Brown Anole
Anolis sagrei

If you're looking for a Cuba-native lizard sure to make a statement, then the Brown Anole is the perfect pet for you! This unique reptile is not only incredibly fascinating to look at but is also known to be quite docile, making it an excellent choice for first-time lizard owners. Brown Anoles are true chameleons in every sense of the word – they're able to change their skin color to match their surroundings, whether it's green leaves or brown bark. This fantastic ability allows them to blend in and avoid predators. And when it comes to diet, Brown Anoles are primarily insectivores and enjoy a varied diet of crickets, grasshoppers, mealworms, and phoenix worms.

The Brown Anole, is a lizard native to Cuba and the Bahamas. It has been widely introduced elsewhere, and may now be found in South Florida and as far north as Southern Georgia, Texas, Taiwan, Hawaii, and other Caribbean islands. Unlike the green anole which prefers foliage, the brown anole often scampers around on the ground. They are athletic creatures that run surprisingly fast, and jump many times their length.

Care Guide and General Information
The Brown Anole, Anolis sagrei (or Norops sagrei) is a lizard native to Cuba and the Bahamas. It has been widely introduced elsewhere, and may now be found in South Florida and as far north as Southern Georgia, Texas, Taiwan, Hawaii, and other Caribbean islands. Its introduction in the USA has altered the behavior and potentially triggered a negative effect on populations of the native Green Anole, Anolis carolinensis.

The Brown Anole is a slender lizard reaching about 18cm in length. Males and females differ somewhat in coloration: males have a dark stripe down their backs, females a light stripe. The mature males weigh about twice that of females. As in other anoles, the male has a brightly colored throat fan, called a dewlap, which is yellow or reddish-orange. They are territorial and the dewlap is used in territorial displays. Anoles have expanded toe pads that allow them to cling to smooth surfaces.

Unlike the green anole which prefers foliage, the brown anole often scampers around on the ground. They are athletic creatures that run surprisingly fast, and jump many times their length. In Florida, they climb screens and peer in windows. The brown anole gets used to humans and can often be studied at close range.

Both the brown anole and the green anole molt (shed). But unlike a snake, they do not shed in one piece but in flakes, some quite large. The molting anole grooms itself and eats the flakes.

The brown anole feeds on insects such as crickets, grasshoppers, and on mice, small green anoles when convenient, and other such things. They will also eat their molted skin.

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