American “chameleons”, more properly know as green anole lizards, Anolis carolinensis, has probably become a pet in more households in North America than any other lizard.
The green anole is a member of a genus of about 300 species and subspecies, all really alike in body configuration and habits, common in tropical and subtropical NorthAmerica and South America. The Green Anole is the only species of Anole lizard that's local to the U. S. , but other species have been introduced and have apparently successfully colonized. True chameleons are reptiles of the Old World and have tiny in common with green anoles, except the ability to change color. In the green anole, the change from brown to green is due to changes in pigment cells of the skin and the reply to numerous stimuli like temperature, light and emotion. When resting the anole is usually brown during the daytime, will turn green at night, but fright and other stimuli could cause the anole to turn green at any time.
The green anole also shares another ability with another type of lizard, the gecko. Green anoles aren't firmly related to geckos, but their toes share similar characteristics and both species of lizards can climb flat, smooth surfaces like glass.
Another oddity of the green anole lizard is the possession of a fan on the throat, which can sometimes be extended randomly. Green anole lizards are territorial. The males will stretch their pink or reddish throat fan and bob their head to alert other males of their territory.
A six-inch full-lizard is mature and strong, and thrives well in captivity. Green anole lizards need a wet environment, the leaves of plants in the enclosure should be sprayed from time to time because the hanging drops of water which provide that anole with the liquid nourishment it needs. Prisoners can be maintained for extended periods on a diet comprised of mealworms, but a varied diet of flies and other insects is superior.
Green anole tails are extraordinarily fragile and easily lost. This habit of separating from their tails common for many families of lizards. The new tail generally doesn't have a resemblance to the original and you can see at a peek whether a green anole sports its original tail or a regenerated tail, as a regenerated tail is often shorter and the scale pattern is different. Among the reptiles, only lizards, and not all lizards, can regenerate lost tails.
A colony of several green anoles can be kept in a big aquarium or other acceptable cage. The enclosure should have abundant foliage, and the enclosure should be well lit. If feasible, direct sunlight should be available to part of the enclosure. In such conditions, these hardy lizards follow the same activity they'd follow in natural habitats. Territories will be established and breeding may take place. Eggs could be laid underneath the bark or stones in a relatively moist area. Green anole babies, like most babies of other reptiles parents won't receive parental attention. Babies can be fed with small insects. The expansion of green anole lizards is reasonably fast, and the hardy species often lives as long or longer in prison than it does in natural settings.
Despite the big number sold as pets, the green anole lizard remains abounding in the southern United States, where it frequents trees, shrubs, vines and around older homes. A significant number can be caught at night using a flashlight. Green Anole lizards are among the least expensive reptile pets available to personal collectors.
G. Weir is an amateur herpetologist and runs the Lizards As Pets website. For more information about different types of lizards as pets visit http://lizardsaspets.org