As mentioned earlier in this article, male Anoles are territorial and can be
quite pugnacious. One way to check if your Anole is a male or female is to
place a mirror in front of it. If it is a male Anole, it should begin bobbing
its head quickly up and down, and displaying its “dewlap.” The dewlap is an
extra fold of skin under its neck that it will extend in order to intimidate
other males. The dewlap is quite striking in that when its extended the skin
color appears red or pink studded with tiny white scales.
Dos and Don’ts
Do, when buying an Anole, avoid heartache and needless expense by purchasing
only those examples that appear clear-eyed and active. Sickly ones will
probably die only a few days after you get them home, there’s no such thing as
nursing them back to health. Don’t keep Anoles of very different sizes
together, as the larger ones will eat or bully the smaller ones. Do mist the
enclosure daily. Do keep your pets warm. Don’t feed them a diet made up solely
of hard-shelled insects (like large mealworms) as this can cause severe stomach
disorders that can lead to an early demise. Do take good care of your Anole
pets and do enjoy them.