A Male Green Anole

Green Anoles and Brown Anoles are very desirable garden or back yard residents, because they live entirely on insects. The males have a territorial instinct that compels them to stake out about three square yards’ worth of space, and includes a high perching point, about ten to twenty feet off the ground, in some area such as shrubs, rough walls, fences, and trees; a source of water, which could be dew on the grass or water collecting on grass blades from a regularly-used oscillating lawn sprinkler; and of course, a source of food, which may be moths, spiders, or any other small insect. Anoles are commonly opportunistic, and will eat anything that looks appetizing and is small enough.

Green Anoles are famous for their ability to change colour and pattern from bright, leafy green to brown, and may attempt to match subtle brown patterns. Females are usually darker and have spinal crest, while males have a bright pink or red dewlap.

You may also have Brown Anoles inhabiting the same space as Green Anoles; Brown Anoles do not change into green, but will exhibit varying shades and patterns of brown. If both Brown Anoles and Green Anoles inhabit the same territory, Brown Anoles will remain nearer the ground, while Green Anoles will move farther up away from the ground. Both kinds of anoles will lay one or two eggs in leaf litter or sand, but anoles are neglectful parents and will not warn you away from eggs. Both kinds of anoles will also fight for food or mates, and a startled anole may bite an intrusive finger, although it is extremely rare that they will draw blood. They may, however, be difficult to convince to let you go!

It is vitally important that if you wish to attract anoles, you must adopt organic lawn maintenance methods. Insecticides or pesticides not only kill off their sources of food, but if the insect gets a dose of toxins to small to kill it, the lizard will eat the insect, and ingest the toxin. With only a few small doses of toxins, the lizard will be poisoned and die. Because anoles drink water from shrub leaves and grass blades, the use of weed killer or herbicide will leave residues on the plants, which will be absorbed by the water, and then the lizard may die from the toxins used to kill the weeds. However, in properly maintained yards, anoles may live three to five years, and up to ten years, and you can enjoy the benefits these desirable lizards will bring to your life!