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Atrax27407 View Profile |
Anole Care (Repost)
Research! The time to do research is BEFORE you buy an Anole and bring it home. You should have a proper enclosure ready for it when you walk through the door. 1) Know the basic requirements (i.e., space, temperatures, lighting, diet, etc.). As with most small animals, the cost of the animal itself is not going to be your major expense. Housing an Anole in improper conditions is tantamount to animal cruelty. 2) Know what the lifespan of your intended purchase is going to be. Small species routinely live 4-6 years in captivity and the larger species 10-15 years. How many times do you see an article in the newspaper where some idiot has had to try to have a zoo take his "pet" that has outgrown its enclosure or the ability of the "owner" to care for it? It applies to small animals as well. If you aren’t prepared to offer proper conditions for the life of the Anole, you probably shouldn’t have bought it in the first place. Choosing Your Anole Choose a healthy Anole. It should be active and have no visible injuries or fecal discharges from the vent. Small reptiles are difficult (and expensive) to treat. You aren’t doing the Anole a favor by "rescuing" it. With a slow metabolism, by the time the serious symptoms appear, it is often too late for treatment. Environment Enclosures - By far, the best enclosure to house an Anole in is an aquarium with a screen top. They maintain temperature and humidity better than anything else. The MINIMUM requirement is 10 gallons of space per Anole. It doesn’t matter whether the Anole is an adult, juvenile, or hatchling. This applies to small/medium Anoles (A. carolinensis, A. sagrei, etc.). Of course, if you can afford it, a larger enclosure would be better. Also, the high or tall versions are preferred since Anoles are arboreal. Just because you can house a small Anole species in a 10-gallon enclosure doesn’t mean that you should. The 10-gallon per Anole requirement is a minimum and bigger is always better. Likewise, you should allow at least 30-gallons per Anole for the larger species (A. equestris, A. garmani, etc.). Substrate - The first rule is NEVER use a substrate that contains indigestible material. This includes such things as sand, ground Walnut hulls, corncob refuse, moss, bark products, pebbles, gravel, etc. These materials can cause impaction and death if ingested along with a prey item (Anoles often get a mouthful of substrate when hunting on the ground). DO NOT use unsterilized substrates of any kind. You risk importing all sorts of insect pests, slugs, and weed seeds when you use such materials. All of these pests can be difficult to eradicate. Believe me, over the years I have had experience with most of them. DO NOT use any substrates containing Pine, Fir, or Cedar shavings or bark. Conifers produce chemicals that can cause nerve damage in reptiles. Also, avoid using moss, pure Peat moss and other fibrous, stringy substrates. They can have bad effects on your Anole’s digestive system. It is much like eating string! Also, be aware that if you plan to use reptile carpet or paper, you might unwittingly be causing another problem. If you have a gravid female, you must provide a place for her to bury her eggs. If she can’t dig in the substrate, she may become egg-bound and die (see the Breeding section). What can you use? Two of the best are organic potting soil (without Perlite or fertilizer) and organic compost. Both are absorbent and digestible and can be found at most garden supply stores for a few dollars. Unless you go crazy misting and watering, they will be fine WITHOUT any gravel for drainage. Heating, Lighting, and Humidity - You don’t need any of the specialty bulbs that you see in the pet stores except for one. You will need a fluorescent UVB TUBE (not coil) and fixture. They come in lengths from 8-48". A 5% is sufficient and ReptiSun or ReptiGlo are the best of the lot. Anoles need the UVB as found in natural sunlight to synthesize calcium. Avoid coil UVB bulbs, they only provide UVB in a small area. Mercury Vapor and Halogen bulbs are generally used for very large enclosures and can cause blindness in reptiles. Besides, they can be difficult to dispose of since some (Mercury Vapor in particular) contain hazardous materials. UVB only penetrates 6-12” into the enclosure so you need to mount them as close to the screen top as possible. Heat can be supplied by a regular light bulb (which also produces UVA). You will need to have a warm and a cool side of the enclosure so the Anole can move about and thermoregulate (adjust his internal temperature). The cool side should be 75 degrees and the warm side should be about 82 degrees. You will also need to provide a basking spot of 85 - 92 degrees (90 is ideal). The lights should be on from 12-14 hours a day and turned on and off at the same time each day. A timer will take care of this. Unless your house gets lower than 60 degrees at night, you won’t need any nighttime heating. If it does, a Ceramic Heat Emitter is the best way to go. Since Anoles are arboreal, they like to bask in heat from above. All of the lighting should be mounted above the enclosure. Remember, glass and plexiglass will filter out 95% of the UVB so DO NOT put the fluorescent on the side of the enclosure but rather over the screen top and NEVER mount the light inside of the enclosure. Also, NEVER use Heat rocks since they can cause burns. Get a couple of thermometers to check the temperature and a hygrometer to check humidity. Place one thermometer at each basking spot to check the temperature there and one at the farthest point from the basking area to check low temperature. The humidity should be about 50% and can be maintained by misting a couple of times a day. Green Anoles come from temperate environments and 50% might even be on the high end of the natural conditions. This also provides drinking water for the Anole and they will lick the water droplets off the foliage and sides of the enclosure. Use distilled or filtered water to avoid hard-to-remove water spots on the glass sides of the enclosure. The hygrometer placed anywhere in the enclosure will allow you to check the humidity. If you have trouble maintaining a proper humidity level, cover 1/3 of the top with clear plastic (but not under the lights). Furniture - Anoles love to hide. Their natural body color range of greens and browns will blend into the foliage to become almost invisible. You can use either real or artificial plants. Artificial plants have the advantage of not needing any care and not being subject to insect infestations. Real plants will help keep the humidity in the enclosure up. When you think you have enough plants in the enclosure, add a couple of more. You can use almost any houseplant that is rated for low or moderate light conditions. The ones to avoid are those with milky sap. They are usually toxic or contain an irritant. I have used Diffenbachias, Aralias, Scheffelaria, Crotons, various ivy vines, and many others over the years with great success. I have also used wild Violets successfully. The white and purple flowers provide a bit of color. You should also supply some branches for the Anoles to climb on. You can use dead branches from outside that have been sterilized in the oven for 30 minutes at 300 degrees to kill any mites or other "nasties". The branches should be at least as big around as the Anole’s body. Artificial caves or other ground shelters are not needed. The Anole will be happy to hide and sleep among the plants. Remember, Anoles are arboreal. Cleaning - A few minutes spent on a daily basis will delay but not eliminate the inevitable thorough cleaning. If you remove any feces and dead prey items daily, you should only have to do a thorough cleaning about every six months. You can use a Vinegar-based glass cleaner between major cleanings to remove any water spots on the glass. For a major cleaning, remove the Anoles to a temporary enclosure and empty everything from the enclosure. Clean everything with a dilute solution of bleach, rinse everything thoroughly and let it dry before you put it back. Replace all of the