Anoles are kept as pets by many pet lovers nowadays, and they need to be taken good care of. They are one of the fascinating creatures that need minimal time to look after or supplies to stay healthy and fit. But you should maintain the hygiene and good supply of food to keep it happy.
They are insectivorous by nature. They love to eat live insects. Their food habit is not much different than the regular reptile pets like a bearded dragon or leopard gecko. When they are in the wild, they eat crickets, roaches, spiders, flies, ants and many other wild insects.
You can feed them selected variety of worms like super-worms, beetles, mealworms or fruit flies.
Contents
What are safe foods for anole?
They should not be fed the random insects that are roaming in your house or backyard. Do not try to make them eat the insects that you catch from the backyard as that will make the anole sick. There can be various kinds of microbes that can affect the anole through these insects.
Feed the listed insects to the anole as per the vet’s suggestion. Do not be experimental and try to feed any new kind of insect to the anole.
Anoles prefer to eat soft-bodied insects. If you give them hard-bodied ones then it can harm the anole by scratching its mouth or in any other way. So stick to the ones that do not contain any hard shell or part in their body. Insects like beetles are hard for the anole to eat.
What can be fed to the anole?
There are quite a few breeds of anoles. The green and brown ones prefer to eat bugs and other kinds of anoles like to be fed on roaches and insects like mealworms or super worms. You can get live insects without mandibles that can be easily consumed and digested by anoles. Make sure that the insects are pesticide-free.
Best Food For Anole
As we have researched to know which foods are best for the anoles, we have found plenty of products which are sold by renowned pet supply brands. We will be offering suggestions below to help you understand the goodness of the foods and also choose the right one for the anole you have.
1. Fluker’s 72025 Freeze-Dried Crickets
When you are taking the anole out with you and cannot provide it with some live insects, then carry a jar of this dried cricket. This is a good replacement of live insects and it will nourish the anoles like the regular meal. The users are happy to use this food as they claim that their pets have a healthy body while eating this. This is a tasty option for the anoles and most of them seem to love it for their meal.
The colouration of the skin also improves while you feed this food to your anole. This can be given to the anole on daily basis and there will be no side effects or toxic effect on your anole due to the consumption of this food. This is a safe option for your pet anole as it does not contain any chemicals like pesticides or preservatives.
For the sickly and old anole, this food will do really well. This is easily digested and will help the anole to regain health. Most of the anoles love this food as this is a good option to serve them as a staple meal. As these are dried crickets, you can also use them for hand feeding your pet anole. There is no chance that the cricket will move within your finger or harm the anole if left uneaten in the cage. However, you should clean the cage and remove the uneaten food so it does not attract other parasites, mites or fungal growth.
Pros:
- Easy to carry
- Nutritious
- No side effect
- No chemical
Cons:
- Smell can repel the anole
2. Zilla Reptile Munchies For Pets- With Calcium
The brand Zilla always offers the pet owners some real good items to keep the pets healthy and sustained. So this pack of munchies is a great treatment option for the anoles and it contains calcium as well. The flavour is omnivore mix so it will surely be liked by the anoles of all ages and varieties. This is a nutritious option for the anoles who are picky eaters and often leaves remnants of food in the terrarium. Surely this will be liked by them and they will grow healthy and content. The skinny anoles would be greatly benefitted from this food and they would also love to eat this for their daily diet.
This is a dry food option for the anoles so you do not have to keep it in the refrigerator. Thus it is the right option for food when you are going for a holiday and keeping the anole at some friend’s place. Also if you decide to carry it with you, then you can offer it this food as there will be no hassle to order the live insects and feed the anole on the go.
The package that this item comes in is resalable, and thus you can carry the package without bothering to degrade the quality of the food. This food is made from natural ingredients so you can be sure that your pet anole is not eating any synthetic food. There is no side effect as per the users’, so you can be assured that this food will provide the right amount of nutrition to the anole.
Pros:
- Improves health
- Made from natural ingredients
- Comes in omnivorous flavour
- Calcium added
Cons:
- The must leftover in the bag is unusable
3. Gimminy Crickets And Worms 250ct Live Worms
This is an insect-based diet which will make the anole happy and healthy. This food is rich in nutrient so you can feed this to your pet anole to make it fit and healthy. The food is available in the live form so it will make your pet happy. This is rather helpful to decide how many worms are needed to make the anole full.
