Introduction
Green Anoles range from the Carolinas to as far south as Florida 7 as far west as Arizona. They live in a very hot, humid & almost tropical environment. They are quite common in the south eastern United States but grow less common the further north you go. In their wild environment they are hunted not only by snakes, birds & other larger lizards but they also seem to be the favourite hunting prey of wild cats.
Anoles are quite affordable, are not very difficult to care for &recommended for first time reptile owners
Housing
Anoles are quite small, never getting to more than 8″(approx 20cms) in length & are as slender as they are small therefore a large cage is not necessary. A couple of babies can live their whole lives in a 10 gallon, 20 x 10 x 12″ (approx 51 x 25 x 30cms) aquarium. Anymore than a pair should be kept in a larger enclosure. if you notice any of the Anoles are being aggressive to the others you must separate them; otherwise the results could be fatal. When choosing a cage for Anoles you are better to buy wood or glass so the precious heat is trapped inside the cage rather than allowing it to escape through the mesh. Anoles are arboreal (tree dwelling so they prefer tall cages rather than ones with lots of ground space. Make sure the branches you put in are well secured to prevent accidents
Lighting & Heating
Anoles require an air temperature of 85-90°F & a basking spot of 95-100°F The night time temperatures can get down to 75-80°F. Use a basking lamp which includes UV rays (A & B) in order for the lizards to process calcium. You can get a bulb with UV rays & heat which are good quality but they are more expensive than separate bulbs
Food
Anoles eat crickets dusted or gut-loaded with calcium supplementation. Anoles of any size or age eat about 4-5 crickets a day & the size of the cricket is dependent on the size of the animal because they cannot eat anything larger than their heads
