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Wednesday, April 16th
April's meeting will focus on how to safely handle and present your reptile to the public. Please feel free to bring your own animal to show off.
Meetings start promptly at 8pm in the Alumni Room of Medaille College.
Annual Banquet
PLEASE NOTE: The annual banquet and recognition dinner will be rescheduled due to conflicts. The new date will likely be a Saturday in May, please contact a board member for more information.
Green Anole Care Sheet and Information
Please click here for a printable PDF version.
Common Name:Green Anole
Latin name: Anolis carolinensis
Native to: Southeastern United States from Florida to eastern Texas and north to Oklahoma and North Carolina. Green Anoles can also be found in the Bahamas, Cuba, and Mexico.
Size: Typically up to 9 inches, though some may reach as large as 12 inches.
Life span: If properly kept, green anoles can live 7 to 10 years though the average life span is only three to five years because many die due to improper care and neglect.
General appearance: The green anole is a small green lizard with a pointed nose, and a tail that is generally twice as long as its body. They change color to brown when cold or stressed. Both sexes have red throat fans called dewlaps though the male's is bigger and brighter. Green anoles have long skinny toes with ridges on bottom for gripping. Juveniles have a bluish-white stripe down their back. Females keep this stripe in adulthood, though males will lose this stripe.
Housing requirements:
Enclosure: A pair of green anoles should be kept in an enclosure no smaller than 20 gallons. Taller enclosures are preferred with plants or other types of ornaments to allow the anoles space to climb. Males can not be housed together as they are territorial and will often fight over the limited amount of enclosure space. Males can be kept with one or more females and any number of females can be kept together. Obviously, larger enclosures are needed for larger groups of kept anoles. Because anoles have the ability to climb sheer surfaces, a secure top should always be used with the enclosures.
Temperature: Green anoles should be kept with ambient day temperatures of 75° to 80° F with basking temperatures of 85° to 90° F. Temperatures of 65° to 75° F are suitable at night.
Heat/Light: Green anoles require ultraviolet (UV) light which can be provided with fluorescent UVB bulbs or mercury vapor bulbs that can also provide heat for the basking spot. Basking temperatures can also be achieved using incandescent bulbs, infrared bulbs, or ceramic emitters if using fluorescent bulbs for UV light. Under the tank (UTH) heaters can be used to raise the ambient temperature of the enclosure if needed. Heat rocks, heat caves, and other similar items should never be used under any circumstance.
Substrate: Bark mulch, orchid bark, ground coconut fiber, and peat moss can all be used to help create a naturalistic enclosure. Other substrates such as newspaper, paper towels, or indoor/outdoor carpeting can also be used. If using naturalistic substrates be sure to clean it often to prevent mold and bacteria growth.
Environment: Green anoles come from a tropical to semi-tropical region and require a humidity level of 60% to 70%. To achieve this part of the screen top can be blocked off to help prevent evaporation. The enclosure should also be misted twice daily to help maintain humidity levels as well.
Diet: Green anoles are insectivorous. They will eat crickets, mealworms, wax worms, cockroaches, fruit flies and other small insects. All feeder insects should be properly gut-loaded prior to feeding. Offering a variety of different insects will offer the best diet for the anole since different insects have different nutritional values. Care should be used to not overfeed anoles and they should only be offered only as much food as they can eat in one sitting.
Maintenance: Clean up feces and urates as soon as you notice them, inspect the cage at least once daily for cleanliness. Replace the water when it becomes soiled or dirty and scrub out the dish. Anoles generally do not drink from standing water which is why it is vitally important that the enclosure be misted daily. Anoles will drink from the water drops that form on the cage ornaments. An aquarium bubbler can also be used in the water dish to simulate moving water to encourage the anole to drink from the bowl.
Other references or recommended reading:
McArthur, Jan. "Green Anole Caresheet." Retrieved 16 May 2005 <http://members.aol.com/Mite37/TPFGA.html>
Kaplan, Melissa. "Anoles." Updated 6 March 2005. Retrieved 16 May 2005. <http://www.anapsid.org/anole.html>
"Anole Care." Updated 23 July 2003. Retrieved 16 May 2005 <http://www.kingsnake.com/anolecare/>
Cheyenne Herpers Club. "Green Anole Care Sheet." Updated 2004. Retrieved 16 May 2005 <http://reptiles.thepsionguild.net/greenanolecaresheet.html>
Remember that in many places it is illegal to take wildlife out of the wild without the proper permits from local, state, or federal authorities. Please do not release any captive reptiles or amphibians into the wild as this will disrupt the natural order of our environment. See our amphibian and reptile adoptions page for more information on what to do with unwanted herps.
Help further herpetology research and education by donating to the Marvin R. Aures Herpetological Grant