Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi, i am new to this forum but everyone seems really good about helping people out and seeming knowledgable. Anyway, i have a male cuban anole named Lenny. For a while now he's been doing really well but recently i have seen him digging around in his substrate almost like a dog digging in dirt. We just use the repti bark wood chips in there. I dont know why he is doing this and it worries me that maybe he's trying to tell me something im not getting. Is this normal and just what does it mean? Also, he has not been eating very well at all lately. I have tried wax worms and crickets but he wont eat either one. I'm beginning to worry about his lack of appetite. We fed him was worms several times before realizing these were better as a treat not a staple diet. Could that be part of why he's not eating as well? Im also wondering if maybe its because his tank is too small for him to be happy. We got a ten gallon tank as a starter set when we bought him, and were getting him a new taller tank soon, but maybe that could be causing him to not eat. I dont know, im hoping someone here can help me out. Anything is appreciated.

Most likely what you are seeing his that he is trying to make his cage "world" bigger by digging. This is just my opinion of course but I have heard of this behaviour in other anoles where they will burrow for one of 2 reason.

1. To make more room, or
2. To get out of site when they feel theatened enough and they have no where else to hide.

For Knight Anoles I hope you are upgrading to a tall 40 gallon and if you have not purchased it yet this is what I recommend. Also make sure there is plenty of places for him to hide up top so he does not feel the need to burrow. This is my opinion and maybe someone else will jump in with theirs.

Shaon94
Complete Anole Care

I think it also possible that it might burrow to escape a too-hot enclosure.

I don't know a great deal about that particular species, but I wasn't aware that burrowing was a typical behavior for any species of anole. I could, of course, be completely wrong.

Thank you to both of you for responding. As a matter of fact we did upgrade to a much taller tank. And were switching to astroturf for the ground cover. The things both of you mentioned sound like plausible explanations because in a tank the size of his he could be trying to hide or make it bigger. Actually i think that maybe instead of him trying to get away from too much heat, maybe there is not enough heat to make him happy. I think ill try a few watts higher. This is on the advice of the man that sold him to us. Im still worried about his not eating though, its been a week and a day. He wont eat anything, he does drink water, but ive been told its because the wheather is crazy here (Texas)lately. Im just getting so worried. Anyway thank you so much to both of you for replying.

Hello,

Knights can be very active, at times, although they are generally considered one of the least active species of anole. I currently have 3 females (check out my photos in the gallery) that are doing well. I've kept Knights off and on for the past 18 years and my oldest female was purchased from Glades Herp in '97 as a juvenile. I'll be honest and tell you they can be a frustrating species. Some individuals adapt well to captivity and never give you any problems, others are down right finicky eaters even when you think you are doing everything right. As far as yours not eating: Mine love super-worms in a dish, won't eat crickets unless they are white (powdered with vits. and calcium that is - once it wears off in the cage, I catch em and dust again!), love peach baby food with a little honey added, have ate pinky mice and earth worms sporadically (mainly just ignore them - sometimes eat them, why? no idea!) and...I'm sure I'll get some grief from this, always, always have ate...boo-hiss- smaller green anoles. I don't feen them other lizards very often, only when they've gone a while without eating and nothing else will work. Just some thoughts that may or may not help you.

Chuck H.

Thank you very much for the advice chuck h. it seems very helpful and right now im willing to try anything. Ive seen the superworms at the pet store a few times and they just seem so big and crunchy for him to be able to digest it properly. Do your knights do well with them? Usually, Lenny my lizard, loves crickets but he just wont eat anything now. He has moved into his bigger cage and everything is better for him now as far as living quarters go and he drinks sooo much water, we spray often, he just wont eat. Anyway thank you for the advice.

I bet he would tear into some silk worms.

Thanks, at this point im willing to try anything. I got superworms and he looked like he was going to eat them he started moving around and looking at the dish and then he just turned around and walked right back up his branch. I also bought some peach baby food, ive read that this is very good and i put some on the tip of a pair of tweezers and he slurped it up. it made me somewhat happy but i really want him to eat something better. im so worried. what does anyone think about the peach baby food and is it ok to give him? and i will try silk worms also. thanks everyone.

You'll probably have to order silkworms online.

I'm almost willing to promise you that your Knight will not ignore them...

Thanks for your advice. I bet i will have to special order them or get them online. Today i went to the pet store and asked for them and they guy probably thought i was stupid. He said they didnt have them but they were like the ones that hung off the trees. im pretty sure i know what those are. Anyway, is there a special site you get these from? I would love to know so i can order some. He did eat some peach baby food yesterday and today. Very minute amounts though. I had to put just a dab on the end of some tweezers and put it to his mouth. He licked at it and ate some. Im just glad he's eating something.

Hey,

Try putting the baby food in a dish, elevated if possible, so your Knight can eat as much as he wants without being stressed, i.e. by you being there. You can make this more nutritious by adding honey and a multi-vitamin and calcium supplement. There is also a product called nutri-cal on the market designed to help save anorexic and emaciated animals. It comes in a tube, like toothpaste, and in the past I have mixed it with baby food to give my Knights a more complete meal. I've also diced up grapes real fine and bits of banana to put in the peach or apricot baby food to try to give a more varied diet. Just some more ideas to help you keep your animal alive and healthy.

Chuck H.

Here's a link to a site that sells silkworms:

http://www.mulberryfarms.com/index.htm

Thanks to everyone.