Pet Anole Care Sheet

If you’ve ever been interested in keeping a pet reptile, you may have come across a small lizard called an anole.

But what is an anole, exactly? It’s important to understand what makes these little reptiles unique before adding one to your family.

Anole Species Overview

Green anoles are small lizards native to the southern United States. Bahama anoles, also known as brown anoles, are native to the Bahamas and Cuba but can now also be found throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, and the southeastern U.S.

• Green anoles are known for their eye-catching and vivid green skin, but they can also shift color to gray or brown. They’re nicknamed American chameleons for this ability, but they are not part of the chameleon family. 

• Brown anoles have brown skin and shorter snouts compared to green anoles. 

Green and brown anoles have a bright red/orange fold of skin over their throats, called a dewlap. Males expand their dewlap to show dominance and attract mates. 

• Female anoles also have dewlaps, but they’re smaller than those of males and rarely used. 

• Male anoles will also court females by bobbing their heads up and down and doing “push-ups” using their front legs. 

Anoles are semi-arboreal (“tree-climbing”) as well as diurnal (more active during the day). 

Anole Characteristics 

Difficulty of Care	Beginner
Average Lifespan	Up to 3+ years with proper care
Average Adult Size	5–8 inches
Diet	Insectivorous
Minimum Habitat Size	Minimum 10-gallon tank for one to two anoles; 20-gallon tank for three to four anoles

 

Anole Handling

While anoles can become tolerant of gentle handling over time, newly homed anoles need at least one to two weeks to adjust to their surroundings before being handled.

Anoles are fast-moving lizards and can be difficult to catch. They may try to leap out of their pet parent’s hands, so they should only be handled over soft surfaces to minimize the risk of injury. 

Anoles can also break off their tails as a defense mechanism to escape and run away from predators that grab them by their tails. Therefore, they should NEVER be held or restrained by their tails. 

All reptiles are potential carriers of infectious diseases, including salmonella bacteria, which is zoonotic (transmittable to humans). Always wash your hands before and after handling your lizard or the habitat’s contents. 

Anole Supply Checklist

To keep a green or Bahama anole happy and healthy, have these basic supplies on hand: 

• Appropriately sized habitat 

• Substrate 

• Sphagnum moss 

• Food and water dish 

• Mealworm dish 

• Hideaway place 

• Climbing decor 

• Plants 

• Heat lights and fixtures 

• UVB lighting 

• Thermostat 

• Multivitamin supplement 

• Calcium supplement with vitamin D 

• Cricket keeper 

• Cricket food 

• Cricket quencher 

• Live insects 

• Thermometers 

• Humidity gauge 

• Water mister 

Anole Habitat

Anoles thrive in tall habitats with lots of vertical space for climbing. A 10-gallon habitat can comfortably house one to two adult anoles, while three to four anoles should be housed in a 20-gallon enclosure or larger.

Anoles reach sexual maturity within 12–18 months, but they continue to grow slowly through life. Increase the size of your anole’s habitat as they grow and always provide the largest habitat possible. 

All habitats should be secured with a screened lid to prevent escape and allow for proper ventilation. Fully screened or “open-air” enclosures can be used, but it will be more difficult to keep the habitat within the optimal humidity range (60–70%). 

In nature, anoles spend their time perched on tall trees, looking down at their surroundings. Because of this, anoles generally feel most comfortable when their habitats are elevated at least 5 feet off the ground. Being kept too low to the ground can make these lizards feel stressed or nervous, especially when there’s plenty of activity near their cage. 

Habitat Mates 

Male anoles should always be housed separately because they are territorial and will fight. A single male anole can be kept in the same habitat as one to three females in a 20-gallon tank (or larger), but they may breed.  Keeping each sex in separate housing is ideal if you do not wish to breed anoles.

When introducing lizards to each other, they should be monitored to ensure they are compatible. Never mix different species of reptiles in the same habitat. 

Temperature 

Anoles need a thermal gradient in their enclosure so they can warm up and cool down as needed.

• The warm end of an anole’s habitat should be kept at a temperature of 85–88 F.

• A basking site temperature should be 90–95 F.

• The cooler end of the habitat should be 75 F.

• Do not allow tank temperatures to fall below 70 F at night.

Check the temperatures of your anole’s habitat daily. Two thermometers—one in the warm area and one in the cool area—should be placed in the enclosure so that both zones can be checked at once. A digital point-and-shoot thermometer can also be used to read habitat temperatures instantly. 

Light and Heat Sources 

Like all reptiles, green and Bahama anoles are ectotherms, which means they rely on external heat sources to regulate their body temperature. An incandescent light bulb or ceramic heater should be added to one end of an anole’s tank to create a basking area for the lizard to use during the day.

