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Name: (Bahaman/Cuban) Brown Anole
Order: Sauria
Family: Polychrotidae
Scientific Name: Anolis sagrei

History

The Brown Anole originated around Cuba and the surrounding Caribbean islands. The population has grown into coastal regions of Georgia and Southern Florida. These reptiles have a small pointed head with a short snout. Using moveable eyelids they are capable of viewing in different directions. They have small ear openings behind their eyes. The hind legs, nearly twice as long as the front legs, are used for jumping and making these creatures very mobile. The gender of a brown anole can be determined by their dorsal markings. Females and young have a yellow or white line down their back with a diamond pattern on either side of the line. Males have a series of diamond-shaped patterns randomly covering the body. Both genders have a brown tent varying from reddish brown to almost black when changing colors. This specie does not turn green, only shades of brown. Recent studies have been made observing the steady decline of the native green anole as the brown anole population expands. One speculation is hatchling predation, where the young and/or eggs are eaten.

Habitat

Anoles prefer warm climates, they can be found in many different habitats such as trees, beaches and urban areas. Like many other reptiles they enjoy sun bathing on a tree or rock. Males will defend their territory by showing their dewlap, a throat fan, in combination with bobbing the head to intimidate an invader. When domesticated the daylight temperature should be kept between 75-90 degrees, nighttime 60-70, and basking area 105-110. You should use a full spectrum bulb to duplicate daylight in your terrarium. Ultraviolet light is recommended for 12-14 hours a day during the summer months and 8-10 hours during winter months. The humidity level should be around 70%. There habitat should consist of several climbing branches, a basking area and a cool/shaded area. A heat rock should "NOT" be used for the basking area, only some type of heat lamp. Adding live plants to your terrarium will enhance the look of the habitat greatly and will help maintain the humidity. Plants such as pothos and breeds of spider plants will normally thrive in that kind of environment. There are three primary layers that need to be placed in the bottom of the habitat. 1) An inch of small stones and pebbles should be placed in the bottom of the tank for water drainage so that the roots of live plants do not rot and to help aerate the soil. 2) Two to three inches of soil should cover the stones in your terrarium. This provides enough soil for any live plants to grow. 3) Wood chips, Bed-o-Beast, shavings, almost anything natural makes a great bedding to cover the soil. Anoles will do best when kept in pairs, one of each gender (see above "History" for gender distinction). Because of their territorial instincts when two males are kept together in a tank one may become dominant and suppress the other male until it dies. It is a good rule of thumb to keep one male anole per 10 gallons. When putting anoles in a tank it is also best to have anoles that are around the same size. Mixing species is possible but may cause conflicts. You may get away with having different sized anoles and variable gallons per anole. These are just suggested rules that have been stated from terrarium keepers with anoles.

Left: Brown anole, Anolis sagrei. (Male)		Right: Brown anole, Anolis sagrei. (Female)

Care

Small insects such as flies, termites, crickets, mealworms, waxworms, beetles and other small insects serve as their diet. Thier food should be coated with a variety of vitamin and calcium supplements. Reptocale is an example of a calcium supplement that can be found at a pet store. Place the insects into a zip-lock bag with a little moisture and the powder, shake gently until insects are covered. Pet stores also have special containers that can be used to dust insects. Daily misting, once or even twice, of the habitat should be done to maintain the humidity level and for drinking. Use a spray bottle to mist the walls and the plants in the tank. The anoles will drink water droplets from leaves and from the walls. They will very rarely drink from standing water. Feeding for young can be up to twice a day. For adults 3-4 times a week. During the winter months eating may decrease to only once or twice a week.

To maintain a healthy population the enclosure should be kept clean. Any waste products, dead insects, dried blood and other things of the sort should be removed on a regular basis. This will keep the bacteria and infection levels down. A healthy reptile is one that is alert and active. If an anole seems sluggish and non-responsive to an attempt to catch it, it may be an indication of a sick reptile.There are many reasons for reptiles to get sick just like people. Dehydration, unsanitary conditions and a habitat that isn't warm enough can all cause illness. Another cause of sickness could be mites. Mites are a close relative to fleas and tics, they are an eight legged parasite that feeds on its hosts blood. They carry and transmit diseases to their hosts. Once your reptiles have been infested with mites it is difficult to get rid of them. These organisms are very small and maybe difficult to see. Depending on the species of mite, they may be bright red/orange, black or the color of dried blood. Mites roam the body nesting under scales, around the eyes, ears and tympanic membrane. Though they normally do not feed on non-reptiles, they simply use people and other animals for transportation. When an anole sheds its skin it will also shed the mites. Wild caught reptiles are more commonly to be found being a host for mites. When purchasing anoles or other reptiles look for mites on the reptiles and around the enclosure to avoid them all together. Refer to the links, provided from the home page, on the treatment and extermination of mites and other health issues. Stess is also a factor that can be unhealthy for anoles. Take notice to the color of your anoles, when a Brown Anole is stressed it will stay dark brown most of the time (Green Anoles will stay brown when stressed). To cold of temperature, insufficient cover in habitat, even a cat nearby watching can stress anoles.

Breeding

The dewlap,or throat fan, is also used to attract a female mate. The male will show his dewlap and bite at the females neck until she becomes excited. A female will most commonly lay a single egg ,rarely two, buried in damp soil around plant roots or other moist areas throughout the late spring and summer. The eggs are white, hard-shelled and take 30-40 days to hatch. Change in temperature during the winter and summer months is very impotant to their reproductive instinct (see above "Habitat" for temperatures). Two to three days after birth the young will eat for the first time. They are fully mature around one year. It is a good idea to seperate the young from the adults especially if you have different breeds of anoles in the same tank. Once they start eating a territorial dispute may begin and a new born will have a very little chance of survival. Though in some cases the newly hatched anoles may be fine, depending on size of the tank and how aggresive the anoles are. But it is a risk to keep them together at first.

Above: Brown Anole,Anolis sagrei.Male showing dewlap.