File :-(, x, )
Green Anoles Anonymous
HEY GUYS,

I'm thinking about getting a green anole or two as my next pet (currently have hermit crabs) and by thinking about, I mean like in six months to a year, so I'll have plenty of time for research and setting up a sick joint for them and stuff.

Anyway, I heard they were good beginner lizards and not ones that like a lot of handling, which is what I'm looking for (if I had time to socialize an animal, I'd get a rat). I want a new pet mostly for observational purposes, like my crabs. Just a little bit of time a day to take care of them and then when I'm stressed out I can relax watching them.

Anyway again, basically what I'm asking here is what you guys think of green anoles and if you have any key stories from owning them. Also cute pics appreciated.

SO WHAT'S UP
>> Anonymous
When I was a kid I used to let them bite my ears, and then they'd hang there for a long time. They don't like letting go after they bite.

You could make something really cool to look at with anoles in it.
http://www2a.biglobe.ne.jp/~wild-sky/vivarium/evivariu.htm

You might want to consider forest armadillo lizards instead. They don't have the climbing or humidity requirements that anoles do.
>> Anonymous
>>329570
Not sure about climbing, but I'm accustomed to recreating tropical environments with my hermit crabs (if it wasn't for the fact that I have NO IDEA how they'd react to each other, I could just get a huge tank and house anoles and crabs together).

But I will look into your forest armadillo lizards.

I mostly became interested in green anoles because I want to start in on lizards as pets and saw that they'd be a pretty cheap starter lizard. And by cheap I mean I'd be putting down only $100-150 on initial set-up and a stockpile of food.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
I dunno why the thought of a "sick joint" for anoles made me giggle.

Anyway, I think anoles are pretty cool. They're certainly more active than some of the other lizards in the pet trade. Watching them display (do their little push-ups, show off the shit on their necks, whatever) is interesting. I also like the way they drink.

To contribute, a sleepy baby.
>> not anonymous !!w5qlwZDcMVZ
>>329570
haha I used to do that too. Sorry I can't give advice on keeping them as pets as I always just caught with them to play with for a few minutes then released them. How much do these sell for? I know where to find a ton of these, didn't know that they sell as pets.
>> Anonymous
>>329595
They first caught my eye in the pet store at the dandy price of $7.99 each. I mostly can't decide if I want to have just one in a 10gal or try for 2-3 in a 20gal. Do they do better in groups?
>> Anonymous
They're not very hardy or forgiving when it comes to meeting their needs so they make for pretty shit 'beginner lizards' but if you know the basics when it comes to diurnal moderately-high-humidity lizards you should be fine. Just remember they need high levels of UVB andoffer fruits/baby food.

The biggest problem, in my opinion, is that almost all the specimens you find in stores are wild caught because there's no real market for captive-bred green anoles. As a result you'll find a lot of them are fairly old, stressed, and loaded with parasites.
>> Anonymous
>>329603
Thanks for pointing this stuff out. The ones at my pet store are tiny, just a bit longer than my finger so I'm assuming they are young (it was half or less than half the size of ones in pictures on the interbutts).

Again, I'm not too concerned about humidity but I've never dealt with lamp-heating before so it's something I definitely have to look into.

Does anybody know of any like plastic tanks that are large and decently clear? I know large plastic tanks suck for aquariums because the plastic will warp under the weight of the water but for non-fish habitats, do they make them? I want to invest in something larger than 10 gallons but worry about moving around that much glass.
>> Anonymous
>>329598
They're colonial reptiles and do best in groups of 1 male and 2+ females (no more than 1 male). They'll do alright individually but you won't get to watch them interact. A minimum 10 gallons is considered rule of thumb, though. Even though they're small they do move around quite a bit and will stress out/ become aggressive towards one another if they feel cramped.

You can get big screen cages for pretty cheap and that way you can move them outdoors during the summer, but they don't retain humidity well and aren't as nice to look at as glass display tanks.
>> Anonymous
>>329612
*minimum 10 gallons per lizard, I mean
>> Anonymous
>>329612
Yeah bigger is definitely better. If I had the room I'd just invest in like a 55gal and let 2-3 just run amok.

And humidity can be difficult to keep stable even in a glass tank so wire is out :< at least imo. I would never put a humidity-sensitive lizard in a wire cage, or any humidity/temperature sensitive animal. It just sounds like bad news.
>> Anonymous
>>329620
Not wire, nylon mesh. A lot of breeders of tropical chamelons use them; the trick is to keep them well planted and use a mister and/or drip-system. It uses a lot of water but at the same time you don't get the respiratory issues and fungal outbreaks you do in glass tanks.
>> Anonymous
>>329630
How expensive/difficult to maintain is that kind of set-up? I'm a college student (right now a senior, but heading towards super-seniorship and then grad school) and even though I'm not in a dorm, a hugely intensive set-up is not viable for me at the moment.
>> Anonymous
>>329641
Not very. The enclosures themselves run a lot cheaper than glass when you start going up in size and you'll need the same UV lighting and heat lamp (though you may want to buy a second one for night) as you would with a glass tank so it won't cost you much there. Misting systems run between 40-100 bucks. The real trick is in keeping the plants alive so it helps to have a green thumb. It's essentially the same as a planted glass vivarium except you have to remember to refill the water reservoirs.

This site has a lot of screen cages and misting systems at about typical price if you want to look at prices.

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/
>> Anonymous
Would it be better to get something taller so they can climb more or wider to reduce risk of injury in case they fall?
>> Anonymous
Is it better to get a taller tank for climbing or a wider tank for reducing injury in case of a fall?
>> Anonymous
Unless you're going to be shaking the enclosure constantly or you're thinking about getting one 12' high and filling it with lubed branches I wouldn't worry about them falling.
>> Anonymous
>>329791
Duly noted.
>> Anonymous
Anoles are awesome as observational pets. They're amazing climbers and jumpers and they can be quite animated. They also are excellent hunters.