This is a 1.5-pound jar which will satisfy your anole for months. The live food option is always better than dried food so you can safely feed your anole these worms. Some worms may die during the shipping but the seller always adds some extra worms so it will not be a loss. If you are worried about how to keep the worms living until all are finished then you can offer them dry oatmeal or some scraps of vegetable skins. It will help them to stay alive for a longer timer. You need to clean the uneaten scrap from the worms as that should not remain with the worms and can cause mite or parasite growth.
The worms of this package are all full-grown and healthy. Though a few users have complained about mites, that is not a problem with every jar of worms. Keep the jar in a cool place and do not freeze them or take them directly in the sun as that can cause them death. These worms are better than crickets when it comes to storing them. Unlike crickets, they do not make much sound so it is easy to store them.
Pros:
- Live food for anole
- Healthy and full-grown worms
Cons:
- A few dies during shipping
4. Zoo Med Can O’Worms
This is a complete diet for the anoles and you do not have to worry anymore about the health of the pet if you feed these worms regularly. These worms contain crude protein, crude fibre, crude fat, crude ash and moisture. These are mealworms and all are farm-raised, so there is no chance of getting infected by mites or parasites residing on these worms. You can take the worms by a spoon and offer them to the anole directly from the can.
The worms of this can are not live but dead, they have been packed in an airtight can which needs to be refrigerated once you open the can. This way the worms will stay fresh and not rot. However, even if refrigerated, the can will not last longer than two or three weeks, so it is better to finish the can before that time period.
You can feed these worms but do not make it a daily meal. It is better to be given as a treat as crickets are a better option for daily meal. These ones are nutritious and will make the anoles happy. But daily feeding may make them fat.
Pros:
- Healthy and wholesome meal
- Good for anole’s health
- Does not contain any parasite
- No preservatives added
Cons:
- Not to be refrigerated for long
5. Zoo Med Lizard Flower Food Topper
This is not a meal in itself but can be added with the main meal to bring variety in the diet. Flowers can be a part of the reptile diet and you can safely provide them to anole. As anoles prefer to eat only insects, they do not consume minerals or fibres. So offering a flower is good for them to have some other nutritional variety in the meal.
Fibre is really food for the anoles and many other reptiles as it provides gut strength. The nourishment provided by the flower topper makes them enriched with different nutrients. As mentioned in the name, this can be used as a topping and you can make the anole eat this item with mealworms or fruit pieces. This can be served to the regular diet of the anole and it will be served by misting it. Also, you can feed it dry if you are providing it with fruits.
This ingredient is also good for the stomach and it improves the digestion if fed daily. The topping is bright in colour so you will get to see the food in an appealing colour combination. If you are offering them in large pieces, the anole may refuse to eat it, but you can offer this by shredding them into small pieces which will help the anole to eat this.
Pros:
- Adds variety to the meal
- Rich in fibre
- Offers minerals
Cons:
- Large pieces may not be liked by anoles
FAQs
What staple foods and what are treats for the anole?
You can offer crickets and roaches as a staple food to the anole. But insects like mealworm and phoenix worms are strictly for treats purpose. Do not make them an item in the regular diet. The same is applied for earthworm or silkworm.
Can anoles eat fruit?
Yes, anoles can eat fruits. A few varieties of fruits are eatable by green anoles. But do not try to feed them any and every kind of fruit as there are some fruits which are toxic for the anole. Fruits like strawberry, apple, melon, grapes and blueberry can be fed to them.
How long anole survives without food?
The duration of starvation for anole depends upon individual creatures. Those who are healthy and mature can survive for two months without food, though their body will become skinny as the stored fat will be burned up to keep them alive. However, the chance is much less in the case of baby anoles.
Can anoles eat dead insects?
It is not preferable to offer them dead insects. They catch their prey live when they are in the wild, so they are accustomed to eating live insects only. Dead crickets will not be eaten by them so if you provide them, there is a high chance that the anole will refuse to eat it.
What does a baby anole eat?
Small insects are apt food for the baby anoles. Pinhead crickets are one such insect which is loved by the baby anole. Also, you can offer them fruit flies which are easy to be consumed by the baby anoles. You can offer them four flies everyday and that will be sufficient for them.
If you plan to offer them earthworms, then cut the worms into small pieces which will be easy for them to digest. Anole food is another good idea for the baby ones.
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