If you have decided to become the proud owner of an anole, then you are going to want to provide your new lizard with the best anole cage, ensuring that its needs are met to keep it happy and healthy.
Anoles are great pet lizards to own as you can have one or more, they are able to live in a group or on their own.
The one rule is to never have more than one male anole per enclosure.
The size cage and material you choose is important to ensure you provide the best habitat for your anole.
This article is specifically for the green anole. However, these guidelines can also be applied for the brown anole and other species of anole as they have almost the same habitat.
Further reading:
Anole Tank Size
Anoles are active and agile reptiles, which is why the minimum size you can consider is a ten gallon tank for a single adult, but a twenty gallon is preferred for a single anole or if you wish to keep more.
The anole cage should be chosen based on height rather than floor space.
Anoles are climbers and love to spend time in trees and off the ground where possible, which is why the terrarium you select should be tall with a secure lid, reducing the risk of escape.
Anole Tank Material
Glass tanks are often preferred for the anole due to the fact that they are excellent in controlling humidity and temperature.
Glass tanks are quick and easy to clean and provide you with excellent viewing of your pet.
Screen cages are also a suitable material, especially in warmer climates.
The screen allows for excellent light and heating penetration while offering you a three hundred and sixty degree view of your anole.
One or More Anoles per Tank?
Only once your anole is large enough to be sexed can you consider adding another to create a pair or more.
One male can live with a number of females without a problem, but they are territorial and therefore males are very aggressive towards each other.
If you find yourself with two males, you are going to have to set up separate cages for them.
Manage Anole Tank Humidity Levels Effectively
Both brown and green anoles prefer a high humidity level of between sixty and seventy percent. It’s essential that you maintain this level to ensure the best health for your pet, helping them shed with ease.
You will want to purchase a good quality hydrometer to monitor the levels and ensure you keep them well within the recommended lizards to ensure the best for your pet in the long run.
In order to achieve a high humidity in the anole cage, you will want to look closely at the cage material.
Glass has proven to be the most effective when it comes to maintaining humidity levels, making it the best material for anoles.
A gentle misting inside the enclosure is an excellent way to raise humidity levels, if you notice they are not at the level you need.
Misting shouldn’t soak the inside of the vivarium, a gentle misting will slightly dampen the inside, which can increase the humidity easily.
If you are struggling to maintain humidity, then consider leaving a water dish in the anole tank.
You can place it one corner out of the way and it will provide the essential moisture needed.
Another option is to add more plants. The more real plants you have in your anole cage, the better your humidity levels will be.
Some anoles can be fussy when it comes to drinking out of a bowl, you will find that misting is beneficial to improve humidity and encourage your anole to drink the droplets that are left on branches and leaves to ensure that they remain hydrated.
What Else You Need for Your Anole Tank
Heating and Lighting
In the wild, anoles are found in a choice of habitats and they are used to very warm summers to cooler winters, but even though they have the ability to tolerate these temperatures, they provide a maintained temperature to keep them comfortable and healthy when living in captivity.
Anoles require a warm and cool side of the tank. Their basking area, which should include a log or rock should be around ninety degrees Fahrenheit, while their ambient temperature should be eighty degrees Fahrenheit during the day and around seventy degrees Fahrenheit at night.
There are a number of heat sources you can purchase to add ambient heat to the anole cage from heat lights to heat pads and ceramic heat emitters.
Full spectrum lighting is recommended during the day. Fluorescent bulbs emit UVB waves, which helps the anole synthesize vitamin D3 and calcium, which essential to their long term health.
Substrate
The anole is a tropical lizard and they require high humidity levels, which means you need to be careful in selecting a substrate, ensuring that you can maintain humidity levels with ease.
Don’t use dry substrates, rather focus on bark, coconut husks or eco earth, all of which are excellent in holding moisture to boost humidity levels within the anole tank.
Accessories
Anoles are avid climbers and will spend much of their time above the ground, which is why you want to decorate their tank with logs, plants and sticks, so they can hide and climb.
Branches with broad leaves are great, as the leaves can collect the water droplets during misting.
Best Anole Cage
Exo Terra Glass Terrarium Mayan, Small/Tall 18″ x 18″ x 24″
This is a large 18” x 18” x 24” tank, which is thirty three gallons, making it suitable for a single or multiple anoles.
