PLEASE NOTE
The information on the BambooZoo site is as much as 10 years old and in the hobby much has been learned. Though, I believe there is merit in keeping the site open. There are many controversial issues presented in these pages. Please view BambooZoo as a starting point in your research.
These beings are as complicated as we are and deserve more than a basic 5 paragraph care sheet to maintain their health and well being.
My passions have evolved. This is is the site I am growing today. We Heal the World
The information on the BambooZoo site is as much as 10 years old and in the hobby much has been learned. Though, I believe there is merit in keeping the site open. There are many controversial issues presented in these pages. Please view BambooZoo as a starting point in your research.
These beings are as complicated as we are and deserve more than a basic 5 paragraph care sheet to maintain their health and well being.
My passions have evolved. This is is the site I am growing today. We Heal the World
CUBAN KNIGHT ANOLE
Captive Care of the Cuban Anole
by Lenny Flank, Jr.
(c) copyright 1997
The Green Anole, Anolis carolinensis, is one of the most commonly-kept reptiles in the world. Probably every herper has at one time had one or two of these active little lizards in his collection. Less common in captivity, however, are the other members of the Anolis genus. This group is one of the most diverse in the world, with about 300 species and subspecies in Latin America. Only one species in this genus is native to North America, the common Green Anole. At least two other species have been introduced into the United States, however. One of these is the Brown Anole, Anolis sagrei. The other is the Cuban Anole, Anolis equestris.
The Cuban Anole is also known as the Knight Anole and sometimes as the Giant Anole. As the common name indicates, it is native to Cuba and the Caribbean. The species was accidentally introduced into Dade County, Florida, in 1952, and has now established a breeding population there. Since Cuban Anoles are now legally protected in their native Cuba, most of the individuals found on dealer lists are captured members of this Florida population. These are all members of the subspecies A. e. equestris; a number of other subspecies occur in Cuba, including A.e. thomasi. These are only rarely seen in captivity. In appearance and habits, the Cuban Anole is very similar to the common Green Anole, but is much larger, reaching lengths over twenty inches- -making it one of the largest members of the Anolis group.
Both males and females possess large pink dewlaps under the chin which they extend when annoyed. There is also an extendable flap on the back of the neck. The head is sharply triangular and is heavily armored with bony ridges, which, combined with its great size, gives this lizard an impressive "dinosaurian" look. Like the smaller Green Anole, the Cuban Anole has the ability to vary its skin color according to mood and temperament. Usually, the skin is a light apple green, with various yellow markings around the head and shoulders. When the lizard is cold, stressed or sick, it turns dark green, sometimes almost black or brown. Males that are combatting each other for territorial and reproductive rights adopt a reddish-green color. At night, the lizard's colors turn pale green.
Cuban Anoles have a well-deserved reputation for being aggressive. Males in particular are fiercely territorial, and both males and females are often hostile and belligerent towards their human keepers. Even small lizards give painful bites which can easily draw blood, and wild-caught Cuban Anoles never really become tame. If you are looking for a lizard that you can put on your shoulder and take for walks, this is probably not it. If, on the other hand, you want an attractive and interesting reptile that will be kept in its terrarium, then the Cuban Anole may be for you.
SELECTION
Selecting a healthy Cuban Anole at the start will save lots of trouble down the road. Captive-bred specimens are to be preferred, since they are healthier, better adjusted to captivity and tend to be far less aggressive and belligerent towards their keeper. Since this species is not widely bred in captivity, however, most of the animals in pet stores or dealer lists will be wild-caught. A high proportion of these will have internal parasites, and many of the Cuban Anoles found in pet shops will unfortunately be malnourished and dehydrated.
A healthy Cuban Anole is active and alert, and will gape and display threateningly if approached too closely. Listlessness, sunken eyes, a dark green color, protruding ribs or hip bones, or loose folds of skin are all signs of trouble.
CAGEMATES
Cuban Anoles are aggressive and should not be kept with any other species of reptile or amphibian. They will eventually make a meal out of virtually any cagemate. The males, in addition, are ferocious towards one another and cannot be housed together. Even the females will often squabble amongst themselves.