substrate as well. Anoles QUARANTINE all new arrivals for 30 days before introducing them to an established enclosure with “inmates” to prevent the spread of disease or parasites. Male or Female - Some Anoles (A. sagrei) are dimorphic. That is, the female is a different pattern than the male. Cuban Brown Anole females (A. sagrei) have a diamond shaped pattern from the back of their neck to their tail. Males don’t – their pattern is random. Green Anoles (A. carolinensis) of both sexes look the same. Juvenile and mature males have a pair of enlarged postanal scales (just past the vent) that can be seen with slight magnification. Mature males have a hemipenile bulge at the base of the tail. So, if it has either or both, it is a male. Otherwise, it is a female. Dewlaps, white lines, head shape, etc. are not reliably accurate. This is particularly true in immature specimens. Male Anoles of all species are highly territorial. If you give them enough space to be comfortable, they will try to establish their own territory. They will fight with any other male who appears – sometimes to the death! They will also exhibit an aggression/challenge display to any perceived threat - like a their own reflection in the glass. Only place one male per enclosure unless the enclosure is the size of one of the rooms in your house. Female Anoles are a bit more sedate. They will have some brief skirmishes and squabbles to establish and maintain a “pecking order” and may even chase each other around in the enclosure but are nowhere near as violent as the males’ encounters. Feeding - Anoles are opportunistic feeders. They will eat as much as they can whenever prey items are available. They are insectivorous. That is, they eat live insects. Some will eat baby food fruit (peach or apricot) from time to time but it should be used as an emergency food rather than a staple part of their diet and removed from the enclosure after an hour or so since it will spoil rapidly. A varied diet will produce the healthiest animals. Crickets are probably the easiest staple to find but you can feed them roach nymphs, flies, and a variety of wild caught insects from a pesticide free area. You can even find suitable prey items to feed to your Anoles in the dead of winter if you know where to look. They love moths and other flying insects as well as cabbage worms. One of their favorites are waxworms but these are relatively high in fat content and will cause obesity if fed in excess. Feeding every day or every other day works out fine. They will usually have a marked increase in appetite in the spring and a decrease in the fall. You should also dust the prey items with a calcium supplement once a week. You can use any of the commercial products that don’t contain D3. One of the best sources is to go to your local health food store and get either calcium carbonate or calcium lactate capsules or tablets. You can empty the capsules or grind the tablets into powder and dust the prey items. Put a small amount of the powder in a small plastic bag, add some prey items, and gently shake until they are covered. Then, dump them into the enclosure. Mealworms are generally NOT a good food choice for small reptiles. They have a hard, chitinous exoskeleton that can be difficult for the Anole to digest. Hatchlings can be fed Leafhoppers, flightless Fruit Flies, and pinhead Crickets. Color - Green Anoles are mistakenly called "American Chameleons" because of their ability to change colors from brown to green and vice versa. Anoles change color for a variety of reasons not all of which are stress related. The statement "a Green Anole is a happy Anole" is not accurate. The converse is also not true. As long as the Anole is active and eating and drinking, color is not a significant concern. In the almost 45 years I have been keeping them, I have had Anoles that were Green 90% of the time and others that were brown 90% of the time and both lived a long and active life. Most changed color frequently. They do not change color to match their surroundings. They will be darker when they are cold simply because the dark colors absorb heat more efficiently. Almost any color in their palette will blend in with their environment and they will change randomly as they move from one temperature gradient to another or their stress level changes as they travel through the enclosure. The only time a Green Anole will be green for certain is when they are asleep and can’t control their pigmentation. Morphs – Green Anoles appear in several color morphs. There is also a reddish color morph present in Brown Anoles. Green Anoles have three strata of chromatophores (color cells) arranged in layers. The base layer is brown (melanochromatophores), the middle yellow (xanthochromatophores), and the top layer blue (cyanochromatophores). The combination of blue and yellow give the Anole its green color. The absence of yellow produces a blue color morph. The absence of blue produces a yellow morph. The absence of all three would produce an albino. Varying concentrations would produce different shades. Anoles have the ability to turn these layers “off” and “on” and thus, change color. Social Structure - Green Anoles (Anolis carolinensis) have an interesting social structure. They are not really social animals except during the spring mating season. They live in loose communities dominated by a single male and multiple females. The male has a territory that he defends vigorously and within that territory are the separate territories of 2-6 females. The females establish a “pecking order” with the most dominant getting the best territory in terms of natural resources and food. However, all of the females are subordinate to the male. The male Anole spends most of his time patrolling his established territory, displaying his dewlap and head-bobbing every foot or so to make sure that any other Anoles in the area (both male and female) will see how big and tough he appears. Except during mating season, even the females will hide from him as soon as he appears on his rounds. Male Anoles do have one weakness. Although they have a “harem” of females, they prefer non-resident or “novel” females to the ones living in his territory. So, whenever a female that has reached sexual maturity wanders into a male’s territory, mating season has commenced for him regardless of the time of year. Courtship - Courtship is always initiated by the male. He will extend his dewlap and start a series of head-bobs. If the female is not receptive, she will immediately run away and it is not likely that he will be able to catch her to mate (this might be a problem in a small enclosure). If she is receptive, she will make a half-hearted effort at an escape and the male will catch her. At this point, things will get a bit violent. Anoles are hardly romantic. The male will bite the female on the back of the neck and attempt to hold her still (it might take a bit of effort). He will then maneuver so that he can mate with her. Struggling females may be injured or even killed during mating. The actual mating usually lasts 10-15 minutes. So, unless you watch your Anoles all day, you are likely to miss them mating. The first time I saw a pair of mine mating, all I could see was their tails sticking out of the foliage in the enclosure. Biology and Breeding - Usually all that is required is to put a male and female in the same enclosure. Male and female Green Anoles are sexually mature at 8-9 months of age. If they are older than that, they are ready to breed. Green Anoles usually start their mating season shortly after they come out of their winter quarters (they don’t hibernate). Anoles can also be brought into breeding condition with brumation. Reduce the nighttime temperature to right at 60 degrees and decrease the photoperiod to 8-10 hours a day for 2-3 months. Then, when you lengthen the day and slightly raise the temperature, they will think it is spring and mating will occur. This is usually not necessary, though. You could always remove the female temporarily (for a couple of months) and then re-introduce her. Given the male’s propensity for "novel" females, breeding should immediately commence. Males, like most