The Green Anole, also known as the Carolina Anole, is a small green lizard with a pointed nose found in the southeastern parts of the United States. Many green anoles kept as pets are not bred in captivity, but are captured in the wild and then re-sold to pet stores. Anoles are sometimes mistaken for chameleons, as anoles change color. However, while a chameleon can change to many different colors, anoles can only change from bright green to gray-brown and back.
Ten Facts about Green Anole
- This compact lizard is anywhere from 5-12 inches from head to tail.
- Anoles are most abundant on the Atlantic Coastal Plains in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia, and the Gulf Coastal Plain in Texas.
- When feeling threatened, they discard their tails in order to break free. The anole will not be in pain. These lizards will grow back their tails and repeat the tail dropping escape as many times as possible.
- The mating season is april-september.
- Usually, when the female is ready to mate, she may let the male simply "catch" her and he will thus grasp a hold of a fold of her skin above her neck area, or she will bow her head before him and simply "let" him take his grasp.
- After a 2-4 week span following mating, the female will lay her first clutch of eggs, usually ranging from 1-2 in the first clutch.
- The egg(s) are left alone to incubate by the light of the sun and if successful will hatch in 30-45 or so days.
- The anole's diet consists of small insects such as the cricket. It may also eat grasses.
- An anole that is brown all the time is usually a sick or stressed anole.
- They can live up to 8 years.
