Handling Green Anole

AnAcOnDaMaN · #1 (**permalink**) 01-25-2004, 01:49 AM

Hey guys I got moy buddy into herps

He started simple by getting a green anole I gave him the caresheet on this site, but he wants to know if he can handle it? Im not into anoles so im not sure if its ok. Does it like tto be handled?

NicoleRussell · #2 (**permalink**) 01-25-2004, 02:11 AM

NO...anoles get extremely stressed when you handle them for any reason. There are morons who claim tat they can be held and like beind held and some even clig to your shirt out of pure fright but that's about it.
hum/temps have to be good in order for them not to have problems. Diet is key---gutload all prey whenever possible. What cage is he is?

AnAcOnDaMaN · #3 (**permalink**) 01-25-2004, 02:39 AM

10 gallon aquarium, what do u mean gut load prey?

C. hortulanus bites · #4 (**permalink**) 01-25-2004, 06:07 AM

I live in Florida and I always laugh when people say they keep anoles. They're all over the place here. Hundreds and hundreds of them bask on the sidewalks and scurry as you walk to the door of your house. I'm sure they make terrible pets and I'm sorry, but I'm not very fond of them. The Cuban brown anole has take over the native green anoles like 100 to 1 and the Cuban tree frog has eaten everything else.

C. hortulanus bites · #5 (**permalink**) 01-25-2004, 06:13 AM

Oh, I just reread the title of your post. Please don't hold that anole. Greens are not very plentiful in the wild any longer. Handling = sever stress. Please try to keep this lizard alive. I'd say 86-88 hot side temps and cool side near 80, no less than 78. Humidity near 65% or more. That's what I'd say a good Florida climate would be for a native herp. They don't eat very large prey, so I'd say keep a good supply of pinhead or small crix on hand. I'm not sure what else to feed a captive anole.

savannah_babe · #6 (**permalink**) 01-25-2004, 06:15 AM

yeah..i have to agree with you on that one boaman. they are all OVER my yard. ive never seen a nice one..but, i would recommend a leopard gecko. they are easy too keep, and have good temperments

MTB Mamba · #7 (**permalink**) 01-25-2004, 07:45 AM

Somone wanna explain to him what "gutloading" prey is? I know it is some sort of reference to "fattening" up the crickets etc.. before you feed em to your lizard. With what I don't know for sure, something specific I assume to provide your lizard with proper nutrients.

gemisnake · #8 (**permalink**) 01-25-2004, 08:01 AM

Hi, gutloading is very important for all lizards. What you gotta do is make sure that the crickets eat and their guts are full of nutricious food before the lizard eats them. I use cereal such as cherios and also shredded carrot, sweet potato (sometimes) and fresh dark leafy greens. Even carnivores like some lizards and snakes need their veggies, they get it from the gut content of their prey. If your friend wants an easier way of gutloading there are some brands of food specailly made just for cricket gutloading, they also make gel water so the crickets can drink and not drown (they are dumb insects IMO)
Also your friend will want to sprinkle some calcium dust on the crickets so the lizard can get its calcium.
I personally think anoles are pretty cool, at least when kept in small groups in a large cage, watching them interact is fun. I personally have none, but have friends who have big cages with them.
Tell your friend to have fun watching his anole interact with its environment (or another anole if he gets a bigger cage and adds another one!)
Sarah

NicoleRussell · #9 (**permalink**) 01-25-2004, 11:58 AM

Gut loading is an important part of any husbandry routine for insect eating lizards.
Crickets the size of the width of the animals head and smaller should be used. Crickets fed a diet rich in carotenes is perfect. Baby formula powder, oatmeal and fresh vegetables are good gut loads.
Wax worms (no more then weekly), silks, crickets, butterworms, meals (no more then 2 times weekly), small supers and other properly sized food items are good for anoles. Baby food, such as mango, guava and other tropical fruits are eaten as well.
Anoles should be kept one to a ten gallon tank...and even if you decide to add a pair (1.1) you should get a larger tank and two females to a male (at least).
The males will definately kill eachother and they will mate with a lone female until she basically dies as well. With two+ females you aleviate that stress a little. You also need to determine if there is a female present so you can use a suitable substrate for egg laying. Like most female lizards, they can become eggbound if not properly provided for.
Anoles require all the lighting that a larger, more expensive lizard needs which is why so many of them die in captivity. Not alot of people want to provide a lizard that costs a few dollars with what it needs if it's expensive lighting and a larger electric bill...the rationale is that they can go buy another one.
They need proper uv lighting or they will die of various diseases. Proper lighting is : iguana light, repti sun 5.0, and mercury vapor lamps (with larger cages). They also need a heat source if a MVB is not used.
An nocturnal basking bulb kept on continuosly is ideal (or a CHE). For a 10 gallon, you will need anywhere from a 50-75 watt depending on your ambient temps.
A great source for anole care info is: Under The Leaves--an anole care dot com.
Good Luck!

Lizards_Rock · #10 (**permalink**) 09-17-2005, 04:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnAcOnDaMaN

Hey guys I got moy buddy into herps

He started simple by getting a green anole I gave him the caresheet on this site, but he wants to know if he can handle it? Im not into anoles so im not sure if its ok. Does it like tto be handled?

I have been doing a lot of research on Anoles because I have been planning on getting one myself. There are different attitudes in anoles with their own opinion of being held. In other words, some like to be handled and some don't. If you happen to get an anole that doesn't like to be handled it can be tamed simply. Noted: there may be a slight chance that the lizard takes lots of time to tame and ther are a few that might not be tamable. The only way to tame it that I have read so far is to hold it daily carefully by haveing one hand securely on the belly and the back making sure not to hold it tight but not too tight. Remember that you need patients with anoles and you will tame it sooner than not having patients!

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