reptiles, have two sex organs - the hemipenes. The males will also alternate their use but will usually show a preference for one over the mating season. In captivity, mating season is any time you put a male and female together. Although males have a defined territory that usually encompasses the territories of 2-6 females, they show a marked preference for "novel" females. That is, any new female that wanders into his territory. When that happens, it is "instant" mating season; something to remember when you consider adding another female into the enclosure with your male. After mating, the female will start producing them at roughly two week intervals some 2-3 week, until a total of 10-12 eggs have been laid. The best indication that she has produced an egg is a sudden weight loss around the middle. Often, though, the first indication that she has laid an egg is when you see a hatchling scampering around the enclosure! Eggs are produced one or two at a time. The female has two ovaries and will usually alternate fertilized eggs from each. Some females have a propensity for "twins" and will produce a pair of eggs separated by a couple of days at roughly 10 day intervals (two weeks if you count from the day the first one in the pair was laid). Often the last couple of eggs are infertile. The female Anole will bury or partially bury the eggs in the enclosure at the base of plants or in the corners. If you see one on the surface of the substrate or in a water dish, on a leaf, etc. it is very likely infertile. Female Anoles have the ability to store sperm for up to 7 months. This way, they can avoid unsuitable conditions and produce a full clutch once the weather warms (in the case of a fall mating) or when conditions improve. If you use a paper or reptile carpet substrate, place a large container of a moist, suitable substrate in the enclosure for her to use in egg laying. If you choose to incubate the eggs outside the enclosure, remove them taking care not to turn them from their original position. The scientific studies are inconclusive on this point but why take the chance. You can put them in a large deli dish or other plastic container. Fill the deli dish about ¾ full of Vermiculite that you can get at a garden supply store and add enough water to make it nice and moist (a 1:14 ratio of Vermiculite to water is about right). Make a depression in the Vermiculite with your thumb. Place the egg in the depression taking care NOT to turn it from its original position. Cover it with Vermiculite. At a temperature of 85 degrees at 70% humidity, the egg will hatch in 35-40 days. Make sure the deli dish has a cover and punch some small holes in it for ventilation. Also make sure that the Vermiculite doesn’t dry out. Shedding - Anoles shed when their skin is restricting their growth. The interval depends on their age and eating habits. They will usually have a dull appearance just prior to the shed. White patches resembling blisters will appear and the skin will then begin to slough off. Anoles are master recyclers. They eat the skin as it is shed to reuse the nutrients. Shedding usually takes about an hour and they might even do it in stages with the head or body first followed in a couple of days by the other body part. Unshed bits of skin are NOT a problem UNLESS they are constricting a limb or other appendage. You may be able to remove the problem bits by GENTLY rubbing the dry skin with a Q-tip soaked in warm water. NEVER forcibly pull off a bit of unshed skin! Lifespan and Health issues - Small/medium Anoles live 4-6 years routinely in captivity. That is longer than mice, rats, gerbils, and hamsters. Large species live 10-15 years. So you have a long-term commitment. Minor cuts and abrasions can be treated with human medications. For example, Neosporin will keep a wound from becoming infected and eye drops will take care of eye infections. Mites can be treated with one of the commercial miticides designed for reptiles. Just follow the directions on the package. Mites appear as reddish or white specks that move about on the Anole’s body. Two serious health issues are Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) caused by a calcium deficiency, and prolapses. Anoles need UVB to synthesize calcium. A calcium deficiency results in curved spine, deformed limbs, and nerve damage. It is preventable by providing the correct lighting and dusting the prey items with a calcium supplement. Prolapses are a condition where either the intestines or reproductive organs protrude from the vent. A prolapse is usually fatal and virtually untreatable in all but the largest species. Another is mouth rot. The mouth will become black. It is usually the result of a cut or injury sustained during eating. Take the Anole to a vet immediately. Anoles will sometimes get respiratory infections as well. The symptoms are gaping and strenuous breathing with the mouth open. Raise the temperature to an overall 85+ degrees in a QUARANTINE enclosure. If things don’t improve in a day or so, see a vet. Anoles sometimes have a white powdery substance around their nostrils. This is how they normally excrete excess salt in their bodies. It is completely normal and no cause for alarm. Postorbital eyespots are used to express extreme anger or stress. These black spots frequently appear in males during Aggressive/Challenge displays. If they don’t go away in 20 minutes or so or if they are present in a female, they are cause for alarm. Keeping Anoles with Other Species – The simple answer is DON’T MIX SPECIES! Even two species of Anoles should NOT be kept in the same enclosure. Why? Besides that fact that different species generally have different environmental requirements, each reptile species has its own parasite load. Some are beneficial and some are harmful but all reptiles and amphibians have some microbe or parasite living in their digestive tract. What is completely benign and innocuous to one species might very well be fatal to another. If you mix species, you will shorten the lifespan of both. Should you be in the unfortunate position of having to euthanize a terminally ill Anole, the most painless and quickest method is cranial destruction. If you are adept at "pithing" a small reptile(i.e., inserting a needle into the brain at the base of the skull), you can use that method. Otherwise hammer or brick serves the same function. It is much more humane than freezing or even lethal injection. Wild Caught Insects There are several factors that limit the longevity of Anoles in the wild. Weather conditions, predators, parasites, and diet make it difficult for an Anole to survive much past its second year. In captivity, they have a climate-controlled environment, no predators, and external parasites are eliminated. Why, then, does a wild, natural diet limit an Anole’s longevity? The answer is two-fold and relatively simple. Anoles are non-discriminatory, opportunistic feeders. They will try to eat anything that crawls or flies by that they think they can overpower and swallow. As a result, they sometimes make poor choices and try to eat high-risk prey. They are sometimes injured, poisoned, and even die because of what they perceive as their next meal. Contrary to legend, they are not immune to wasp, bee, or spider venoms and can die from the toxins produced by these “snacks”. In addition, they will often eat insects that carry either disease organisms or internal parasites. Fortunately, the list of insect vectors is relatively small when compared to the vast number of species and easy to avoid. With a bit of preparation and knowledge, we can provide our Green Anoles with a diverse, nutritious, and safe menu. Why “wild caught” food? There are several reasons: 1) It is abundant. There are literally millions of species of insects. There are billions of individual specimens of each species. 2) It is free. You can collect as much as you want and never have to buy another cricket again. 3) It provides a diverse, nutritious menu. Most of the foods that captive Anoles eat are lacking in one mineral, vitamin, or nutrient. A broad spectrum of species will provide the widest range of nutrients. 