FAQs
1) Can I keep a male with several females?
No, this is not recommended as females are also territorial among themselves. The weaker animal would eventually physically deteriorate and possibly die.
2) Where does the female lay her eggs?
The eggs are buried about 3cm deep in slightly moist, diggable substrate. A suitable substrate, for example, is coconut humus mixed with a little sand. The egg laying site can be on the terrarium floor or in a flower pot halfway up.
3) What do I feed my anole?
Newly hatched young animals get fruit flies or micro crickets. Anoles basically eat all sorts of insects and their larvae. For example crickets, crickets, grasshoppers, flies, spiders and cockroaches. Crickets or cockroaches are suitable as basic food. Mealworms, Zophobas and wax caterpillars should only be fed occasionally as they are very high in fat.
4) Are the colors always as shown in the picture in the ad?
Similar to a chameleon, anoles constantly change color depending on their mood and situation. Feeding meadow plankton and very good light can intensify the colors.
5) My anole is dark colored all the time. Does he have a problem?
Often it is because the temperatures are not high enough. Anoles need a temperature of around 30°C during the day and a little more in the lamp spot. Stress can also be the cause. Remove the possible stress factors and observe the anole over a longer, continuous period of time.
6) My anoles are very shy and hardly show themselves. What can I do?
Gently get your anoles used to your presence. The animals should associate your presence with food. Offer them a treat from the picette. For example a wax maggot.
If you have the opportunity, place a second pair of anoles in a different terrarium next to your existing anoles. The animals have to come out to defend their territory and to communicate and so lose some of their fear.
7) My anole has developed a thick neck/goiter. Is that normal?
No, that's not normal. The exact cause is not yet known with certainty. As a rule, it is probably a collection of lymph fluid that cannot drain away. The thick neck will get bigger and bigger over the months and won't go away. The good news: The animals are not contagious and the animals can live normally for many years.
8) When are the anoles adults?
Adult is the term for reaching sexual maturity. This is often achieved in females as early as 4-5 months. The most reliable identification feature is the release of a waxy egg (yellow, unfertilized egg). Males are not adults until they are 6-7 months old. Anoles only reach maturity when they are around 1-2 years old.
9) How big does the terrarium have to be?
The terrarium should have a minimum size of approx. 50x50x80cm for an adult pair. It is also important to set up with branches about the thickness of your forearm, which are positioned transversely, diagonally and vertically.
10) What temperatures should be in the terrarium?
During the day the temperature in the upper area should be around 30°C and a little more below the light spot. At night the temperature should not fall below 20°C.
11) How often do I need to spray and how moist should it be?
As a rule, it is enough to water thoroughly once a day so that the anoles can drink. The humidity should depend on the origin of the animals. To do this you need to do a little research. Please also read the section “The Lesser Antilles” on the homepage. For highland animals it can be really humid all day long, i.e. up to 100% RLF - but it doesn't have to be. Highland animals can also be kept very well under medium-humid conditions. Animals from the dry west coast can also tolerate a permanently dry terrarium climate of 30-40% RLF, but still need regular drops of water to drink.
12) How big do the anoles get?
Most of the species considered here are medium-sized anoles with up to 24cm GL for males and 16cm for females.
Size information is available for all species in the species list.
13) When can males and females be put together?
As long as the male is at least slightly larger than the female, anoles can be kept together from an early age. For reasons of safe breeding, I recommend putting them together from sexual maturity, i.e. around 6 months.
14) How do I recognize males and females?
In adults it is relatively simple: males are larger, have a larger throat vane, are more colorful and have a thickened tail. Young animals can be easily distinguished from each other by the stripe on their backs. Please take a look at the graphic under “Keeping” -> “Offspring”.
15) How often do I have to feed?
You should feed young animals every day if possible, as they do not yet have any reserves. Adult anoles can be fed about every other day with 1 to 2 crickets of the appropriate size.
16) How old do anoles get?
The information for the maximum age of anoles varies between 10 and sometimes over 15 years. I think a realistic average maximum age is 4 years for females and 6 years for males.
17) How many offspring does a couple have per year?
On average, a well-functioning pair produces an egg every 1-2 weeks. In the cooler winter months this may be slightly less. So you can definitely expect around 30 young animals per year per pair.
18) Can you take the anole in your hand?
No, anoles generally cannot be tamed to the point where you can handle them.
19) How big are 3-month-old offspring?
About 6-8cm depending on the species.
20) Can I put 3-month-old offspring in a large terrarium?
You can also put small animals in a large terrarium and raise them there. However, feeding is a little more difficult.
21) How often do I have to dust the food animals with a mineral preparation?
The food animals can be pollinated every time they are fed. I don't want to recommend any particular preparation, but I use Reptivite with D3 myself.
22) I would like to buy anoles. How do I get the animals from you?
Basically there are three options:
- Pick up at my home.
- Handover at the Tarraristika exchange in Hamm
- Shipping with an animal shipping company (from >5°C night temperature, 30EUR)
23) At what age do animals develop their colors?
The young animals, which initially wear camouflage colors, begin to change color and take on their adult coloring at around 6 months. At around 9 months, the animals basically change color. Complete coloring is only achieved in males when they are around 1.5 to 2 years old.
24) Which lighting is recommended?
Basically: Lots of light -> lots of color. This means that if you want to see the animals in beautiful colors, you shouldn't skimp on the amount and quality of light. A UVB component in lighting is important! I recommend two variants:
First variant: If the terrarium is in a rather cooler room: An all-inclusive solution with a Lucky Reptile Bright Sun or a Solar Raptor HID Lamp. Possibly in combination with a good LED.
Second variant: If the terrarium is in a room that is already quite warm (>25°C): A fluorescent tube with UVB content and a good LED.
LED lighting can cause the animals to develop significantly more intense colors.
25) Which type is recommended for beginners?
The husbandry requirements are similar for all species in the Lesser Antilles. I would therefore recommend all types in principle. Perhaps with a small focus on the slightly less shy species that are not too small. These include, for example, Anolis roquet, Anolis oculatus, Anolis terraealtae, Anolis leachii, and Anolis desiradei