How to Care for a Juvenile Anole Lizard

Anole lizards have a shorter life span than other lizards such as chameleons, iguanas and bearded dragons, but they are also much simpler to care for. They do not require elaborate enclosures or specialized diets, and they grow to only 7 or 8 inches long, head to tail. With proper enclosure specifications, temperature, humidity and food, your green or brown anole lizard will live to its full three- or four-year life expectancy.

Things You'll Need

  • 2-by-2-by-2-foot glass enclosure with screen lid
  • Outdoor carpeting
  • Faux plants
  • Large rocks
  • Tank thermometer
  • Top-sitting UVA/UVB hood light fixture with lightbulbs
  • Shallow water dish
  • Crickets or fresh-caught bugs
  • Spray bottle
  • Water
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Instructions

  1. Setting Up the Proper Enclosure

    • 1

      Place the glass tank on a flat surface such as a desk or table with an outlet nearby.

    • 2

      Cut a piece of outdoor carpet to fit snugly inside the bottom of the enclosure and lay it flat on the bottom of the tank.

    • 3

      Apply the tank thermometer to an upper corner on the back wall.

    • 4

      Arrange plants and rocks inside the tank to create a few hiding spots and climbing areas for the lizard.

    • 5

      Fill the shallow dish with water and place it in an easily accessible area of the tank.

    • 6

      Place the lizard inside the enclosure and close the lid. Plug in and position the hood light fixture on top of the lid, following the manufacturer's instructions.

    • 7

      Monitor the temperature and adjust lightbulb wattage so that the cage has an ambient temperature of 77 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit in the day and 65 to 74 degrees at night.

    • 8

      Mist the cage at least twice a day to maintain a moist, humid environment for your lizard. Give it two or three spritzes so that fine water droplets form on the walls, rocks and foliage, but don't soak the cage.

    Feeding Your Anole

    • 9

      Purchase crickets from a pet store once or twice a week and keep them in a small enclosure, separated from the lizard, until feeding time. Put food (such as moist potato chip crumbs) into the cricket enclosure to keep them alive. Your anole won't eat dead bugs.

    • 10

      Begin feeding your juvenile anole two or three small crickets every day.

    • 11

      Increase or decrease the amount or size of the crickets depending on your lizard's eating habits, which varies from lizard to lizard. The lizard stops eating when it's content. If it leaves crickets behind, you're feeding it too many and it's already full. Remove the uneaten crickets after an hour and return them to their enclosure. The next day, start off with one less cricket. If your lizard doesn't eat any of the crickets, remove them after one hour and try again later. Don't worry if your lizard doesn't eat every single day --- juvenile anoles usually eat every other day when feeding on gut-loaded crickets. As your lizard gets bigger, increase the size or amount of crickets by one.