This glass cage offers double doors, a waterproof base and front window ventilation.
The mesh cover is made of stainless steel which allows for effective light and heat penetration, while reducing the risk of escape.
The screen cover comes with an easy lock, further reducing the risk of escape.
The tank offers a high fixed front lower panel to allow for ample substrate layers, which can help with humidity while offering a firm footing for plants and branches.
The raised base allows space for a heat mat, which can assist with ambient temperature levels.
There is a stand and canopy top which can be purchased separately to complete the design.
Stats For Nerds
- Dimensions: 18″ x 18” x 24”
- Volume: 33 gallons
- Material: glass
What we like
- Double doors to reduce the risk of escape
- Waterproof base
- Front window ventilation
- Stainless steel mesh cover to reduce the risk of escape while improving light and heat penetration
- Screen cover lock with easy twist
What we don’t like
- Tiny black strip along bottom of door hinge has small vent holes which is just big enough for your anole to get their foot caught.
Zoo Med ReptiBreeze Open Air Screen Cage, Large, 18” x 18” x 36”
This is a very large 18” x 18” x 36” enclosure, which includes all the hardware required.
The tank can be assembled with a screw driver and offers easy access and cleaning.
The screen material is a strong and durable aluminum, which makes it easy to clean with the reduced risk of corrosion in the long run.
This enclosure offers a large front door, which offers excellent access and cleaning.
Stats For Nerds
- Dimensions: 18″ x 18” x 36”
- Volume: 50 gallons
- Material: glass
What we like
- Very large size – 50 gallon, suitable for multiple anoles.
- All hardware included
- Easy assembly
- Easy cleaning
- Easy access
- Made from durable aluminum, reduced risk of corrosion
What we don’t like
- Packaging often damaged in transit with missing pieces
- Fragile
Exo Terra Rainforest Habitat Kit – small size
The Exo Terra Rainforest Habitat Kit is a small 12” x 12” x 18” tank suitable for a single anole.
This full glass tank comes with double front doors to reduce the risk of escape with front window ventilation and a screen top for excellent light and heat transfer and reducing the risk of your anole escaping.
The anole cage comes with a compact lighting system and all the essential accessories you need to bring your anole home with confidence. Your accessories include substrate, wash dish, vines, rope and a care guide.
This is the perfect set up for the beginner anole owner. The hank, designed by European herpetologists is full glass to ensure the best humidity levels.
The kit includes all the components you need to bring your anole home.
The front opening doors make it easier for you to access the enclosure and your lizard with the reduced risk of them getting out. The large front door also makes feeding and cleaning easier.
The full screen ventilation top reduces the risk of escape while permitting UVB rays and lighting to penetrate deep into the vivarium.
The canopy top was designed specifically for this system and offers a lighting fixture with reflector
Stats For Nerds
- Exo Terra Glass Terrarium 12” x 12” x 18” (11 gallons)
- Natural rock background
- Plantation soil
- Thermometer
- Hygrometer
- Water dish
- Artificial plants for decoration
What we like
- Full glass tank to ensure best humidity levels
- Double doors to reduce risk of escape
- Decorative items included, including water bowl, substrate, vines, rope and instruction manual/care guide.
- Front window ventilation
- Screen top for ventilation and reduced risk of escape
- Natural looking rock background
- Compact top lighting system
What we don’t like
- Crickets and some lizards have escaped through the screen lid at the top of the tank.
- Will still need additional lighting
- Will still need additional decorations
Best Anole Cage In Summary
You want the best for your reptile when you bring them home, which is why you want to pay such close attention to the anole tank you choose.
For the beginner reptile owner who wants one anole to get them started the Exo Terra Rainforest Habitat Kit is the ideal choice, offering ample space for a single anole.
Anoles are active and love to climb, so ideally once your anole grows and you gain experience caring for reptiles, you can upgrade to the Exo Terra Glass Terrarium Small/Tall 18″ x 18″ x 24″.
In the event you want to purchase one male with a number of females, then the Zoo Med ReptiBreeze Open Air Screen Cage, Large, 18 x 18 x 36-Inches will be the ideal choice, giving your anoles plenty of space to climb, hide and roam.