4) Catching active prey items is good exercise. Anoles tend to get a bit lazy when fed on crickets or mealworms. Put a flying insect, like a moth, in the enclosure for some real action! Equipment - In most of the United States, suitable insect prey is available for nine months or more each year. In fact, an experienced collector can find insects even in the dead of winter. You can’t just run around picking up Anole food with your fingers. Well, you can but a bit of equipment makes it much easier. For less than $20, you can be set up to collect an almost infinite supply of food. 1) A sweep net. A sweep insect net is more substantial than an aerial net and the bag is generally made of muslin. It is used to sweep through grassy or weedy areas and catch whatever is hiding there. You can buy a decent one for about $10. 2) A general insect/arthropod reference book. If you aren’t familiar with or adept at identifying insects or other arthropods, this is a necessity. It doesn’t have to be too technical and anything that has pictures of most of the common insects will do. You can find one for $5-$10. 3) Assorted storage containers. Empty yogurt containers are excellent for short-term storage. Just make sure that they have air holes poked through the top. You can make larger containers out of plastic shoe or sweater storage container by hot-gluing screen to a cut out portion of the lid. Collection Techniques - We have everything that we need to get started. Now, where do we go to get this endless supply of food? There are basically two ways to amass a supply. You can go and get it or have the insects come to you. 1) Sweeping. This is the “go and get it” approach. Find a grassy or weedy area and sweep through the grass with your net. In 10 or 15 minutes, you will have a couple weeks’ supply of “goodies” for your Anole. Minimum effort and excellent results! All that is left is to sort through what you have caught. 2) Traps and Lures. Trapping and catching insects can be as easy as simply turning on the porch light. Insects are attracted strongly to both light and various odorous substances. If you are going to use light as an attractant, an easy way to enhance its effectiveness is to shine a spotlight on a white sheet or light colored wall and capture whatever shows up. Of course, “black light” is very effective. Usually the best results are on dark moonless nights when the light source stands out better. There are other simple traps. A coffee can buried level with the ground makes an excellent pitfall trap. It can either be unbaited or baited with a small piece of bread or bacon fat. Leave it overnight and check it early the next morning for visitors. You can take a half loaf of unsliced bread, cut it lengthwise and put a hole in the end extending to the middle. Secure the two halves with rubber bands and put it in a grassy area. Check it in a day or two and you will find a supply of crickets and other creatures that are unwilling to leave this enormous food supply. For sweet loving insects (moths, etc.), take the leftover stale beer from your last party and mix it with enough brown sugar to make a thin paste. Paint it on the trunks of trees, fence posts, and other objects. You will be surprised at the number of moths and other flying insects that appear. You can check it at night for moths and during the day for various flies and other insects. The natural equivalent is a tree (preferably an oak) with a wound that is running sap. They are absolute “gold mines” of activity. Guidelines- You now hopefully have a supply of various insects. Remember, we are trying to provide your Anole with a “safe” menu, so, you can’t just throw any old bug in the enclosure and hope for the best. There are some broad guidelines that we can use to eliminate potential problems. 1) Don’t feed you Anole non-insects. Spiders, ticks, centipedes, and scorpions are hazardous. All spiders are venomous and an inopportune bite could cause some serious damage. The same holds true for centipedes and scorpions. If it has more than six legs, don’t use it as food for your Anole. 2) Insects use warning coloration very extensively as a defense mechanism. If an insect is brightly colored or conspicuous, it is usually toxic or unpalatable. It is best to be safe. 3) Don’t feed your Anole insects (or ticks) that are disease or parasite vectors. It is not likely that your pet Anole would be affected by West Nile Virus but it will probably pass through its digestive tract unscathed and then be present in his feces. Not a good situation. The same applies to internal parasites. 4) If an insect is feeding on a plant with milky sap, don’t use it as a food item. Most plants with milky latex-like sap are toxic. Insects have the amazing facility of not being bothered by the toxins but they also frequently concentrate them in their tissues. Thus, they can be even more toxic that the plant itself. 5) Don’t collect insects from areas treated with pesticides (no surprise) or from roadsides where the exhaust from motor vehicles will be a problem because of heavy metal concentrations. Green Anole Food - This will not be a complete listing of all of the insect Orders but will focus on the larger and more frequently encountered ones. The first seven are those that have an incomplete metamorphosis. That is, the nymphs generally look like miniature adults. Orthoptera – Crickets, Grasshoppers, Roaches, etc. This is a large and nutritious Order. Almost all of the members are suitable as Anole food. There are a few exceptions, however. Stay away from household roaches (American cockroach and German cockroach) since they are prone to carry diseases. Mole crickets and mantids are also inappropriate choices. Any other suitably sized specimen will do. If you choose to breed and raise some of these species, here are a couple of websites to visit for excellent instructions of food, housing, etc. http://australianbeardies.com/cricketfood/insects.htm http://insected.arizona.edu/grasshopperrear.htm Dermaptera – Earwigs. Contrary to various “old wife’s tales”, earwigs don’t crawl into people’s ears and they are not dangerous. The pincer-like appendages at the end of the abdomen are completely harmless. Anoles will eat them. Ephemeroptera – Mayflies, Lake flies, etc. These insects don’t feed while in the adult stage and usually only live a day or two. There are periodic massive hatches with millions and millions of individuals. They are only available for a few days and then they disappear until the next year. They are weak fliers and Anoles will pursue them with reckless abandon. Odonata – Dragonflies and Damsel flies. Dragonflies are generally too big for Anoles to handle and so are the majority of Damsel flies but they will eat some of the smaller species. Isoptera – Termites. Anoles will readily eat both workers and winged termites. Although not particularly nutritious, they are a source of protein. Homoptera – Cicadas, Aphids, Leafhoppers, etc. Cicadas are obviously too large for Anoles to eat. Aphids are an excellent food source for hatchlings (they pop like grapes) and small Anoles. Leafhoppers and froghoppers (spittlebugs) are generally less than ½” in size and are frequent prey for wild Anoles. They will voraciously eat Planthoppers and Leafhoppers (which make an excellent food for hatchlings). Note: Leafhoppers are the exception to the “colorful is suspect” doctrine. They are frequently brightly colored and neither toxic nor unpalatable. Hemiptera – True Bugs. This Order includes some real “rogues”. Stink bugs, Squash bugs, Assassin bugs and others bite severely or have chemical defenses (noxious odors) or both. Their bites are truly excruciating. They are best left alone. They also include some toxic species like Box Elder Bugs. Coleoptera- Beetles. Although this is the largest insect Order, beetles are a poor choice for a food item. In the wild, they comprise as much as 30% of an Anoles food. They are not poisonous by default but they have a thick, chitinous exoskeleton that is almost indigestible. In addition, Blister beetles, Rose Chafers, and Fireflies are toxic. Several others either secrete or even project caustic chemicals (i.e., Bombardier beetles). Some will also bite savagely. Despite