HOUSING
Like its smaller cousins, the Cuban Anole is exclusively arboreal and rarely descends to the ground. In the wild, it spends most of its life high in the canopy, descending to the lower trunks for increased visibility during the breeding season. In captivity, Cuban Anoles require housing similar to that for Green Anoles, but correspondingly larger---very much larger. Accomodations for Cuban Anoles are roughly akin to those needed for an immature Iguana or a large Chameleon. A 55-gallon aquarium is the minimum size for an adult lizard, and a larger enclosure is even better. For a breeding pair, the minimum enclosure size is three feet wide by three feet long by five feet high. Any cage that will house a Cuban Anole must have plenty of vertical space and a profusion of branches for climbing. A screen top is necessary to provide proper heat and lighting, and a screened opening near the bottom of the cage is also recommended for proper ventilation.
HEAT
As tropical animals, these lizards require warm, humid and well- ventilated conditions. Daytime temperatures in the tank should run around 80 degrees, with a warm spot for basking of approximately 95 degrees. A proper temperature gradient allows the animals to thermoregulate by moving from cooler to warmer spots as needed. A "hot spot" for basking can be provided with a 75-watt spotlight or reflector bulb focused onto a branch near the top of the tank. This light should be located outside the cage to prevent the Anoles from inadvertently burning themselves on the hot bulb. Since Cuban Anoles rarely descend to the floor of the tank, no undertank heater is necessary.
LIGHTING
Like all diurnal lizards, Cuban Anoles require access to unfiltered ultraviolet-B wavelengths. Reptiles use the energy in ultraviolet light to manufacture vitamin D3 in their skin, which is essential for proper utilization of calcium for building bones. Lack of proper UVB light can lead to serious bone diseases which are usually fatal. The best source of UVB light is a fluorescent lamp made specifically for reptiles. This should be placed at the top of the cage near the basking site. Since these fluorescent bulbs lose energy rather quickly, they should be replaced every six months or so. A tropical light schedule of twelve hours light and twelve hours darkness is best. Since no artificial light source provides UVB as effectively as natural sunlight, it is a good idea to give your Cuban Anole as much exposure to full sunlight (unfiltered through glass or plastic) as possible. This should not be done by placing the tank in the sun, as this will cause the heat to quickly build up to lethal levels. On warm days, it is possible to place your Anole in a wire mesh cage and place it outside for some sunshine. Make sure that a shaded spot is always available for the lizard to cool down if it begins to overheat.
Like its smaller cousins, the Cuban Anole is exclusively arboreal and rarely descends to the ground. In the wild, it spends most of its life high in the canopy, descending to the lower trunks for increased visibility during the breeding season. In captivity, Cuban Anoles require housing similar to that for Green Anoles, but correspondingly larger---very much larger. Accomodations for Cuban Anoles are roughly akin to those needed for an immature Iguana or a large Chameleon. A 55-gallon aquarium is the minimum size for an adult lizard, and a larger enclosure is even better. For a breeding pair, the minimum enclosure size is three feet wide by three feet long by five feet high. Any cage that will house a Cuban Anole must have plenty of vertical space and a profusion of branches for climbing. A screen top is necessary to provide proper heat and lighting, and a screened opening near the bottom of the cage is also recommended for proper ventilation.
HEAT
As tropical animals, these lizards require warm, humid and well- ventilated conditions. Daytime temperatures in the tank should run around 80 degrees, with a warm spot for basking of approximately 95 degrees. A proper temperature gradient allows the animals to thermoregulate by moving from cooler to warmer spots as needed. A "hot spot" for basking can be provided with a 75-watt spotlight or reflector bulb focused onto a branch near the top of the tank. This light should be located outside the cage to prevent the Anoles from inadvertently burning themselves on the hot bulb. Since Cuban Anoles rarely descend to the floor of the tank, no undertank heater is necessary.
LIGHTING
Like all diurnal lizards, Cuban Anoles require access to unfiltered ultraviolet-B wavelengths. Reptiles use the energy in ultraviolet light to manufacture vitamin D3 in their skin, which is essential for proper utilization of calcium for building bones. Lack of proper UVB light can lead to serious bone diseases which are usually fatal. The best source of UVB light is a fluorescent lamp made specifically for reptiles. This should be placed at the top of the cage near the basking site. Since these fluorescent bulbs lose energy rather quickly, they should be replaced every six months or so. A tropical light schedule of twelve hours light and twelve hours darkness is best. Since no artificial light source provides UVB as effectively as natural sunlight, it is a good idea to give your Cuban Anole as much exposure to full sunlight (unfiltered through glass or plastic) as possible. This should not be done by placing the tank in the sun, as this will cause the heat to quickly build up to lethal levels. On warm days, it is possible to place your Anole in a wire mesh cage and place it outside for some sunshine. Make sure that a shaded spot is always available for the lizard to cool down if it begins to overheat.
