Nutrition

Nurition -- without the proper diet, an Anole will never be happy. On this page you can learn the best food choices for your Anole(s), and you can find out how to care for the feeder insects.

Crickets

Pros: Many herpists agree that this insect is the best choice in terms of feeder insects. It's not hard to understand why. Crickets are not only one of the most nutritional choices, but they are also one of the easier-to-digest insects. Crickets are also one of the more inexpensive choices, and probably the easiest to find.
Cons: There aren't many downsides to feeding crickets. The main concerns are the availability of small crickets at petstores, as it seems most stores only carry one size; also, the rate at which crickets grow can become bothersome if you like to buy crickets in bulk. They have a tendency to grow pretty fast, and by the time you get to your last few insects, they may be too large to feed to your Anole(s).

Cricket Care: The crickets' diet should include various foods that are high in calcium, protein, Vitamin-C, and other essential vitamins. Vegetables such as potatoes, lettuce, and carrots are a good choice. Also oranges are very good to feed the crickets because of the high calcium and Vitamin-C content. Apples and grapes are good as well. Also include oats in their diet.

To get rid of some of the feeding hassle, most petstores carry pre-made cricket food for about $4 a bottle. These foods usually contain all the vitamins needed. I prefer using pre-made food, along with a slice of orange and occasionally a potato or apple. The crickets also need water. You can provide this by filling a shallow saucer with water, or wetting some cotton balls and putting them in the cage. Most petstores also carry pre-made cricket water, which has the appearance and texture of clear or blue jello. After getting tired of constantly re-wetting cotton balls, I started using the pre-made cricket water, and it works very effectively. You aren't so much trying to keep the crickets healthy, rather, you're trying to make them more nutritious for when you feed them to the Anole(s).
Feeding crickets to your Anole(s): Feed 3-5 small crickets daily per Anole. The crickets should be about one half to three-fourths the size of the Anole(s) mouth. Drop one or two crickets in the cage, and wait for the Anole to eat these. Then, drop another one or two in. Continue this until you have fed the desired amount, or until the Anole stops eating. Every other day, you will need to dust the crickets with some sort of vitamin powder. Your local petstore should sell this. To apply this powder to the crickets, put the desired amount of insects into a plastic baggie. Then, put about one or two teaspoons of the powder in with the crickets. Close the bag and shake for about 30 seconds. The crickets should now be pretty well coated with the powder. If not, you may want to slightly dampen the crickets, and then try again.

Mealworms

   Pros: The runner-up insect in terms of popularity, the mealworm, is the insect reccomended by most uneducated petstore employees. This, worm, however, has more Cons than Pros. One Pro for mealworms is overall availability. They are usually easy-to-find at most petstores and online stores. They are also relatively inexpensive, which is another reason that mealworms are a popular choice. Unfortunately, that's about it in terms of Pros.
      Cons: Nutrition...something the mealworm lacks. Compared to crickets and other feeder insects, mealworms have about as much nutrition as a stale fortune cookie. Maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but it isn't that far from the truth. Mealworms are also hard to digest because of their hard outer-shell (exoskeleton). It can be dangerous if a half-digested mealworm finds its way into the stomach of an Anole. Mealworms have a burrowing instinct, which can lead to problems when you're trying to keep eight mealworms from burrowing into the substrate long enough for the Anole to eat them. While on the subject of burrowing think about this: Live, half-digested mealworm, with a burrowing instinct, inside the stomach of an Anole....hmm. If crickets are available, do your anole a favor and spend the few extra cents instead of buying mealworms.
     Feeding the mealworms: Feeding is pretty much the same as crickets (see above.) Religiously stuff them with vitamins before feeding them to the Anole(s).

Feeding mealworms to your Anole(s): Put about eight small mealworms into a saucer or jar lid. Make sure it's shallow enough for the Anole(s) to get inside, but deep enough to prevent the mealworms from climbing out the instant they're put in it.

Make sure the mealworms you buy are pretty young, and have a softer exoskeleton than an adult. If you have the privilege of going to a petstore where the employees actually have an education, then ask them if they have any freshly molted mealworms. The newer the exoskeleton, the softer it is. Also, every other day, dust the mealworms with a vitamin supplement just like you would a cricket (see above.) Once theAnole(s) gets used to eating mealworms, you may want to try smashing or cutting off the mealworms' heads. This may reduce the potential dangers of a half-digested insect.

Waxworms and Butterworms

     Pros: These insects are pretty high on the nutrition scale, and Anoles love them.
     Cons: Although they're pretty nutritious, their fat content is very high. Feeding an Anole too many of these insects can result in obesity.
    Feeding: Stick to using Butterworms and Waxworms strictly as a treat.

Silkworms

Pros: Probably the safest worm, and second safest overall food to feed your anoles. These worms have a pretty high nutrition level, and are also relatively easy to digest.
Cons: Availability is very low. There are several online breeders, but I've never seen these worms readily available in any petstore or bait store.

Wild Caught Insects

    You can feed your Anole a variety of wild caught insects. Make sure that they are obtained from a pesticide-free area away from roadsides, etc. Most any appropriately sized insect will do (with a few exceptions).
    Pros: The are FREE and abundant. A few minutes spent passing a Butterfly net or other fine meshed net through high grass and weeds will produce a substantial supply of feeder insects.
     Cons: They are seasonal and not available in winter in most areas. You have to be somewhat proficient in insect identification to avoid those that might be harmful to your Anole.

    Warning: Avoid the following: Bees and Wasps (they sting), Pillbugs, Fireflies (they are toxic), caterpillars that are hairy or spiny (the hairs, etc. are usually irritating), Ants, (high Formic Acid content), Beetles (most are too hard but you can experiment), Butterflies (most are brightly colored for a reason - they taste bad), and anything else that might be too tough or large.

     For a bit of excitement (and exercise for your Anole) try introducing an appropriately sized moth into the enclosure. The Anoles love the chase and become extremely active - sometimes even comical in their pursuit of a moth. While most insects are not as nutritious as gut-loaded and vitamin coated crickets, they are what Anoles subsist on in the wild.

Click here to view Bob Carmany's manuscript, "Wild Caught Green Anole Food 101".

Lobster Roaches (Nauphoeta cinerea)

Pros: Relatively soft exoskeleton and high "meat" to shell ratio. Relatively slow moving. Once a colony is established, they will breed profusely and provide an almost endless supply of food for your Anole. They are easy to maintain and don't have the odor of crickets and no defensive odor like most roaches. They are outdoor types and escapees will NOT take over your house.
Cons: They take some care but not much. They can climb glass and plastic and must be maintained in a covered container. They can be restrained from climbing out or to the top of the container with a barrier of Vaseline near the top. For more info on Lobster Roaches go to www.herpshop.com.au.

(Special thanks to Bob Carmany for info on Wild Caught insects and Lobster Roaches.)

Articles

Please take this time to read these two articles by Bob Carmany. Both are extremely informative, and you'll gain alot of knowledge by reading them. You'll be glad you read them, and so will your Anoles.

-- Wild Caught Green Anole Food 101
-- Raising Feeder Insects

Cage Misting

Anoles prefer to lap water droplets from plant leaves and the glass sides of the tank, instead of drinking from a water bowl. Therefore, you should mist the cage at least twice a day. When misting, don't drench the cage. Just spray until it looks like a light dew. Misting the cage also aids in keeping the humidity up (see "Humidity" section.) Anoles are also attracted to moving water, and may drink from a waterfall in the cage, or a container of water with an aquarium airstone in it.