The green anole is a popular choice for a reptile pet.Their beautiful color is lovely to behold and they are the kind of pet that will entertain you with their antics during the day.Although caring for green anoles requires a daily commitment, they are easy to take care of, as long as you create the right living environment for them, give them adequate food, and monitor their health.
Step 1: There is a tall 10 US gal tank that can be used to house an anole.
A larger community of anoles will affect the size of the container used.For larger communities, increase the volume of the tank by 5 gallons for each additional lizard, in order to provide enough space for 2 anoles.The size of the terrarium should be 25 US gal, if you plan to house 5 anoles together.Always wear a tank cover.Cats like to play with anoles and this usually means death for an escaped anole.
Step 2: The terrarium needs to be off the ground.
Anoles live in trees and high places in the wild.Elevating your lizard tank is a good way to get them used to this lifestyle and prevent them from getting anxious.If you plan to keep your lizard in a part of your home where there is a lot of foot traffic, this is important.The lizard will be less anxious if it is in an elevated spot.When buying a tank, you should also buy a taller one, as this will allow your lizard to climb even higher, which it will definitely enjoy doing.If you want to make sure your elevated tank is secure, you should position it on a sturdy flat surface, such as a wooden table.
Step 3: Line the bottom of the tank with soil, bark or moss.
You don't need the tank to be too deep if you fill it with 2 inches of substrate.Make sure the environment is humid for your lizard by using moss, bark, or soil.If you use bark, make sure it is big enough for your anole to not choke on it.The bark should be larger than the anole's head.If you're unsure about using unsterilized bark or floor covering, ask the pet store or your vet for advice.
Step 4: You can put items in the tank that your lizard can climb.
A lot of plants and basking items such as branches and smooth rocks are required inside the terrarium.The items that your lizard can climb on are appropriate.Provide many basking spots so as to avoid competition if you are keeping more than 1 anole.Provide at least one basking spot per lizard.1 basking spot is enough if you are only keeping 1-2 lizards.If you have any concerns about opposite-sex anoles being stressed if kept in a single container, talk to your vet.Plants that aren't harmful to reptiles are added to your anole tank.If you don't know if a plant will harm your green anole, talk to your local vet or pet store representative.There is a list of plants that can be harmful to reptiles.If you don't know how clean the plants are, you should wash them thoroughly under running water.
Step 5: The temperature in the tank should be between 75F and 24C.
Anoles need to be in a daily temperature range of between 75 to 86 F, and any basking hot spots in your terrarium should be 90 to 95.The nighttime temperature is not lower than 70 F.To keep an eye on the temperature in your anole habitat, you should use 2 thermometers, one at the top of the tank and one in the bottom.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.
Step 6: The humidity in the terrarium should be at least 70%.
The green anoles are used to a warm, wet climate.To maintain adequate humidity in the tank and create a more tropical environment for your lizard, spray mist on the plant leaves inside the terrarium.Attach a hygrometer to the side of the tank to measure the humidity.The tank can be used to achieve this level of humidity.
Step 7: UVB light can be used for 14 hours a day.
Anole lizards need constant exposure to UVB lighting to ensure their metabolism runs smoothly.Keep your anole healthy by keeping it lit for 14 hours every day.If you want to expose your anole lizard to UVB light, place it outside on sunny days when the temperature is over 70 F.The lizard can't get out of the tank if there is a secure screen on top.If the temperature is high enough, you can leave the terrarium in the sun.
Step 8: The terrarium needs to be cleaned every week.
Germs and debris build up over time in the containers of reptiles in captivity, which can cause health problems.It is important to maintain and clean their home on a weekly basis.To clean the inside of the tank, use soap or dishwashing detergent.When you clean the primary terrarium, make sure to relocate your anole lizards to a separate tank with a secure lid.It will only need to be changed once every 6 months if it looks particularly dirty or has a strong odor.If you want to clean your lizard's cage, never use a cleaning product that has phenol in it.To keep the tank clean, leftover food should always be removed after dinner.You can make tank cleaning easier by putting a sheet of plastic down.This will allow you to remove dirty substrate in one smooth step and prevent stains from accumulating on the bottom of the terrarium.
