Post by l***@hotmail.comMy daughter caught a lizard on Sunday and has decided to keep it as a
pet. At first we had it in a box until I borrowed a hermit crab cage
yesterday. We left some sand in there and the plastic tree with water
in there. He seems to really love the tree as he stayed on it all
night long. However I bought some crickets yesterday and he won't eat
them. Should I try worms now?
No worms, no water, no sand....
Most lizards won't eat earthworms. The crickets will work if they're small
enough for the anole to eat.
Anoles usually won't drink from a dish. You will need to get a small spray
bottle and spray the fake tree and sides of the cage each day. The anole
will lap up the drops.
Sand doesn't lend itself to retaining moisture like other substrates do
(coconut fiber, for example). In addition, the anole may accidentally
ingest some of it, which will cause problems later.
I'm guessing the hermit crab cage is fairly small--you should look for at
least a 10-gallon tank with a closely-fitting screen top. You'll need a
light capable of producing UVB, and lots more artificial plants to give more
opportunities to climb as well as a feeling of security (the lizard can
"hide" and not feel so exposed).
The BEST solution is to release the lizard ASAP--I don't know where you live
but unfortunately in some states it's now illegal even for a little kid to
catch a lizard(!). It's a lot cheaper that way too--the materials you need
for this "free" lizard will run you around $30 initially. If your daughter
likes lizards, have her read up on different types, make an informed
decision, and purchase the required equipment BEFORE buying a captive bred
(i.e. less likely to carry diseases, usually guaranteed to eat) lizard.
If you decide to keep the anole, then your daughter tires of it, you need to
understand you'll be stuck with it a couple of years (provided you keep it
fed, watered, and properly lit). In other words, once you've kept it in
captivity for more than a week or so, you shouldn't release it back into
"the wild" (releasing captives is also illegal in most states) because it
may have picked up diseases or otherwise declined in health such that it
won't survive.
I hope this helps, good luck!
Chris
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