Expert: Mick - 8/17/2007

Question
Hello. During our recent trip to North Carolina my two sons caught and decided to keep their new lizard. I got on line and found out he is a green Anole. My question is that he must be a baby because he is so so small, I went to the pet shop and got some tiny crickets, but they are still to big for him. What else can I feed him? I put a little piece of an orange in there and he loves that. Most days he is green and loves to roll around on his rock but other days he is almost to mellow. To be honest with you I have been kinda waiting to see if he even lives before I hook him up with all the expensive stuff. I have a smaller plastic cage (it said it was for reptiles) and since he is so tiny I figured he didn't need a 10 gal one yet. We have found some tiny tiny spiders that we have been putting in there and as soon as he spots them he eats them, however I hate spiders and finding them (Which has not been easy) is NOT want to do:) Please give some advice so we can have him around the boys absolutly love him.

Answer
Unfortunately, this is the breaks of catching and keeping something from the wild. You must catch and feed it things you may not like.  

I am not a big fan of children keeping reptiles. They are less understood than most pets and should be reserved for adults who have done study of them. I also do not think that responsibility should be taught to children on the life of another living thing in the balance. Wild caught reptiles make the worst reptile pets and should never be attempted by the inexperienced. Captive stress is a killer and can result in infection and explosive parasite growth as the immune function is compromised by stress.

Under the situation, the best thing to do would be to release him where he came from. If you can't do that, then an alternate location in the woods almost anywhere in the south would be suitable. I say this because my first concern is for the animal rather than your concern to keep it for your children. It is not a toy, and I am disheartened by your admission that you are basically waiting to see if it lives or dies before buying the "expensive stuff". It is that lack of "expensive stuff" which is killing him...like UVB lighting. He needs UVB lighting for proper vitamin D3 synthesis and calcium/phosphorus metabolism. Without it he will suffer metabolic bone disorder as a rapidly growing baby. If his temps are not right, his immune system and digestive system will not function properly. If he does not have proper humidity, he could get a respiratory infection. If the prey ( such as crickets ) is too large, he may not eat it, or he may attempt it and get a gastrointestinal impaction or gastroenteritis, which will kill him. That is why I do not recommend reptiles for children or people who have not researched reptiles before. It is more complicated than putting them in a box.  

There are stores out there which will sell you captive bred Anoles, along with provide basic care information, and show you what all you need to buy. Many stores will not sell reptiles without ensuring you have the proper equipment, and I agree with that position. There are also many rescuers out there, like myself, who have animals that need homes.  

I think an important lesson to teach children is respect for wildlife and leaving it alone. This baby Anole has almost no chance of surviving under the current situation. Those are just the facts and I wish it weren't so harsh, but I have to advocate for the poor baby lizard. I am a reptile rescuer, and this upsets me when I hear of these things, especially when I have rescued baby Anoles about a week old that need a home. There are many rescue groups out there that have lizards and turtles needing homes, and adopting a needy rescued animal, or at least buying a captive bred one, is a much better alternative than taking another from the wild.

If you decide to keep it, you will need a small mesh sweep net to run over the grass and catch these little spiders. Unfortunately for you, small spiders are some of it's favorite food, and the most aboundant small prey it can handle at a young age. You can also buy flightless fruitflies from the pet store, but it needs a variety based on it's wild diet. Mealworms and even small crickets are too large and not appropriate for a baby Anole, and may kill it. Too much chitin. You will also need to study about reptiles and Anoles specifically, starting with the following websites.  


http://www.anapsid.org/anole.html
http://www.kingsnake.com/anolecare/