SUBSTRATE
Newspaper provides a workable (though unattractive) substrate, but it tends to disintegrate in the humid conditions found inside the tank. (The relative humidity inside the tank should be between 65% and 75%). Aspen chips or reptile bark are safe and easy to keep clean. They also help hold the necessary moisture. A moss substrate can be used, and this can be misted daily to help keep the humidity inside the tank at proper levels. Since Cuban Anoles are not diggers, it is also possible to line the bottom of the cage with soil and live plants. This provides an attractive setup and also helps keep the humidity at proper levels. Hardy nontoxic houseplants such as pothos or other climbing plants are suitable. The bottom of the cage can be lined with six inches of potting soil (a two-inch layer of gravel should be placed underneath this for drainage), and the plants directly rooted in this medium. Alternately, the plants can be kept in individual pots, which are placed atop the substrate. These plants should be misted periodically and must be provided with sufficient light.
FOODS
Feeding In the wild, Cuban Anoles are largely insectivorous, and will eat such large insects as grasshoppers, caterpillars and beetles. They also hunt down and overpower lizards (including smaller members of their own species) and other small vertebrates such as nestling birds. Younger captives can be fed a staple diet of crickets, as well as a variety of insects which have been captured outdoors, provided these have not been exposed to any pesticides. They will also sometimes accept earthworms. In the wild, Cuban Anoles reportedly include a small amount of fruit in their diet. Mealworms should be avoided, as their tough chitin exoskeleton is difficult for lizards to digest and can cause intestinal problems. Adult Cuban Anoles can be fed very large insects, as well as small prey animals including Green Anoles and pinkie mice. Prey animals should be lightly dusted with a vitamin and calcium powder. Adult lizards are eager eaters and can put away a surprisingly large amount of food. They should be fed as much as they will eat every other day. All prey animals (including crickets) will have a higher food value for the Anole if they are themselves fed several meals before being used as food. Crickets and other insects can be "gut-loaded" with commercially-available foods that are rich in calcium. If Green Anoles are to be used as food, they should themselves be fed gut-loaded crickets first.
WATER
Like their Green Anole cousins, Cuban Anoles cannot recognize standing water and will not drink from a dish. The simplest way to provide them with drinking water is to mist the inside of their cage every evening, allowing them to lap up the droplets.
Newspaper provides a workable (though unattractive) substrate, but it tends to disintegrate in the humid conditions found inside the tank. (The relative humidity inside the tank should be between 65% and 75%). Aspen chips or reptile bark are safe and easy to keep clean. They also help hold the necessary moisture. A moss substrate can be used, and this can be misted daily to help keep the humidity inside the tank at proper levels. Since Cuban Anoles are not diggers, it is also possible to line the bottom of the cage with soil and live plants. This provides an attractive setup and also helps keep the humidity at proper levels. Hardy nontoxic houseplants such as pothos or other climbing plants are suitable. The bottom of the cage can be lined with six inches of potting soil (a two-inch layer of gravel should be placed underneath this for drainage), and the plants directly rooted in this medium. Alternately, the plants can be kept in individual pots, which are placed atop the substrate. These plants should be misted periodically and must be provided with sufficient light.
FOODS
Feeding In the wild, Cuban Anoles are largely insectivorous, and will eat such large insects as grasshoppers, caterpillars and beetles. They also hunt down and overpower lizards (including smaller members of their own species) and other small vertebrates such as nestling birds. Younger captives can be fed a staple diet of crickets, as well as a variety of insects which have been captured outdoors, provided these have not been exposed to any pesticides. They will also sometimes accept earthworms. In the wild, Cuban Anoles reportedly include a small amount of fruit in their diet. Mealworms should be avoided, as their tough chitin exoskeleton is difficult for lizards to digest and can cause intestinal problems. Adult Cuban Anoles can be fed very large insects, as well as small prey animals including Green Anoles and pinkie mice. Prey animals should be lightly dusted with a vitamin and calcium powder. Adult lizards are eager eaters and can put away a surprisingly large amount of food. They should be fed as much as they will eat every other day. All prey animals (including crickets) will have a higher food value for the Anole if they are themselves fed several meals before being used as food. Crickets and other insects can be "gut-loaded" with commercially-available foods that are rich in calcium. If Green Anoles are to be used as food, they should themselves be fed gut-loaded crickets first.
WATER
Like their Green Anole cousins, Cuban Anoles cannot recognize standing water and will not drink from a dish. The simplest way to provide them with drinking water is to mist the inside of their cage every evening, allowing them to lap up the droplets.