The wattage needed for the bulb depends on the size of the enclosure, the distance of the bulb from the reptile, and the ambient temperature of the room in which the enclosure is kept. Adjust the wattage of the bulb to maintain the recommended temperature gradient within the tank.

Note: Some bulbs provide not only light, but also heat and ultraviolet (UV) light, so do some research  so you are clear on the function of a particular bulb in the tank. 

Here are some tips for setting up your light and heat sources:

• All heat sources should be attached to a thermostat to keep temperatures within a safe and comfortable range. 

• Hot rocks should not be used, because they can get too warm and may cause injury.  

• If an under-tank heating pad is used, it must be connected to a thermostat to prevent the lizard from getting burned.

White lights should not be left on continuously, as they will disrupt the lizard’s natural sleep cycle and negatively affect their overall health. At night, turn off lights in the habitat or switch to a nocturnal or infrared light. 

UV Light 

Green and Bahama anoles are diurnal, which means they’re naturally active and awake during the day.

Anoles need exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light to maintain a healthy day/night cycle and produce vitamin D in their skin so they can absorb dietary calcium.

Shine a full-spectrum UV light on your lizard’s habitat for 10–12 hours each day. Without adequate UVB exposure, lizards are at a greater risk of developing a range of life-threatening illnesses, including metabolic bone disease. 

Here are some tips for setting up and maintaining your anole’s UV light:

• Because UV lights differ in intensity, follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on bulb placement relative to the pet.

• Lights should be replaced every six months (even if the bulb still emits light) because their potency wanes over time. 

• Do not block the UV light source with glass or plastic, as this will block and filter out UV rays. 

Humidity 

Reptiles need humidity in their environment to support their respiratory systems, encourage healthy shed cycles, and stay hydrated.

The ideal humidity range for an anole’s habitat is 60–70%. A hygrometer (humidity gauge) should be used to measure the enclosure’s humidity. 

Mist your anole’s habitat daily to increase humidity in the enclosure, and provide the lizard with drinking water.

Anoles should have access to fresh water in a shallow bowl that’s wide enough for the lizard to soak in at all times. Anoles cannot swim, so the water level should be low enough for the lizard to submerge its entire body while keeping its head above water. 

Substrate 

The bottom of an anole’s habitat should be lined with a substrate material that holds moisture well, such as cypress mulch, sphagnum moss, or coconut fiber.

Avoid wood shavings, such as pine and cedar bedding, as they have oils that can irritate lizards’ skin and respiratory tracts and cause illness. Wood shavings are also indigestible and can cause gastrointestinal tract obstruction if eaten.  

Substrate should be kept moist, but not wet, as overly humid conditions can lead to skin and respiratory tract infections. 

Decor and Accessories 

Water Dish

Because reptiles absorb water through their skin to stay hydrated, an anole’s water dish should be large and shallow enough for the lizard to soak in. If they aren’t soaking on their own, soak your lizard for 10–15 minutes once a week (or more often, depending on species). 

Place water dishes on the cooler end of the habitat to prevent the water from evaporating too quickly. 

Food Dishes

Rather than being placed on the habitat floor, food should be offered in a shallow dish or in a separate feeding tank to lessen the chance of the lizard’s accidentally eating the tank’s substrate.

Hiding Area

Lizards need two hiding areas—one on the cool end of their enclosure and one on the warm end.

In addition to offering privacy and security, hideouts allow lizards to have a space away from their enclosure’s direct basking area.  

Monitor your lizard to ensure that they are not spending all their time hiding and not getting the benefits of UV light. 

If more than one anole is housed in the same habitat, be sure to provide each with their own hiding areas. 

Climbing Branches and Basking Rocks

Add a basking rock or sturdy branch to your anole’s habitat so they can climb and bask as needed. 

Basking branches must be large and sturdy enough to support the lizard’s body. Otherwise, the branch could topple over and cause injury. 

Moss

To create a “humid hide,” moist sphagnum moss can be added to the inside of a hideout box on the warm side of an anole’s enclosure. Moss holds moisture well and can aid in healthy shedding. 

Create a humid hide by using a commercially available hideout box or by cutting a hole in a plastic container. If choosing to make a DIY hideout, make sure that the hole doesn’t have any rough edges that could injure the lizard. 

Moss should be replaced often to prevent mold from forming. 

Anole Tank Cleaning and Maintenance

Spot-clean your anole's habitat daily, removing any soiled material and discarded food. Water and food bowls must be washed daily. 

The anole’s habitat must also be disinfected and cleaned thoroughly at least once a week (or more often if more than one lizard lives in the same habitat).

Remember to always wash your hands before and after handling your lizard or the habitat’s contents. 

To clean an anole’s habitat, take these steps: 

1. Move the lizard to a secure environment. Remove any old substrate, decor, and accessories from the habitat. 

2. Scrub the empty tank and any furnishings with a reptile habitat cleaner or 3% bleach solution. The bleach solution should stay on the habitat for at least 10 minutes to ensure that the surfaces are properly disinfected. If using a commercial habitat cleaner, follow the manufacturer's instructions. 

