Empty 50 gallon terrarium, what should I put in it?

[Persnickety Parson's]

What kind would you recommend for my 50?

Personal preference honestly.

Green anoles (Anolis carolinensis) need dedicated keepers and breeders. Pretty bold once settled.

Brown anoles (Anolis sagrei) are really cheeky buggers that can be hand fed with relative ease.

Knight anoles (Anolis equestris) are very impressive and some tolerate handling very well. You can keep a male/female pair in a 50 gallon

Other species I haven't had the pleasure of keeping, but are sure to be charming.

One thing of note, the Jamaica giant anole Anolis garmani, tends to be very shy and nervous compared to other anoles.

 

[Tige21v]

Green anoles (Anolis carolinensis) need dedicated keepers and breeders. Pretty bold once settled.

Do you mean one has to be dedicated to keep?
Or that the species could benefit from some more interest?

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

Do you mean one has to be dedicated to keep?
Or that the species could benefit from some more interest?

I mean more people should try to keep and breed them seriously.

 

[SorSor24]

Okay I will either get green anoles or knight anoles depending on availability, do you know of any good care guides for them?

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

Okay I will either get green anoles or knight anoles depending on availability, do you know of any good care guides for them?

Fairly bullet proof as far as things go, planted terrarium, uvb a basking spot in the low 80 to mid 80s humidity above 50 (60 to 70 percent is preferred) and your set. With the exception of the brown anole the others don't drink from water dishes, so should be misted twice a day.

 

[SorSor24]

Fairly bullet proof as far as things go, planted terrarium, uvb a basking spot in the low 80 to mid 80s humidity above 50 percent and your set. With the exception of the brown anole the others don't drink from water dishes, so should be misted twice a day.

Perfect I will just mist them when I mist my mourning geckos and crested gecko

 

[SorSor24]

I was also thinking about ocellated skinks

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

Perfect I will just mist them when I mist my mourning geckos and crested gecko

A fun little hint, I put a heat pad on the side of the enclosure to heat a section of the spoil to 85 as a cheap "in tank incubator". It works. Just keep an eye out for the babies.

No idea on the skinks, but most tend to be shy or so I've heard.

 

[SorSor24]

A fun little hint, I put a heat pad on the side of the enclosure to heat a section of the spoil to 85 as a cheap in tank incubator. It works. Just keep an eye out for the babies.

No idea on the skinks, but most tend to be shy or so I've heard.

Thanks for the hint, do they eat their young?

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

Thanks for the hint, do they eat their young?

Knight anoles seem to tolerate them, the rest seem to eat them.

 

[SorSor24]

Knight anoles seem to tolerate them, the rest seem to eat them.

Are knight and green anoles similar in care?

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

Are knight and green anoles similar in care?

Yes, if you can keep chameleons you can keep knight anoles.

Anoles are pretty bullet proof.

 

[SorSor24]

Yes, if you can keep chameleons you can keep anoles.

Alright, do they like handling at all?

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

Alright, do they like handling at all?

They can, at the very least they can be bribed with food to at least sit on your hand before hopping back to their cage.

Some can be relatively tame, depends on the animals personality.

 

[Tige21v]

I always had green anoles as a kid.
We always had them out.
(Granted, we were kids, and we really didn't care if they wanted to be handled or not) lol
But from what I can remember, they pretty much crawled up onto our hands

 

[Persnickety Parson's]

Here are my baby Knight anoles I hatched a long time ago.

Bold even at that age.

 

[SorSor24]

They can, at the very least they can be bribed with food to at least sit on your hand before hopping back to their cage.

Some can be relatively tame, depends on the animals personality.

I'm guessing like most reptiles it just depends on if they like it or not and if make them tolerate it more through hand feeding and stuff

 

[redhorse]

Something to think about-
Green anoles are very territorial and the males will fight to the death. So if you can get 1 male with females, you would be good to go. I currently have wild anoles (after years of terrarium maintained) and lucky enough to hand feed them ( it has taken time). I will search back in my photos and see if I can get the fighting pics. So, in the area there are 3 males that travel between 4 back yards with at least 3 female in my yard. I live in condos so patio is small but I have some citrus trees that home the females (one per tree-all by their design) . The males wonder their territory and have some crazy fights. In fight mode - nothing distracts them and I can get up close and personal. Weird little critters.
Pic 1 are the 2 that hand feed and the anole got his but whipped a few weeks ago so his upper mouth is healing (not pictured).
I introduced these guys to my yard almost 14years ago and have watch multiple generations be produced. I did not know better but wanted to save some very sick looking ones at a local pet-shop and released them in my trees. They survived and have made home to our little community.
My choice would get a young knight anole and train it as much as possible if you choose THE GIANT KNIGHT ANOLE.
Easy would be some leopard geckos and their are so many beautiful morphs these days. Back in the day it was only the wild morph when I had some. The diablo would be a great prize and beautiful animal.
At the reptile show they might have some captive bred horn toad lizards and with food supplements their diet can be fulfilled without the ant issue of the past.
Pic 5 fence lizard
pic 6 look in upper left- male anole after getting whooped!

Good luck! and keep us updated.. Thanks!

 

[redhorse]

went out to see who was around-
This is one of the females and other stuff i find to do daily..
I do have a problem with feeding critters. Not pictured is are the turtles and tortoise.
Thanks for letting me share.

 

[SorSor24]

Something to think about-
Green anoles are very territorial and the males will fight to the death. So if you can get 1 male with females, you would be good to go. I currently have wild anoles (after years of terrarium maintained) and lucky enough to hand feed them ( it has taken time). I will search back in my photos and see if I can get the fighting pics. So, in the area there are 3 males that travel between 4 back yards with at least 3 female in my yard. I live in condos so patio is small but I have some citrus trees that home the females (one per tree-all by their design) . The males wonder their territory and have some crazy fights. In fight mode - nothing distracts them and I can get up close and personal. Weird little critters.
Pic 1 are the 2 that hand feed and the anole got his but whipped a few weeks ago so his upper mouth is healing (not pictured).
I introduced these guys to my yard almost 14years ago and have watch multiple generations be produced. I did not know better but wanted to save some very sick looking ones at a local pet-shop and released them in my trees. They survived and have made home to our little community.
My choice would get a young knight anole and train it as much as possible if you choose THE GIANT KNIGHT ANOLE.
Easy would be some leopard geckos and their are so many beautiful morphs these days. Back in the day it was only the wild morph when I had some. The diablo would be a great prize and beautiful animal.
At the reptile show they might have some captive bred horn toad lizards and with food supplements their diet can be fulfilled without the ant issue of the past.
Pic 5 fence lizard
pic 6 look in upper left- male anole after getting whooped!

Good luck! and keep us updated.. Thanks!

Thank you so much and I will!