BREEDING
Cuban Anoles are not often bred in captivity, and most of the individuals in the pet trade have been wild-caught from a population established in southern Florida. If conditions are suitable, however, these lizards will breed in captivity. Sexing your lizard may be difficult. Unlike the more common anoles, in which only the male has an extendable dewlap, both male and female Cuban Anoles have throat fans. Females are generally smaller in size and have relatively smaller heads compared to their body size. Males sometimes exhibit two bulges at the base of the tail where the hemipenes are retracted, but this may not be readily apparent outside of the breeding season. Although both males and females perform the typical lizard "head-bobbing" territorial display, in males this usually includes a number of horizontal figure-eight motions, while females usually use only vertical head-bobs. Most breeding groups of Cuban Anoles consist of a single male and either a single female or a small (2 or 3) harem of females. Breeding takes place during the summer months. Males are particularly belligerent to each other during the mating season, and will not tolerate each other's presence in their territories. Each male will establish a territory and defend it from intruders through dewlap displays and head-bobbing. Females which enter the territory are approached and, if willing to mate, will crouch motionless on a branch or limb. If the female is not ready to mate, the male will pursue her anyway and attempt to overpower her. Since this can lead to injury and stress for the female, captive pairs must be kept in a cage large enough for the female to avoid the male when she wishes. The mating process is rather rough, with the male often biting the female on the back of the neck hard enough to produce lacerations and subsequent scars. The two tails are intertwined and the male inserts one of his hemipenes into the female's cloaca.
About one month after breeding, the gravid female will excavate a shallow nest in damp soil. Most females lay only a single egg, sometimes a pair of eggs, at a time. These clutches are spaced a week or two apart. The incubation period lasts two to three months, depending on the temperature.
At hatching, the young Anoles are smaller copies of their parents, around five inches long. The hatchlings already have functional dewlaps and begin to threaten and display at each other within days. Since they may attack each other in territorial disputes, and since in any case the adult lizards will eat them if given the chance, the eggs and young should be removed to their own cages as soon as possible. Cuban Anoles grow quickly if properly cared for, and can reach a breeding size of 16-18 inches within two years. The young lizards can often be taught to lose their fear of humans and many times become tame enough to handle.
Cuban Anoles are not often bred in captivity, and most of the individuals in the pet trade have been wild-caught from a population established in southern Florida. If conditions are suitable, however, these lizards will breed in captivity. Sexing your lizard may be difficult. Unlike the more common anoles, in which only the male has an extendable dewlap, both male and female Cuban Anoles have throat fans. Females are generally smaller in size and have relatively smaller heads compared to their body size. Males sometimes exhibit two bulges at the base of the tail where the hemipenes are retracted, but this may not be readily apparent outside of the breeding season. Although both males and females perform the typical lizard "head-bobbing" territorial display, in males this usually includes a number of horizontal figure-eight motions, while females usually use only vertical head-bobs. Most breeding groups of Cuban Anoles consist of a single male and either a single female or a small (2 or 3) harem of females. Breeding takes place during the summer months. Males are particularly belligerent to each other during the mating season, and will not tolerate each other's presence in their territories. Each male will establish a territory and defend it from intruders through dewlap displays and head-bobbing. Females which enter the territory are approached and, if willing to mate, will crouch motionless on a branch or limb. If the female is not ready to mate, the male will pursue her anyway and attempt to overpower her. Since this can lead to injury and stress for the female, captive pairs must be kept in a cage large enough for the female to avoid the male when she wishes. The mating process is rather rough, with the male often biting the female on the back of the neck hard enough to produce lacerations and subsequent scars. The two tails are intertwined and the male inserts one of his hemipenes into the female's cloaca.
About one month after breeding, the gravid female will excavate a shallow nest in damp soil. Most females lay only a single egg, sometimes a pair of eggs, at a time. These clutches are spaced a week or two apart. The incubation period lasts two to three months, depending on the temperature.
At hatching, the young Anoles are smaller copies of their parents, around five inches long. The hatchlings already have functional dewlaps and begin to threaten and display at each other within days. Since they may attack each other in territorial disputes, and since in any case the adult lizards will eat them if given the chance, the eggs and young should be removed to their own cages as soon as possible. Cuban Anoles grow quickly if properly cared for, and can reach a breeding size of 16-18 inches within two years. The young lizards can often be taught to lose their fear of humans and many times become tame enough to handle.
