Help with Anole?

Question

My son bought one the other day, and we have checked out a few sights, but my question is this.
We have been putting the dead bugs in the tank and he wont eat them, so we tried banana baby food, and he is eating off a spoon.
How do I know if he is full, as I dont want to overfeed him.
How hearty of a lizard is an anole, ( life span, etc. ) for a novice?
We put him in a larger tank, put in some sticks, a bridge, and put gravel in ( darker on one end). My son has handled him daily per the advice of the person who sold him to us.
Any other advice or suggestions would be really appreciated.
Also, this may sound weird, but I dont think the Anole likes me. He puffs out his throat, gets excitable, and has litterally lunged at me from his tank. Is that normal?

He bought him from a rennaisance fair, and the instructions on paper say that handeling him was a good thing.
He was sold as a " baby dragon".
Of course the kids wanted a baby dragon, but he doesnt seem to be very happy.
I did the Iguana thing, and he WAS a rescue Iguana. Too ill to rehabilitate and he passed. Wont do it again.
Anyway, I do the misting twice a day, and will get live crickets today.
Have to purchase a heat lamp I guess.
Anything else?

To Benjamin~ I agree about the rats. My foster daughter had one that I grew very attached to , and he was awesome. He lived beyond his years, but passed away about 2 months back. Love 'em. Would love to have another.

Answer 1

Your anole hates you. The best thing to do at this point is to run around in circles until you pass out.

Answer 2

Unfortunately, you received some poor advice when you purchased this poor little guy.
Anoles are primarily insectivores and they are visual hunters, they are attracted to movement and really need live insects. Mediums size crickets are an appropriate size and a calcium/ vitamin supplement should be dusted on the insects or added to the baby food.
Anoles can live for about 3 to 5 years with the proper diet and environment. They will need a heat source ( preferably a a basking light) and prefer to drink water from droplets on foliage. Misting the enclosure is recommended. Make sure he has some leafy plants (real or fake) that he can climb on and hide in for security.

Handling is really rather stressful for small lizards like anoles that are frequently preyed upon by larger animals. They are better thought of as display pets. If your son wanted a small reptile that could tolerate regular handling and is also easy to look after then a leopard gecko perhaps should have been recommended to you over an anole. Their lifespan is also much longer.

Answer 3

Try putting live bugs in there. It stimulates the lizard more and brings it back to its instincts to actually catch the bugs. My pair of leopard geckos would not touch anything that wouldn't move the first 2-3 years i had them, i've been hand feeding them for a few months along with the batch of live crickets, and i've been able to teach them to eat dead bugs if i put them in a spot where they can easily find them. So try going to a pet store, or even a bait shop (cheaper crickets, twice as many, usually bigger) and getting a few crickets and put them in the tank with it.

The anole will stop eating when it gets full, although im not sure if feeding it baby food is good for it (I think they are strictly an insect eater?)

The anole is probably stressed out from being bought and moved around in so many places that aren't familiar to it at once. If you just recently bought it, leave it by itself in the tank for 2-4 days and just let it get completely used to the habitat before continuing to handle it. The anole does that as a defense mechanism as it thinks you are going to eat it.

Answer 4

Honestly, I had anoles a long time ago, and the very last one I had I set free on a trip to Florida, because I just never felt like they were ever even slightly content in captivity. Like all other reptiles I've had! They just keep trying to escape, they often become hopeless and refuse to eat (although I think you will have much better success with LIVE insects!!!)

I don't buy reptiles anymore, though I love them so much! I just don't think they're happy in captivity. Nowadays I keep rats. They seem quite happy, and they're lots of fun! Smarter than lizards, too, I'm afraid!

By the way, not very hearty! If you want a hearty lizard, try iguanas.

One more thing, I seem to remember that there are certain insects that pet shops typically sell which are dangerous for them, like those little worms (I forget what they're called, meal worms???) they can eat through their stomachs! Choose something else, but definitely live!

Answer 5

1) They don't eat dead insects - they need live insects, such as small crickets.

2) Stop handling him - it stresses them out. Anoles are not a good pet if you want one to touch. He'll be happier if he's left alone.

3) Try some live or artificial plants for more climbing and hiding space.

What are your temperatures (the cool end and the warm end)? Are you misting it with water each day? What size enclsoure do you have? Are you using a UVB light (Reptisun 5.0) in the day?

Oh, and for the person that recommended iguanas - iguanas get up to 6 feet long, live up to 20 years, and need a fresh salad each morning. Not everyone is prepared for that. That's why so many are up for adoption in rescues and animal shelters.