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Green Anoles Anonymous
Anyone here ever kept them as pets?

I was fairly successful, but none ever live a full life span. Before they died, they would get a blackish-blue spot behind their eyes. What disease or parasite does that come from?
>> Anonymous
I've kept them as pets before. I never had any difficulty.

As for the spot, I'm not sure. Did you mean there was one spot by each eye? If so, I think that may be normal. I can't remember if mine had that or not (it has been many years since), but I do recall seeing anoles with one small spot near each eye. The spots were about the same size as their eyes.
>> Anonymous
>>150019
Yes, it was by the eye. Their movements would be somewhat sluggish, & the next day I'd find them dead & missing their eyeballs, like some parasite ate them from the inside out.
>> Anonymous
>>150037
Thanks. It should be noted that this was the way ALL my anoles died. None of them ever got any other diseases/parasites or died of old age.
>> Anonymous
Here you go, OP.
After a 2 minutes of GOOGLE. I found your problem and it means that your anole was seriously ill and something is very wrong.
http://www.geocities.com/dozergh91/Page-Stress.html

How many anoles have you ever owned, OP? At the same time? It may not be because they are mostly wild-caught, but you could have also done something wrong.
>> Bitter Anon !!WJLRQ1cwCyZ
I think that it should be pretty obvious you were doing something wrong. Did you provide them with a heatlamp or some source of heat? You know, because they are reptiles?
>> Ash
Anoles are very difficult to keep. I have had them...You must be careful with things like heat lamps and or heat rocks, because they can over heat. Make sure the cage (or aquarium) is constantly sprayed down in order to keep humidity...also make sure you feed them something other than crickets...i.e. meal worms or grubs of sorts. Crickets have no real nutritional value, so it is possible your poor little lizards were malnurished.
>> Ash
mites can play a big factor in death of reptiles..the get under the scales and allow all sorts of bacteria to get into their little blood streams.
>> Anonymous
They had a heatlamp, and I only ever kept 2 at a time.
>>150056
The pet store clerk assured me that the crickets were all they needed. Thanks for informing me that's total bollocks. I think I'll stick to mammals from now on. I'm more used to them anyway.
>> Anonymous
>>150068
Lesson learned I guess-- never trust pet store employees to give good information.
>> Anonymous
>>150056
>>150068

False. The crickets you buy at the pet store have little nutritional value. But buy and breed your own crickets and feed them yourself. Healthy, well-fed crickets would have kept your anoles alive.

Also, if they were starved, you would have noticed their rib cages and all their bones showing.
>> Anonymous
I owned two that lived for 5 and 7 years, didn't have a heat lamp, or even a full spectrum light, just a regular light bulb. I fed them gut loaded crickets though, and dusted them with vitamin D powder stuff.

If you don't want to keep spraying them, theres an easier way: just get a semi deep dish and fill it with rocks that reach the the top and stick out of the water. Get one of those cheap aerators for fish and an airstone and put it in the water. It will create humidity, and the bubbles will splash water on the rocks that the anoles will drink from.

Also don't feed them mealworms. Most will not even take to them at all, and even if they do, they are really no better than crickets.
>> Anonymous
lol lizard
>> Anonymous
I love anoles.
Mine were rescued from some insane drug addict in the building and they lived almost 6 years.
I never had a problem with them (then agai I was taking care of chameleons and large snakes at the same time, so maybe the anoles were easier by comparison.)
>> Anonymous !xhioi10.DY
hey
>> Anonymous
>>150085
They were never starved, and most lived 2-3 years before biting the dust. Again, I blame some form of parasite.
>> Anonymous
Mine didn't mix well with cats

It's amazing how resourceful a cat can be when left alone all day
>> Anonymous
I keep these same lizards, I have dozens of them. I keep them outside, where they belong. I don't have to feed them or provide them with heat, because when they live outside they seem to be able to find those things themselves! Amazing, isn't it? Dozens of them live in my potted plants and on my house! They even reproduce!