Miniature Dinosaurs

This looks like something straight out of the movie “Jurassic Park.”

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Most Anoles are green, but there are other colors seen such as dark brown and brown or tan with stripes & spots. There are over 300 species of Anole, a diverse and plentiful array of their kind. Nearly all can be found in the pet trade in the United States while the native “Green Anole” is probably the most commonly seen due to it being the native specie. Caught from the wild in southern states, they can be shipped anywhere cheaply as opposed to international importation.

Green Anole With Dewlap Extended

When Anoles feel threatened (or are making threats against an intruder,) they extend their dewlap as a visible warning. The also emit a very high-pitched noise, a hiss, as a warning.

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There are invader species of Anoles such as the Cuban Brown Anole, which has pushed the native Green Anole range further north and west. The Cuban Anole variety has established its range into Florida, throughout the southern states and as far west as Houston, Texas. I have personally seen a large localized colony of Brown Anoles in the mountains around Manitou Springs, Colorado.

All Anoles have the ability to alter their color, with the Green Anole being able to do so the most vividly. Ranging from grass green to very dark brown to show moods and dispositions, while the Brown Anole’s color range extends no further than variant shades of browns with spots upon its back

Making More…

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Anoles size can range between 3 to 7-inches (8-18 cm.) while some of the larger species can attain length closer to 12 inches. Some male Knight Anoles can be as long as 20-inches! Captive anoles never seem to quite be as large as the captured large specimens possibly due to captive ones being denied certain foods and micro-nutrients otherwise found in the wild. -The wild ones can attain a greater length than a captive one.

An Anole in the wild might live for 3 to 5 years, and a captive anole removed from the risk of predation under good conditions might live for 6 or 7 years.

He Only Looks Calm. He is Really Very Agitated

Care must be taken when handling Anoles, for they can easily damage their jaws or teeth if they bite you and you forcibly pull your finger or caught flesh out of their grip. Their toes can ‘tear off’ too if you forcibly removed them from tree bark or from your shirt. So care must be taken then picking them up. And most notably, their tails can break off easily, part of their defense mechanism.

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Usually quite shy when outrageous danger approaches (humans, large mammals, etc,) anoles are quite territorial among their own kind, defending their real estate with some impressive battles of neck-biting until one surrenders. The males will display their bright dewlap under their throats; a flap of stretchy skin drawn taut by a cartilaginous bone.

Female anoles, while also territorial but not requiring so much space, tend to not engage in combat.

Well These Two Aren’t Very Shy, Are They?

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Ah sheez they’re doing it again!

The female anole may lay several clutches of eggs per season, which begins in late Spring and last for several months. The breeding effort cumulates with the female laying one or two ‘soft shelled’ eggs in leaf litter. Hence, the vector for accidental importation of the species when non-indigenous plants are harvested live and sent abroad for landscaping. This is why we have legislation monitoring the import of plants across borders, to prevent this type of invader from entering regions where they do not currently exist.

My Three Favorite Colors: Green, Red and Blue!

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Often seen in the pet trade as common and the most inexpensive lizard, it is their cage, UV-spectrum light, diet of live insects (crickets, moths, etc.) and nighttime heating requirements that add to the cost of ownership, which can be expensive. One could easily spend a hundred dollar or more for just the very most basic set-up, and still require more ‘add-ons’ to make the home better for them and their health. Typically, an anole might sell for under $10.00, so one can see the inherent flaw with the belief that this is an ‘affordable alternative’ to the more costly (and substantially larger in size) Common Green Iguana reptile for a pet.

Still, a good set-up once acquired and populated with a few nice Anoles can bring an aire of the reptilian wild into your home with a minimal of space requirements.