Step 9: Feed the anole.
Anole lizards like to eat insects such as crickets, mealworms, and wax worms.Provide insects for each young and adult lizard in your terrarium.Place the live insects in the enclosure where the anoles can see them.Place the worms in a shallow saucer to prevent them from escaping or hiding from your lizards.The anole needs to have proper vitamins and calcium in its diet since it eats insects.If you keep crickets in bulk, feed them a cricket food rich in vitamins and minerals before feeding them to your lizards.All of the food your crickets just ate will be passed on to your anole.The supplement powder can be used to make sure the anoles get enough calcium and vitamins.Feed your anole only if it's half the size of its head.The lizards and king-worms have powerful mandibles that could hurt your anole.Anoles can also eat fruit flies, small worms, and small spiders.Small roaches or flies would give your lizards some much-needed exercise.
Step 10: Provide water for your lizards by spraying plants.
Anoles like to get their water from plant leaves.To allow your lizards to drink water this way and to make sure they have adequate water, use a spray bottle to mist both the anoles and the plants in the terrarium for 10 seconds to 2 hours a day.If you choose to put a small water dish in the terrarium, make sure it is a shallow bowl.Anoles can drown if they fall into a deep water bowl.The water level in the bowl should never be higher than the height of your lizard.
Step 11: Common health problems should be monitored.
The most common ailments afflicting anole lizards are overcrowding in their cages and lack of vitamins.If your lizard is showing signs of being deficient in vitamins, such as weight loss, mucus in the mouth and nose, and lethargy, it's time to feed it a supplement.Swelling, bumps or sores on the skin, labored breathing, and limb paralysis are some of the symptoms of deficiency.If you notice these symptoms in your lizard, contact your vet.The vet needs to be a specialist in exotic animals.The symptoms of fights breaking out between male anole lizards include bite marks on the lizard's head or back.Anoles can get infections on their snout.The snout can be cleaned with a cotton swab barely wetting in either hydrogen peroxide or an antibiotic ointment.It's a good idea to consult with your vet to find a reptile-friendly product.The risk of health concerns can be increased if the anole's terrarium is left too dirty.Make sure you keep the tank clean every week, maintain it at a suitable humidity level, and get rid of any mold growth after you see it.Move your anole to a separate clean cage or tank when you clean the tank.
Step 12: If you want to breed, consider adopting multiple anoles.
Although anoles can live by themselves, and it's certainly easier to keep just 1 lizard at a time, you may want to adopt more than 1 anole so that they will breed.If you want to adopt multiple anoles and want them to breed, opt for 5 lizards, with 4 females and 1 male.A female anole will lay a single egg every 2 weeks during the late spring and summer.Make sure that the area they are in remains moist until they hatch, usually in 2 months.Male anoles tend to be territorial and aggressive with other males, so if you want more than one male in your terrarium, you need to have a tank big enough that they can easily avoid one another.Newborn anoles need more food than adult lizards.Provide your hatchlings with lots of small live insects that have been treated with vitamins and minerals.Not everyone agrees that anoles are good enough to live in a tank community where they can't get away from each other.Some people think that anoles should be kept separate from each other.This type of setup is more comfortable for the individuals who are in the tanks, and not as unnatural, so it is less stress for them.
Step 13: Handle your anole with care.
It is possible to have an anole eat from your hand.If the anole learns to sit on your hand in exchange for a treat, don't put it there.Allow it to crawl onto your hand, as this is much less stress for it.Don't handle anoles anywhere it might escape from, because they are very fast and can move very quickly.An anole is more of a pet for watching than for holding, so keep handling to a minimum.If you need to move an anole, be very gentle.Move him without delay.As with any reptile or pet, wash your hands after handling it.You should wash your hands after handling bedding or tank decorations.When you hold it, your anole might bite you.Don't be afraid!The bite won't be painful and will be very light.If your anole bites you, try not to overreact and jerk your hand back, as this might hurt your lizard's jaw.