their numbers, they are best left alone unless you can make a positive identification and know what you are doing. They do, however, make up about 30% of a wild Anole’s diet. Neuroptera – Lacewings and Ant Lions. The adults make good food items but they are generally small and of limited nutritional value. They are beneficial insects. Lepodoptera – Butterflies and Moths. Moths are excellent prey items for your Anole. If possible, they should be a daily menu item during the warmer months. They have good nutritional value and Anoles can’t seem to resist chasing them. A good way to get a reluctant Anole to eat is to put a moth in the enclosure. The Anole will go through gyrations rivaling a world-class gymnast trying to catch a moth. The exercise is good for them! Moths are easy to catch at both light and scent traps and are very abundant throughout the warmer months. Butterflies, on the other hand, are relatively poor choices. Most of them are just too big. The smaller ones will be taken but their small body size makes them lacking in nutrition. Some, (Monarchs, for example) are even toxic. The exception is Skippers which Anoles will take eagerly and have a relatively large body size. Common Dusky Roadside Skippers are a favorite. Caterpillars are a good menu item. They are high in fat content and are good for fattening up a skinny Anole. They should be used as a treat rather than a staple food item. Just make sure you avoid any caterpillars with spines or are very hairy. The spines and hairs usually contain a chemical irritant. Hymenoptera – Wasps, Bees, and Ants. This entire group should be avoided. All of them bite and most of them sting. They can cause serious injury or even kill an Anole with their stings. If you have ever been “nailed” by a hornet, you get the point! The exception is the larvae. The larvae of paper wasps and hornets are very much like caterpillars. They are high in fat and an excellent treat. All you have to do is raid the nest and not get stung. It may not be worth the pain and effort! Diptera – Flies and Mosquitoes. The ones to stay away from are the biting flies (Horse flies, Stable flies, etc.), Houseflies, Blue Bottles, Green Bottles (they carry multiple diseases and parasites), Botflies (an external parasite of Anoles), and Mosquitoes. Mosquitoes probably spread more diseases and parasites throughout the world than any other insect. A number of them affect humans and can be transmitted either by direct bite or by passing through your Anole’s digestive tract and into his feces. Salmonella is the least of your worries! Bee flies and Hover flies make excellent food as do Crane flies. The first two are strictly nectar feeders and they will add a bit of sugar to your Anoles diet. They are active fliers and will give your Anole a workout. Anoles seem to be really enthusiastic about eating them. Crane flies look like giant mosquitoes but they are quite harmless. They are lumbering fliers and fairly easy for the Anoles to catch. They might look too big for an Anole to eat but they can get them down with a bit of patience. It looks almost like a sword-swallowing exhibition! Of course, a piece of fruit left outside in the summer will soon attract a hoard of Fruit flies. They are a mainstay food for hatchling Anoles and very small juveniles. Identification Note: A number of flies mimic bees and wasps and gain a good measure of protection this way. They can be easily confused with them. Close examination will allow you to separate them. Bees and Wasps have two pairs of wings and flies only have a single pair. We have made our way through the larger insect Orders in a quick, brief study. The best way to become familiar with what constitutes safe food for you Anole is to sit down with a reference guide before you ever collect the first insect. It isn’t too difficult to provide a varied, nutritious menu using wild caught insects. I’m sure that your Anole will appreciate it as mine have for the past 40+ years. Raising Feeder Insects Going down to the local Pet Store every week or so to buy a supply of feeder insects for your Anoles can get to be both tiresome and expensive. Even after you buy a dozen or so of them, you still have to find some place to keep them and provide food and water for them to survive. Why not cut overall costs by raising you own feeder insects? It is easy and cheaper in the long run. Consider that if you use a dozen crickets per week, you will have spent about $50 for a year’s supply. For that, you can easily set up a breeding program for several different species. Besides. You will have feeders of the correct size whenever you need them. CRICKETS (Acheta domestica) and ROACHES (Nauphoeta cinerea) Difficulty: 1 I’m going to treat these two together since the requirements are the same with some minor variations. Enclosure The best enclosure to raise crickets/roaches in is one of the Sterlite (or similar) plastic storage bins. The 66 quart size works well but you can get a larger size if you wish. The 66-quart size will accommodate several thousand of either species. You will need to cut out a section in the middle of the top for ventilation and cover it with metal screen. Both species can chew through fiberglass screen. Using a hot glue gun, glue the screen to the top from the inside. The insects will need somewhere to hide. Get some of the cardboard egg flats – the ones that hold two-dozen eggs. Cut them in half and hot glue them together and stand them on end in the enclosure. By standing them on end, the feces will drop through to the bottom of the enclosure and, by raising one end; they will all end up at the other end of the enclosure for easy cleaning. Notice that I did not mention any sort of substrate. It is unnecessary and makes cleaning a lot more difficult. Feeding Both crickets and roaches are omnivores. They will eat almost anything. It isn’t too difficult to find something for them to eat but you want to provide them with a healthy diet so that the reptiles you feed them to will also be healthy. It is best to avoid animal protein and stick to vegetable protein. With that in mind, you can feed them most any vegetable peel or fruit (potato, squash, etc,), or cereal grain or pet food pellet. Flaked baby food works fine but my favorite is mouse/rat pellets. It is over 20% protein and both crickets and roaches eat it voraciously. I run mine through a blender to reduce it to a powder. Keep the food available constantly and your feeders will multiply beyond your wildest dreams. You can also treat them to some juicy fruit from time to time but it isn’t really necessary. Of course, they will need a source of water. Crickets are especially stupid and will drown in an open container of water. I suggest the gelatin-like Cricket Drink products. However, if you have a thriving colony, keeping them supplied with it becomes VERY expensive. The alternative is to make your own. The only ingredient in these products (besides a couple of drops of food coloring) is Polyacrylamide. This substance is commonly used as an agricultural soil amendment to hold water (brand names Agrisoke, Moistsoil, etc). If you buy it at Walmart, Lowes, or somewhere else, it will run about $10/ LB. A search of the Internet revealed a better source. Go to the Watersorb website. They have it for about $15 for two pounds postpaid. Since one teaspoon will hydrate 2 cups of water, you will have a supply that will last a long, long time. If you wish, you can add some food coloring and you will have exactly what they sell in the stores. Oh yes, use filtered or distilled water for the maximum hydration. Also, order the 2mm to 4mm size crystals (that denotes the size of the hydrated product). Incidentally, the dry crystals have a shelf life of 5 to 6 years if kept in a container away from moisture. So, two teaspoons of the dry granules will make one of the 32 oz jars of Cricket Drink. Put the food and the water source in a small deli dish or the top of a yogurt container and keep them well supplied with both. Security Hatchling crickets and some species of roaches are very adept at climbing. So much so, that they can climb glass and plastic with impunity. Even though you have the top