3. Rinse the habitat and accessories thoroughly with water, making sure to remove any trace amounts or residual smells left by the cleaning agent or bleach solution.  

4. Allow the habitat and its contents to dry completely before placing new substrate and clean accessories into the habitat. 

5. Return the lizard to the clean habitat. 

What Do Anoles Eat?

As insectivores, green and Bahama anoles thrive on a diet of gut-loaded insects and worms, plus vitamin supplements.

Juvenile anoles need to be fed daily, while adults should be fed every other day.

Anoles should always have access to fresh clean water for drinking and soaking. 

A nutritious and well-balanced pet anole diet consists of gut-loaded (recently fed) insects and worms, including:

• Crickets

• Mealworms

• Roaches

• Calci-worms

• Silkworms

• Waxworms

For a happy and healthy lizard, be sure to vary the type of insects in their diet to provide complete and balanced nutrition. 

Insects should be no larger than the width between the anole’s eyes. 

Anoles love to hunt! Provide them with live insects (instead of freeze-dried) so they can chase and catch them. 

Never offer more insects than your lizard can consume within a few minutes. Overfeeding leads to obesity, and uneaten insects can chew on and damage lizards’ skin. 

Before being fed, live insects must be ‘gut-loaded’ with a nutrient-dense insect supplement to improve their nutritional value.

How To Gut-Load Insects 

Gut-loading diets are fortified with vitamins and minerals to help provide optimal nutrition to the reptiles that feed on them.

To gut-load prey, place insects in a container with a gut-loading diet that the bugs can gorge on. Insects should be gut-loaded for at least 24–72 hours before being dusted with a vitamin supplement and fed to an anole. 

Vitamin Supplements

Before feeding, dust your anole’s insects with a powdered vitamin supplement. Anoles need a calcium supplement with vitamin D and a multivitamin powder designed for reptiles. 

Anoles should be given a calcium supplement every feeding session. A multivitamin/mineral powder should be given once a week. 

To dust insects quickly and efficiently, place insects in a bag or disposable plastic container along with a powdered supplement. Then shake the bag lightly until the insects are coated evenly in powder. 

Fresh, Clean Water

Water should always be available and replaced daily. Water dishes must be large and shallow enough for the lizard to soak in. 

Provide drinking water by misting your anole’s habitat daily. Generally, these lizards prefer to stay hydrated by drinking water droplets left on plants. 

Anole Care Tips

Shedding

Healthy anoles shed their skin regularly. Most adult anoles will shed every four to six weeks, but younger lizards shed more frequently as they’re still growing. 

Unlike snakes, lizards shed their skin in patches rather than a single, complete piece. 

Because reptiles stay hydrated by absorbing water through their skin, you can soak your anole in a large, shallow container of warm water to help them shed their skin more easily. The water container should be wide enough to allow the lizard to submerge their entire body while keeping their head above water. 

Create a humid hide for your lizard by filling a hideout with moistened sphagnum moss or substrate. 

Handling time should be minimized while the lizard is shedding.  

Anoles eat their shed skin to regain its nutrients and to help prevent predators from detecting the lizard’s presence. 

Anole Veterinary Care

Annual Care

Anoles should be seen by a veterinarian shortly after adoption to evaluate overall health and your general husbandry setup, including diet and enclosure. Then, all anoles should be seen at least once a year for a physical exam and fecal testing.

You can transport your anole in a small, ventilated enclosure or critter keeper. Line the carrier with paper towels or substrate to help cushion any possible falls or injuries during transport. Utilize a portable heat source during transport as needed if the outdoor temperature is below 75 F. You can mist the container lightly with water to provide ambient humidity as well.

Signs of a Healthy Anole

• Clear and clean eyes, ears, and nares (nostrils)

• Clean, pink tongue and gums

• Skin free of abrasions, ulcers, growths, or parasites

• Clean vent (the opening through which waste is expelled)

• Active (climbing and exploring their environment)

• Healthy appetite

• No swelling or bumps

• Breathing easily without effort, no nasal discharge

• Vibrant skin color

When To Call a Vet

• Labored breathing, open mouth breathing, nasal discharge

• Lethargy

• Weight loss, loss of appetite

• Worms in feces; runny stool

• Decreased movement, swollen limbs, broken or deformed legs

• Retained shed

• Redness, sores, or lumps on skin

• Swollen belly

• Sunken, cloudy, or any other abnormal changes to the eyes

• Trauma

Common Illnesses in Anoles

• Respiratory infection

• Parasites

• Skin infections

• Trauma or injury (including thermal burns)

• Metabolic bone disease

• Dysecdysis or shedding issues