Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Help! I found an anole with a severed tail and useless back legs. He couldn't run at all! I caught him and put him in temporary cage. He is obviously very young. He's about 2 inches long. What should I do?
Thanks,
Sarah

Only 2 in. long?? Then it's obviously a hatchling. But this one seems to be quite small! Anole hatchlings are weak naturally, and they're very fragile. They can die easily, since they aren't the hardiest hatchlings in herp world. You can try to build a small habitat for him in the cage with philodendrons and few branches. Did you say he can't use his back legs at all??? Then it's very likely that he'll die. No reptiles can survive without using their hind or rear legs, but anoles are fast tree climbers. Obviously, this one can't move at all, and if rear legs are moveable, they aren't strong enough to keep them moving. You can try to keep him alive by hand-feeding him, but it won't help much. Anoles are supposed to chase their food, not hand fed. If they don't exercise much, they'll become obese, and remain unhealthy. Don't be sad when this anole dies, even though when you tried as hard as you could to keep it alive. You found it in the wild, and this is the nature's way.

Tim
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Extinction is forever. Endangered means we still have time.

Protect the global wildlife.

As cruel as this sounds, if the anole is THAT injured, then you are better off putting him down the most humane way possible. Why make it suffer more by hand feeding it and stressing it out even more by handling it. Creatures can feel pain, no matter how small and if you were in it's position, severaly injured, in a lot of pain, starving because you can't catch food, being held hostage and handled by a BIG HUGE predator (that's how he sees you)how would you want to continue your life??? It's sad, but it's best for him. Put him down as humanely as possible as soon as possible.
Euthanasia of reptiles

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Chantel a.k.a. sillygirl
"I came, I saw, I adopted"

2.4.0 green anoles
2.2.0 green tree frogs
0.0.3 D. tinctorius (Cobalt froglets)
0.0.1 Anerythristic 'B' (Charcoal)corn snake
2.4 Domestic house cats
1.0 Rottweiler
1.0 Husband (who loves all my critters too)
AND I play foster care for 3 homeless kittens & their mom for a few weeks for the shelter.
(and not even going to count what I raise as food for all these guys)

Thanks for all the advice but the little guy didn't make it. He died almost immediately after I posted my question. I'm sorry I didn't post anything sooner, I was out of town.
Thanks again,
Sarah