Humidity

Humidity is one of the most underestimated factors in keeping Green Anoles. It's one of the things that most petstore employees don't know about. Yet, it's one of the most important factors in the Green Anole husbandry.

Overview:

Because Green Anoles live in forests and tropical areas, the humidity of the cage is an important factor in their health.

The humidity in the enclosure should be 75-80%. To measure the humidity in the enclosure, you will need a "hygrometer." I reccomend the dial style hygrometer that attaches to the side of the cage. You may find one that also has a thermometer to measure temperature. To the right is an example of one of these.

Humidifying Techniques:

    There's several ways to keep the humidity up in the enclosure. First, the cage needs to be misted at least twice a day. Not only does this keep the humidity up, but this is also how a Green Anole drinks (see "Nutrition".)

     You can also put a shallow dish of water under the basking bulb. The water will evaporate and keep the air humid.

     Another method is to put a container of water in the cage with an aquarium airstone in it. This may also encourage the anoles to drink from the container as well, since they are attracted to moving water.

     You can go the high-tech (and expensive) way and buy a "humidifier." These are much like a smaller version of the humidifiers that people use in their own rooms. They work quite effectively. Look for humidifiers at BigAppleHerp.com.

Or, you can add a waterfall to your enclosure. The splashing, moving water will keep the humidity up, as well as add a quite dazzling and professional centerpiece to your terrarium.

Important Notice: Just remember, if you add a container of water to the cage, make sure it is shallow enough so if the anole were to accidently fall in it, he can get out. Anoles can swim, but if it were to fall into a deep water bowl and not be able to get out, drowning is a very real possibility.