The Green anole (Anolis carolinensis) and the Brown anole (Anolis sagrei) have very similar captive care requirements and so are both covered in the this care sheet. The green anole is an arboreal species of lizard, which means that it lives above the ground in trees. The brown anole is a slightly more terrestrial species, although it will climb in given the chance. Neither species get very big, adults measure around 13-20cm (5-8in) in length.
Housing: Anoles require a tall vivarium so that they have enough space to climb. A vivarium measuring 90 x 60 x 30cm is recommended for a group of 5 anoles. Males should not be housed together, as they are territorial and can be very aggressive towards one another. The vivarium should be heated using a spot lamp (eg:Naturerep Hot Spot), and the basking area should reach a temperature of around 30 degrees Celsius (86F) during the day, and can drop to around 20 degrees Celsius (68F) at night. Position the lamp so that the lizards cannot reach it and potentially burn themselves. Ultra violet light is necessary to assist the healthy growth of these lizards. If the anoles do not get access to ultra violet light, then metabolic bone disease (MBD) will occur. A UVB 5.0% fluorescent tube (e.g. Triton Reptile or Zoomed Reptisun 5.0) should be positioned above the lizards basking area. The anoles require quite a moist, humid environment, which means that an all glass tank is recommended to house these lizards. We recommend Belgium Aqua Terra Design Terrariums. Good ventilation is needed in the vivarium due to the high humidity requirements. Real plants are best to use as décor in the tank, and these should be quite bushy in order to provide enough hiding spots for the lizard. Many different substrates can be used, including Coco Humus, leaf litter and a high quality bark chip eg: Naturerep Jungle Bark.
Feeding: Anoles are insectivores, which means that their diet consists totally of insects.Small to medium sized crickets are an ideal food to make up the bulk of these little lizards diet. These should be fed at least twice and week and a small surplus amount should present in the vivarium at all times. The crickets should be dusted with a vitamin supplement daily (eg:Vitarep), and a D3 calcium powder (eg:Calcimax) once a week, or twice weekly for babies and ovulating females. Another type of insect that may be offered to anoles are wax worms, but these are very fatty and so should not be fed on a regular basis. Mealworms should be avoided, as they can bite and injure the lizard, and may pass through these reptiles system undigested. The anoles enclosure should be misted everyday, as anoles prefer to drink water droplets from leaves rather than drink from a bowl, however, a bowl or fresh, clean water should be provided at all times.
Recommended reading:Care and Maintanace of Anoles – Herp Library series
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