of the container covered, you will have to provide a barrier to keep them in bounds. Vaseline has been used with some success but it gets messy in the summer. There is an even better product on the market. Go to the Carnivorous Orchid. There you will find a product called Bug-Stop. Basically, it is a Teflon-based lubricant (an aqueous dispersion, actually) that you can simply paint around the top of the container in a 2-3” wide band with a sponge paint applier. There are full instructions on the website. By the way, two ounces of the stuff will last a long time. Just remember to replace it every six months or so. Temperature Both crickets and roaches are warm weather insects. In fact, they should both be kept at 85 degrees or more for maximum breeding efficiency. In reality, that is probably not possible for the entire year. I store mine outside in a storage building during the summer where the temperature reaches that level for a good portion of the time. I simply bring them indoors in the winter and they do quite nicely at room temperature although they breed much more slowly. Crickets are particularly affected by temperature. At 85-90 degrees, they go from hatchling to mature adult in about three weeks. At 70 degrees, it takes them about six weeks. At lower temperatures, it takes even longer for them to mature. Where to get your livestock The most common roach to breed as a feeder is the Lobster Roach. There are others that you can use that are not able to climb - Blatta orientalis comes to mind. There are a number of online suppliers of various roach species. Remember, they will breed very rapidly. Don’t worry if they start off slow. Once you have a breeding pool of adults, it will be a geometric progression. Lobster roaches are glass climbers so use a barrier. To get crickets, simply go to the pet store and buy two or three-dozen large crickets. Try to get a mixture of males and females. How do you tell them apart? Easy, the female has a long spear-like ovipositor (egg laying tube) protruding from the end of her abdomen. Males don’t. Both will have two cerci at an angle, one on each side. So, the female will have three protrusions from her abdomen and the male only two. You will have to make one consolation for the crickets. Place a large deli dish with moist sand, vermiculite, or compost in the enclosure with your breeding pool. The female crickets will lay their eggs in it. Make sure you keep the medium moist and don’t let it dry out. Once the young start emerging, remove and discard the adults since they are also cannibalistic. Just continue to repeat the process for a continuous supply of feeders. Feeding to your Anoles Choose an appropriate sized cricket or roach nymph for your Anole and drop it in the enclosure. Make sure you remove any that aren’t eaten. If you want to confine them, put the crickets/roaches in a deli dish with some MINER-ALL in the bottom. Because it is ground so finely, it hinders their climbing ability substantially. Your Anoles will soon learn that the deli dish means FOOD! Final Note Cricket colonies have a definite odor about them that some people find offensive. Most roach colonies are virtually odorless. WAXWORMS (Galleria mellonella) Difficulty: 2 Waxworms are the larvae of the Greater Wax Moth. In nature, they infest beehives and cause significant damage. They are a nutritious food source for Anoles but are high in fat content and best used as a treat rather than a staple diet. They are great for fattening up underweight Anoles, though. Enclosure I have been successful using one of the small “shoe box” sized plastic storage containers that you can pick up for a dollar or so at most discount stores. The only preparation is to cut out the center section of the top and hot glue some screen to cover the opening just like you did with the cricket/roach enclosure. Make sure that the top is tight fitting since the adult moths are skilled escape artists! Food There are many different formulae for waxworms. Some of the more exotic ones use glycerine, honey, and wheat bran. Rather than complicate things unduly, I’ll tell you what I use. It is sort of like mixing cement. Simply put, it is wheat bran and unfiltered honey from the local organic food store mixed together. Put the wheat bran in a bowl and mix in the honey until the mixture is moist but not sticky. Spread it on the bottom of the enclosure and let it sit for a day before putting the waxworms in the enclosure. Joe Burgess gets credit for this formula. This serves as a combination food source and substrate. All you have to do is add waxworms to start the colony. You will sometimes have a bit of a problem getting the first lot of them to eat you homemade mixture. If that is the case, put a piece of wax honeycomb on top of the food/substrate. The second generation will avidly attack the food/substrate. Once you have added the waxworms, cover the substrate with a paper towel. Waxworms actually do best in warm, poorly ventilated spaces. Where to get your breeding stock Simply order a container of waxworms from one of the online vendors or buy them at a reptile show (much cheaper). Dump the waxworms (at least 25 or so) on the food/substrate and cover with a paper towel as previously mentioned. Notes Let the waxworms mature. They will form cocoons with a pupa inside. If you can, provide somewhere for them to spin or they will cover the top of the enclosure. At this point, you can add some crumpled pieces of wax paper. This will entice the female moths to lay their eggs there. Once the moths emerge, they will mate and lay eggs, either on the optional wax paper or on the food/substrate itself. After all of the moths have emerged and died, remove all of the bodies from the enclosure. The larvae will begin to emerge from the eggs that the females have produced. In time, the substrate/food will be held together by a series of webs. This is normal. They do fine at room temperature but warmer temperatures up to about 80 degrees will accelerate the life cycle. HOUSE FLIES (Musca domestica) Difficulty: 3 We really have a strange hobby. Most people try to keep crickets, roaches and flies out of the house but we invite them in and encourage them to breed. Enclosure A 5-gallon bucket with a lid is sufficient. Again, remove the center of the lid and cover it with metal window screen. As with the waxworms, the substrate and food source will be one in the same. You will also need a second, smaller enclosure for the adult flies. Food Houseflies will eat almost any decaying organic material. There is, however, one formula that will be better than most. Credit goes to North Carolina State University for the formula. It is a mixture of wheat bran and a product called Calf Manna. Start with 1.5 liters of water and pour in 500 ml of Calf Manna and let it soak for an hour. Add 2 liters of wheat bran and mix by hand until it is evenly moist. This will serve for about 5000 maggots. The adult flies are fed on a mixture of dry milk and sugar placed in a small deli dish or yogurt lid in their enclosure. Also place a small cup with a milk soaked tissue in it. Make sure that it stays moist. You can drop milk through the screen top if it gets dry. Where to get Houseflies You can get them at biological supply places like Carolina Biological. It is important to get them from a commercial fly breeder since you want to start with a disease-free breeding pool. If you want numbers, Oregon Feeder Insects sells them for $13.00 for two ounces (5000+ pupae). If that is more than you want, go to the Grubco website for a quantity of maggots. Their minimum order is 600 which is under $10 including shipping. Notes After about five days the adult flies will lay eggs on the milk-soaked tissue. After 4-6 hours, remove the tissue and wash the eggs from the tissue into a small glass and let them settle to the bottom. Remove the eggs with an eyedropper (about an inch of eggs in the eyedropper will be about 5000). Put the eggs on the medium and the maggots will emerge, subsequently pupate and the adults emerge. The best way to feed the Anoles is to put a dozen or so new pupae in the enclosure in a deli dish. They will emerge as adults in 3-4 days to