How to Care for an Anole Lizard

The anole is one of several species of small lizard that is often kept as a pet. These little creatures are inexpensive and easy to care for, but they do require some attention for feeding and hygiene.

Things You'll Need

  • Tall glass aquarium with screen lid
  • Fluorescent light
  • Small lamp with regular bulb
  • Thermometer
  • Humidity gauge
  • Spray bottle
  • Potting soil for substrate
  • Artificial plants
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Instructions

    • 1

      Buy the aquarium and substrate, plants, lights, thermometer and humidity gauge before you bring the lizard home. An anole won't do well if left even for a few hours in a box while you run to the pet store and garden center to buy its home. Anoles are very sensitive to stress, so make its new home as welcoming as possible from the first minute.

    • 2

      Set up a 10-gallon aquarium with potting soil, several artificial plants, a tight-fitting screen top with a fluorescent UVB light and a regular 40-watt light affixed to it at either end. The fluorescent light will provide the UVB the anole needs, and the regular bulb will provide heat and UVA. Rinse all of the plants and clean the glass with vinegar before adding the potting soil to the bottom of the tank.

    • 3

      Keep the temperature during the day between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Try to set the tank up so that there will be a warm end and a cool end to help the anole regulate its body temperature.

    • 4

      Mist the tank with a spray bottle twice daily to keep the humidity inside at least 50 percent.

    • 5

      Handle the anole as little as possible. Handling does not make anoles tame, it just gets them upset. Like all reptiles, anoles can carry salmonella, so wash your hands after touching the anole or the inside of its tank.

    • 6

      Feed the anole live insects. These lizards prefer crickets, which are also good for them nutritionally. Do not feed them mealworms, dead insects or insects caught outside unless you can be sure they are free of all pesticides.

    • 7

      Quarantine new anoles to be sure they are healthy before introducing them to each other, and don't keep more than one male in the same tank. A 10-gallon tank should suffice for two anoles, but you'll need a 20-gallon tank for three.