy on live plants, and really do look at their best when among them. Snake plants, pothos, Philodendron, peace lilies and many others will be well-used by these little gymnasts, and the areas between large leaves make naturalistic nocturnal retreats.

Arboreal shelters, in the form of cork bark and hanging plants, should be provided. These and similar sight barriers are important, as females will establish a dominance hierarchy, and subordinate animals may be inhibited from feeding or basking, even absent outright aggression.

The substrate should hold a bit of moisture but not be soggy. I recently used Exo-Terra Jungle Earth with a covering of Compressed Frog Moss and dead leaves in a public exhibit, and am pleased with the results. You can also use Keeper’s Choice Red Cypress, Exo-terra Forest Bark or Coconut Husk, with any type of moss mixed in.

Click here: The Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis carolinensis) in the Wild and Captivity – Care in Captivity Part 2, to read the rest of this article.