provide both food and exercise for your Anoles. The above directions also work for Phoenix worms which are the larvae (maggots) of the black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens). FRUIT FLIES (Drosophila melanogaster or Drosophila hydei) Difficulty: 1 Fruit flies are ideal for hatchling Anoles. There are two species available Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila hydei. The former is the smaller of the two and the latter is probably the best to get to start with. Make sure that you get the wingless variety. Enclosure Most colonies are sold with a culture medium included in a small to medium vial. That is usually sufficient to get started. If you want to breed your own, any small jar will do. Wide mouth quart canning jars are ideal. You can cover the top with a paper towel held in place with a rubber band. This will effectively cover the opening while providing adequate ventilation. Food There are several recipes for fruit fly culture media. Again this will be a combination food/substrate. Here is the first: 8 Bananas, ¼ cup of Sugar, ¼ cup of Oatmeal, 1 packet of Baker’s yeast. Mix the sugar and bananas in a blender until liquefied. Add the oatmeal until is becomes firm but moist. Put the mixture in a wide mouth, quart canning jar and add a few granules of baker’s yeast. You can substitute other kinds of fruit like peaches, apples, etc. as well. Recipe #2: 1 cup of banana, 1 cup of Apple Sauce, 1 tablespoon Vinegar, 2 cups of Oatmeal Here is a third one: 1 cup Water, 1 tablespoon Cornmeal, 1 teaspoon Powdered Sugar, 1 teaspoon Agar, 1 tablespoon Molasses, 1 package Baker’s yeast Mix all of the ingredients except the yeast to boiling and pour the mixture into clean culture jars. Let the mixture cool. When ready to use. Sprinkle a couple of granules of yeast on the top. Where to get breeding stock Most of the reptile food online vendors sell fruit flies since they are a staple for hatchling reptiles. Alternatively, you can get cultures at a biological supply house. Be sure to specify D. hydei since they are larger (1/8 inch) than the D. melanogaster (1/10 inch). Oh yes, you want the wingless variety. However, if you don’t mind dealing with the winged variety, you can simply leave a bit of fruit outside in the summer and get all of the D. melanogaster adults that you want to start a culture. GRASSHOPPERS (Locustidae spp.) Difficulty: 4 Grasshoppers are a natural food source for Anoles. They will eat them avidly. They are relatively easy to breed but are a bit more labor intensive that the other feeders since the enclosure must be cleaned daily to remove uneaten food and feces. Enclosure Any one-gallon critter keeper-type enclosure will do. You should provide some additional heat and maintain the temperature at about 80 degrees. Food Grasshoppers can be fed a variety of greens. Lettuce, cabbage, and grass will suffice. Make sure that they have been thoroughly washed to remove and possible pesticide contamination. In addition, supply them with some wheat bran as dry food. Both can be placed in separate deli dishes or yogurt tops in the enclosure. Grasshoppers do not need any water. They get what they need from the greens. Where to get breeding stock In late summer, you can find mating pairs of grasshoppers in just about any weed lot. The females have a pointed abdomen and the males have a rounded one. After you have captured several pairs, put them in the enclosure and add a deli dish with moist sand, vermiculite, or compost just like you did for the crickets. The female will lay her eggs in the container. Keep the soil moist and warm and the nymphs will emerge. Notes There are basically two families of grasshoppers to deal with. One is the one we all recognize as grasshoppers. The other is a green insect with the female having a sword-like ovipositor. This species lays their eggs in slits cut in plant stems and are unsuitable for breeding. MEALWORMS (Tenebrio molitor or Tenebrio obscurus) Difficulty: 2 I reluctantly give instructions about breeding mealworms. They are not a good source of nutrition for Anoles. They have a hard, chitinous exoskeleton and can be difficult for Anoles to digest. Mealworms are the larvae of two species of grain beetles, Enclosure Almost any large enclosure will do. Something a bit smaller than what you used for the crickets/roaches will do just fine. So will one of the shoebox sized containers that you used for the waxworms. Food Fill the enclosure with several inches of wheat bran with a small amount of brewer’s yeast mixed in. You can also add ¼ -part of poultry laying mash. Make sure that you sprinkle the container with water daily to keep it damp. Maintain a temperature of about 80 degrees. Where to get breeding stock They are widely available from most online reptile food vendors and most pet stores. Notes When the larvae are almost mature, put some crumpled paper towels or burlap in the enclosure and let the adults emerge. Each female will lay about 275 eggs but the adults are cannibalistic and will sometimes eat the eggs so it is best to remove them after they mate and lay their eggs. IMPORTED CABBAGE WORM (Pieris rapae) Difficulty: 5 This insect is the larva of the Imported Cabbage Butterfly that is commonly seen fluttering around cabbage, broccoli, etc. during the spring and summer months. They are white in color with the females having two black spots on their wings and the male having a single spot. What we are trying to provide are the larvae. They make a nutritious prey item for Anoles. Enclosure Actually, you will need two--one for the adult females and one for the larvae (caterpillars). A large reptarium works well for the adults or you can buy a butterfly enclosure from one of the biological supply houses. Or, you can make your own with some cheesecloth and something to use for the top and bottom. . The enclosure for the larvae is simply a 5 gallon bucket with a screen top (or similar enclosure). Food The larvae are voracious feeders but are restricted in diet to members of the cabbage family. They can be raised on cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. but the best and cheapest are cabbage leaves. You can buy a head of cabbage at the grocery store and peel the leaves off one at a time and just lay them in the bottom of the bucket. Make sure you wash the leaves thoroughly to remove any pesticide residue that might be there. They mature rapidly and with ample food and warm temperatures, they will go from egg to mature larvae in just under two weeks. You don’t need to provide any water. They get what they need from the cabbage leaves. Where to get breeding stock Cabbage Butterflies are difficult to maintain and almost impossible to induce to breed in the restricted space of captivity. I have had excellent results by catching adult females as they flutter around broccoli plants or cabbage plants in my garden as they prepare to lay eggs. At this point, you know that they have mated and are ready to lay a batch of eggs. Place several captured females in a reptarium or other fairly large mesh enclosure with a potted broccoli or cabbage plant or two inside. The females will shortly lay eggs on the plant and you can collect the larvae in a few days and move them to the 5 gallon bucket. You might want to provide a sponge soaked in sugar water (1 part sugar to 4 parts water) to nourish the adults while they are in the egg laying process. They females will die shortly after laying 50 or so eggs. All that is left is to feed the larvae to your Anoles as they mature to the right size. SILKWORMS (Bombyx mori) Difficulty: 3 The Silkworm has been raised in captivity for 3,500 years. Although they are relatively easy to raise, they grow quickly and have a very specific diet. They will feed ONLY on Mulberry leaves and the limited diet can present a problem. If you don’t have a ready supply of fresh leaves, you can feed them on “Silkworm Chow” which is simply freeze-dried Mulberry leaves. Enclosure Any small plastic shoebox container will do. Once again, make sure that you cut out the middle and cover the opening with a fine-mesh screen. The best way to start is with eggs. Add food and watch them grow! They