Green Anole

[Allysse]

Today I purchased my first green anole in 7 years! Mostly it was a decision I had made because I wanted to see how many pets Petco will let me have. Just kidding, but seriously, I'm a minor and they have let me buy so many small pets, but won't let me even touch an animal over $10 without an adult. I was really worried about getting it from petco, but seeing as I am too careless to look for a breeder... So anyway I bought this anole.

Right now he's in a ten gallon aquarium, with a heat lamp, organic soil and then a layer of woodchips. He's got a nice stick fixture and a bowl for food. Tomorrow I am going out to get him some plants.

He doesn't have a name, so he's going to need one of those-

Actually I'm not sure about the gender, that would be helpful too.

I need to know of an online resource for buying meal worms, wax worms, or very small crickets.

Do anoles do well with a heat rock? Something I should look into?


I heard that finding him a friend is a big no-no, but if that's not true, and he should have another anole I would gladly take the time to find another.

Mites? Can I cure him of this even if I'm not positive it has them?

I need a calcium supplement right?

Anything I am missing out? I really want to give him the best home possible so any feedback appreciated including names.

[Allysse]

I got a picture of him. He's brown and has been that way since I moved him to his new home. He was bright green when I got him. I read that the brown means he is cold and the green meant he was too hot. True?

[skeeter224]

Hmmmm ... never heard of them but I do know someone who is "into" that type of critter. When I see her next, I'll ask some questions.

Just be sure to keep an eye on the little one since the first few days in a new environment is the critical time for adjusting. Congratualations!

[skeeter224]

I sent some links to you via email that might be helpful to learn more ... have fun!

[Ravnos]

Anoles are pretty cool lizards, I have one myself currently. You'll probably never find a breeder of them though, 99.99% of them are caught in the wild - they are pretty common throughout the US. Hardly worth breeding, considering they wholesale for 1.50 apiece.

He is going to need a UV light, one of the fluorescent fixtures will work fine as long as he can get within about 8" of it or so. They now make heat/uv lamps which cost around 40 bucks but are quite effective at giving both the needed heat and the needed UV.

I get most of my crickets and meal worms online at Reptilefood.com. I've not had a problem with them thus far, of course, the UPS guy doesn't appreciate me much when he has to deliver the chirping boxes.

Anoles will turn darker colors in an attempt to absorb more warmth from the sun... so usually it means they are cold. Bright green is their normal color when out and about during the day.

Just say no to heat rocks, they suck horribly, get too hot (140 degrees or more) and you risk burning him. Even the newer ones with thermostats built in have been reported to fail and overheat.

Sexing them is generally not that difficult, males have a big colorful dewlap under their chin that they can unfold. You may be able to introduce a female friend to a male, but don't put two males together. They will fight. The only problem with putting more than one basking-type lizard together is that they compete for the best sun spots. Inevitibly it usually ends up with one being stressed and not getting all their necessary nutrients.

If you're not sure he has mites, I'd put him in a small container with a half inch of water in it or so... just let him soak for a bit and then check the water with a magnifying glass. See if you can see any mites. They look basically like little dirt particles with legs. If he does have mites, I would keep him on paper towels until you're reasonably sure they are gone. The soil will just be a great breeding ground for them.

Erm... not sure what else to add... they are fun little pets, funny when they chase crickets around.

Rav

[skeeter224]

Quote: never heard of them

Thanks Ravnos for all of your info ... now I know a bit about them.

(I know Allysse from another forum but came on over to check her new critter out.)

[Allysse]

This may seem like a dumb question but how do I find the flap, I know it's under his neck but how do I saftely look for it?

[Lucky13]

Hey Allysse! That's really cool! I don't really know anything about them either, but they are sure interesting!
Congrats on your new little guy!


P.S. I love your new sig! I didn't know you had a beagle! I do too!!!

[Ravnos]

If you just hold him between your fingers and look under his chin it should be pretty easy to spot. Of course, he may not be fully mature yet. I'm sure theres some pictures of them with it extended out there, its kinda neat. I'm sure there are other ways of determining their gender, but I can't think of any at the moment.

I too have a beagle, btw.

Rav

[Ravnos]

Well, I'm happy to prove myself wrong, here's a page on sexing anoles.

Rav

[Calypso]

Neat Allysse! Thanks for directing me here! He (she) looks like it will be a really cool looking little creature when it warms up & turns green again

I don't know anything about them either, so this has been informative for me too.

I don't have a Beagle... but I have an American Eskimo

[Allysse]

The only time an anole can't control it's pigmentation is when it's sleeping and will therefore be green. -Paraphrased from the link-

I love it! My sweet little babe is sleeping because his eyes are shut and he is GREEN!

Ok I have GOT to stop calling it a "he", but how can I help myself when only the dog is a girl?

I'm afraid that I'm never going to know whether it's a boy or girl (and I'd rather spend money on a better light than knowing), so for the sake of proportionate gender ratio it's a girl.

I am so confused about mites, between the gp world and this one it makes a person very confused! In the gp world you can't see them and now you're saying that you can? I plan on trying this anyway.

I can't wait to go bug shopping!

Those links are SO awesome. They have helped so much. While the author discourages buying from a petstore, he/she doesn't mention where else to find them. I find this hilariously funny.

Names would be good right about now. Wow girl names, something I haven't picked in a very long time.

The dog (her name is Betsy) is getting ready to be trained for her invisible fence. She had one shock the other day, and was very mad at her mommy.

[Allysse]

OH she just gave me the biggest scare ever! I didn't see her breathing so I got scared and touched her head. Didn't wake up. Tried to pick her up and boom she woke up! Man that was scary!What a sound sleeper. Reminds me of Picasso. I apologized profusely for waking her up.

[Allysse]

One more question:

On the site it says not to use tap water because it will stain the glass. Do good anole caretakers buy bottled water to spray? Frankly if the only justification for this is because it stains the glass I really can't go buying bottled water like that.

[Ravnos]

I can't say I know anyone who uses bottled water for their lizards, I use tap water myself. A little white vinegar will take off the stains pretty well - and its safe to use around them as long as you don't stink them out.

I think the author mentions not buying from pet stores because they basically get all their stock from the wild. In order to cut out the middle man, and make it so pet stores stop collecting large numbers of them to sell, just go catch your own.

And I ask, honestly, does it matter if its a he or she? I name my ambiguous gender pets whatever comes to mind. If you don't intend to breed him/her, I wouldn't worry about knowing, its no big deal. :cool:

Rav