Red Phase Brown Anole (Anolis sagrei)

Common Name: Brown Anole
Scientific Name: Anolis sagrei
Source: CB

Adult Size: Typically 15-20cm total length
Native Range: Caribbean including Cuba and the Bahamas; widely introduced across parts of the Americas

Enclosure: Ventilated arboreal terrarium; minimum around 45 × 45 × 60 cm with branches, plants and elevated basking areas

Heating: Basking area around 32-34 °C; ambient 24-28 °C; night drop around 20-22 °C

Humidity: 60-80 % with light daily misting and good airflow

UVB: UVB lighting recommended for normal activity and calcium metabolism

Diet: Small live insects such as crickets, fruit flies and small roaches; generally fed daily or every other day.

Water: Light misting provides drinking droplets; shallow water dish can also be provided

ABOUT THIS SPECIES

Anolis sagrei, commonly known as the Brown Anole, is a small, active arboreal lizard native to the Caribbean. It has become one of the most widely distributed anole species due to introductions across the southern United States and other tropical regions. The species is typically brown or grey with darker patterning along the back, allowing it to blend easily into bark, leaf litter and branches.

A distinctive feature of the Brown Anole is the expandable throat fan, or dewlap, which in males is usually bright orange to red. This display is used for communication, territory defence and courtship. Individuals frequently perform head-bobbing and push-up displays as part of this behaviour.

Brown Anoles are agile climbers that move quickly between low branches, shrubs and ground cover while hunting insects. They tend to occupy lower vegetation compared with many other anole species, making use of both vertical surfaces and ground-level hiding places. Their alert behaviour and frequent movement make them a highly visible species within a planted terrarium setup.