molt the first time at 6 days, again at 12 days, etc. and reach adulthood at 42 days. The caterpillars reach 3” so the latter instars are too big for most Anoles. When the larvae begin to mature, place some sheets of cardboard with ½” space between them and they will spin cocoons. Save several for the next generation. They do best at a temperature of 77 degrees. Where to get eggs There are many online companies that sell Silkworm eggs. Just do a search and you will find them. Most also sell the “Silkworm Chow” as well. CONCLUSION I have tried to cover most of the easily bred insect feeders for your Anole. The instructions given here have worked for me for a number of years. I’m sure that you might find a few shortcuts of your own and vary the techniques a bit. This is not meant to be anything more than a guide. Although I have tried to mention sources for various foods and other supplies, there are two that I haven’t mentioned. Wheat bran is available at most health food stores and at farm supply outlets. Calf Manna is also available at farm supply outlets. If you are put off by the large quantity of Calf Manna (it is usually bagged in 25 or 50 pound bags) you can go to the Cedarview Farm Exotics (a Chinchilla breeding website) and you can buy it by the pound. I hope this has helped those of you who want to breed their own feeder insects. These are techniques that I have used over the years and should be used as guidelines. If you breed your own feeder insects, it is easy to keep you Anoles supplied with a varied and nutritious food supply at a very reasonable cost. DISCLAIMER The mention of any commercial product or website does not denote an endorsement. There are other equally good sources to be found on the Internet. These are just the ones that I have run across that offer the best pricing and service at the time that this was written. |
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| 08/30/09 10:04pm |
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Atrax27407 View Profile |
Message To: Atrax27407 In reference to Message Id: 2065641 Anole Care (Repost)
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| 09/01/09 07:38am |
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TwilightRealm View Profile |
Message To: Atrax27407 In reference to Message Id: 2066175 Anole Care (Repost)
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| 09/01/09 04:45pm |
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3glasses View Profile |
Message To: Atrax27407 In reference to Message Id: 2065641 Anole Care (Repost)
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| 09/05/09 01:34pm |
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Atrax27407 View Profile |
Message To: 3glasses In reference to Message Id: 2068038 Anole Care (Repost)
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| 09/07/09 03:37pm |
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Gravel1 View Profile |
Message To: Atrax27407 In reference to Message Id: 2068894
Can an adult Anole live with hatchling and baby anoles (you may have said this some where I did not read ALL of it but a good bit) Cause a lot of lizards are cannibalistic. And really tiny anoles what do you feed them cus there may be a difference between the pet store owner’s view and other people’s view in that if there difference of small crix and pitheads cus small crix MAY be a little to big. P.S. MAYBE not extremely long but it Least for a post it is |
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| 09/07/09 07:40pm |
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TwilightRealm View Profile |
Message To: Gravel1 In reference to Message Id: 2068978 Anole Care (Repost)
Quote: Okay just a little suggestion and question that was at extremely long and I think you should have put into different posts or make it a care sheet and tell people to look at it and then come back and say stuff. You’ll live. :P
It used to be in several different posts, but it was hard to keep them together and out of the archives, so I combined Atrax’s post into one big caresheet. It wouldn’t be that good as one of RepticZone’s caresheets because there are only a limited number of topics to fill out in the caresheet. |
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| 09/07/09 08:48pm |
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Gravel1 View Profile |
Message To: TwilightRealm In reference to Message Id: 2069013
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| 09/07/09 09:17pm |
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TwilightRealm View Profile |
Message To: Gravel1 In reference to Message Id: 2069035 Anole Care (Repost)
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| 09/07/09 09:20pm |
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Atrax27407 View Profile |
Message To: TwilightRealm In reference to Message Id: 2069038 Anole Care (Repost)
Hatchlings can be fed pinhead crickets, flightless fruit flies (D. hydei), or Leafhoppers. |
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| 09/07/09 10:02pm |
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Atrax27407 View Profile |
Message To: Atrax27407 In reference to Message Id: 2069067 Anole Care (Repost)
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| 09/14/09 01:13pm |
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Atrax27407 View Profile |
Message To: Atrax27407 In reference to Message Id: 2071606 Anole Care (Repost)
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| 09/16/09 01:04pm |
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Atrax27407 View Profile |
Message To: Atrax27407 In reference to Message Id: 2072515 Anole Care (Repost)
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| 09/21/09 10:33am |
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Syders View Profile |
Message To: Atrax27407 In reference to Message Id: 2074470
(wow that would be a moutfull) |
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| 09/21/09 04:28pm |
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Atrax27407 View Profile |
Message To: Syders In reference to Message Id: 2074593 Anole Care (Repost)
"Where to get breeding stock Most of the reptile food online vendors sell fruit flies since they are a staple for hatchling reptiles. Alternatively, you can get cultures at a biological supply house. Be sure to specify D. hydei since they are larger (1/8 inch) than the D. melanogaster (1/10 inch). Oh yes, you want the wingless variety. " |
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| 09/21/09 05:21pm |
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Atrax27407 View Profile |
Message To: Atrax27407 In reference to Message Id: 2074632 Anole Care (Repost)
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| 09/22/09 02:27pm |
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Atrax27407 View Profile |
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| 09/25/09 01:24pm |
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Atrax27407 View Profile |
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| 10/01/09 12:49am |
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Atrax27407 View Profile |
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| 10/05/09 10:55pm |
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Qwest View Profile |
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| 10/16/09 12:25am |
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Qwest View Profile |
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| 10/16/09 11:02am |
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Atrax27407 View Profile |
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| 10/18/09 06:39pm |
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Atrax27407 View Profile |
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| 10/18/09 11:05pm |
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Atrax27407 View Profile |
Message To: Atrax27407 In reference to Message Id: 2085748 Anole Care (Repost)
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| 10/20/09 11:13am |
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Anole Care (Repost)
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