Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,

We live in Western NY and my 5 yo son found a lizard in his room today! It looks just like the photos of the baby anole. It is less than an inch and we have no idea where it came from or how to care for it!

Where do they normally live and how did it get in our home?

thanks

Have you purchased any houseplants in the last month or so? Most houseplants are grown in Florida, where green anoles are native. It is not uncommon for there to be some anole eggs laid in the soil of houseplants which then hatch in the home where the plant ends up.

Put the baby by himself (larger lizards, including anoles, will snap him up as a snack in a second) in a 10 gallon aquarium with a screen top fine enough to prevent escapes. Put a strip light fixture with a good UVB (ultraviolat-B) fluorescent bulb on the tank (I recommend Zoo Med's Repti-Sun 5.0, he won't need more than that)on the screen top, and put it on a timer for 10 hours or so a day. A very small incandescent light for such a tiny new-hatched baby would give him a basking light--certainly do not use more than a 25W bulb or you'll cook him, seriously. The substrate (2" deep) in the tank should be something that holds humidity. I recommend ESU brand "Lizard Litter, Jungle Mix", which is a mixture of soil, sand, shredded orchid bark, etc. Don't use potting soil, as the chemicals and stuff they add to that will be harmful.

Supply him with a couple of branches (I don't recommend cutting them from the yard, they may have gotten pesticides on them) available from the pet shop, and some silk vines. Put a small shallow water dish in the tank, too. He will drink from the water dish and also lick up drops from a clean plant mister. I always mist my anole tank when I refill the water bowl daily.

This baby will eat the tiniest of crickets, like 1/8" long. If you can't get those crickets for him (you can order the "Tube of Crickets" from FlukerFarms.com for $5, including shipping), get him some WINGLESS fruit flies. Many pet stores, including Petco, carry them. But he needs some vittles soon.

Good luck with your baby anole!