Green Anoles 101

Name: Green Anole

Personality: Skittish, not terribly social (though small groups of females with no more than one male can work well). Males can be territorial.

Care: This is a fairly low-maintenance reptile according to About.com Exotic Pets, which also states that an aquarium of proper size (at least 10 gallons, larger for groups) is required, and the daytime temperature should remain around 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit with 70 percent humidity. You'll need to mist their enclosures a couple of times a day in order for the green anoles to hydrate. They lap water from their surroundings rather than drink from a dish. Plants and branches should be provided. A diet of live crickets (gut loaded and supplemented) will keep them healthy.

Common Health Issues: Green anoles are hardy, so they don't have many health problems, says allpetinc.com. Providing proper full-spectrum lighting and branches for basking will keep your lizard unstressed and healthy. However, green anoles are susceptible to metabolic bone disease, mouth rot, respiratory ailments and shedding.

Training Tips: This isn't the friendliest pet out there, but with consistent, calm attention, you might have luck with training your green anole to be handled. Don't be heartbroken if it doesn't happen, though.

Best For: This is a great "beginner" reptile because it doesn't require a huge commitment in terms of time or money. Of course, you still need to be prepared to care for the green anole for its full life, which will likely span around four years but can be longer than eight years with proper care according to About.com Exotic Pets.

What Green Anole Owners Say: Nick Brown of Portsmouth, R.I. tells Paw Nation, "I bought green anoles as a Christmas present for my son two years ago and we have enjoyed having them as pets. Our favorite part is feeding them live crickets because of the excitement seeing them hunt and eat a cricket when it is still alive. It's also cool to see them puff out their red throat sacs in the summertime."

Tags: green anole, GreenAnole, lizard, reptile, small pet, SmallPet