The green anole is a relative common lizard, slight in build, with a narrow head and a long, slender tail that can be twice as long as the rest of the animal. Color can vary from gray-brown, to brown, to bright green; each animal can change its color to blend with surroundings. Males can have a noticeable dewlap that is pink when displayed. Commonly referred to as a "chameleon" due to its ability to change color, but not a true chameleon.
Breeds from late March through early October. Lays a single white egg, which it buries in loose, moist leaf litter. Young hatch after 5-7 weeks.
Commonly preyed upon by domestic cats, as well as children seeking pets. Fairly common in the pet trade and can do well in captivity, if cared for well. Will eat crickets, but seldomly adapts to being handled.
Sexing/ Breeding
Male anoles are larger than females. They have a longer jaw line, larger head, and do have the hemipenes that is visible at the vent. Both have a dewlap, but the male's is larger and he will show it much more often than the female.
Females
have the shorter jaw line, smaller head and while both my have a white
stripe down thespine when young, the male usually loses his while the female
retains it.
Anoles readily breed in captivity. Females can retain sperm for several months after breeding.Females will quickly lose calcium when bearing eggs; it is vital to her health that she gets allthe calcium she needs. Even an adult female will begin to appear deformed when calcium is notsufficient. Her bones will deform as they grow soft and she will die. She lays her eggs one at atime about a week apart, not in a clutch as most lizards do. She will bury the egg if she has aplace to do so; otherwise she will just deposit it where she can find a hiding place. If one of those wantsto incubate the eggs, they must be collected soon after she has laid them; or else they will ruin.Once her eggs are laid she never returns to them.
Signs of Illness
Unfortunately there are not many signs of illness. When signs are obvious the anole is alreadyvery sick. Anorexia, followed by dehydration is commonly the only sign; a veterinarian isneeded because anoles being so tiny will worsen quickly. Dehydration causes the major organsto fail then death is unavoidable. Water alone will not hydrate the anole at this point, he need selectrolytes.
Parasites
are a good possibility for the cause of illness and with a veterinarian
they can be
treated.
There are no over-the-counter treatments that will work. These waste money
and
valuable
time for the anole. If your anole is ill, there just isn't anyway to cure
it without the
help of
a good herp vet.
Most anoles in pet stores have been wild caught. That means they are almost certain to harborparasites, so newly acquired pets should have a fecal sample checked by a DVM.
Keep in
mind that the OTC parasite treatments that are available do not treat all
species of
parasites.
Different parasite species require different medications. Using a medication
when thespecies is unknown will more than likely either kill the anole,
or the anole will die because theunderlying problem has not been corrected.
Staying
brown all the time is a sign of being totally stressed out. Two males together
will fight, the loser of these fights
will often remain brown, but if not separated the loser will die because
he/she will not eat.If your anole is brown most of the time, check your
set up, he may not be warm enough or may not have enough hiding places.
 |
 |