For two anoles a minimum size tank of 20 gallons is needed. More than two require an even bigger tank. Two males cannot live together they are very territorial. One male can live with several females. A 30 gallon tank or larger is needed if more than two are being kept. These lizards are inexpensive to buy, but not at all cheap to maintain. They are arboreal so the heat source should come from above. This is done with ceramic heat emitters, or incandescent light bulbs. A 60- watt lamp sitting 18" above the anole will work. For nighttime heating an infrared or ultra-violet lamp will do. If in a cold region the under tank heat pads will help keep the temperature up. The tank needs a warm side and a cool side so the anole has a choice of temperatures to choose from. Never use heat rocks, they do not provide the overhead warmth that anoles need and can cause devastating thermal burns.

UV/B full spectrum fluorescent lighting is also needed to replace natural sunlight. These lizards are diurnal so real unfiltered sunlight or UV/B is a must!

I disagree with the idea of using soil as a substrate; anoles need a home that can be disinfected on a weekly basis. The fusion carpet or astro-turf that can be soaked in disinfectant, or a lizard litter type substrate that does not cause intestinal blockage and can be thrown away each week is better. I like the artificial leaves such as silk best because they can also be soaked in disinfectant. The viquariums that so many people use for anoles these days really aren't a good choice for housing in my opinion because they are tree dwellers, not apt to live in water or that close to it. I have observed them in the wild for many years, they do need humidity but the viquariums provide too much! Too much humidity can cause fungal diseases. Misting them 2-3 times daily will help keep the humidity up and needs to be done anyway, as anoles will not drink water from a dish. They prefer to lap up water droplets from leaves.

Caves or leaves set in such a way to provide hiding areas are necessary to avoid stress, the anoles need their privacy.

Feeding them isn't too hard, however a diet of nothing but crickets doesn't work well if you want the anole to live it's seven-year life span. They are insectivores but insects do not have calcium, something anoles must have. An egg bearing female or a growing baby must have double the calcium of an adult male. Variety in diet is better, the gut-loaded and dusted crickets are good, but a small amount of meal worms and wax worms added to that will help an anole have a better balanced diet. Some anoles will eat a small amount of fruit such as peach baby food, but not many will eat what is not moving. If it is possible to catch insects not contaminated by pesticides, then moths & flies are a good, nutritious food source. Insects do carry parasites, so whether feeding store bought or wild caught insects, anoles should be evaluated for parasite infections once or better yet, twice a year. Anoles will eat only until full, so any leftovers should be removed from the cage for better sanitation.

Male anoles are larger than females. They have a longer jaw line, larger head, and do have the hemipenes that is visible at the vent. Both have a dewlap, but the male's is larger and he will show it much more often than the female.

Females have the shorter jaw line, smaller head and while both my have a white stripe down the spine when young, the male usually loses his while the female retains it.

Anoles readily breed in captivity. Females can retain sperm for several months after breeding. Females will quickly lose calcium when bearing eggs; it is vital to her health that she gets all the calcium she needs. Even an adult female will begin to appear deformed when calcium is not sufficient. Her bones will deform as they grow soft and she will die. She lays her eggs one at a time about a week apart, not in a clutch as most lizards do. She will bury the egg if she has a place to do so; otherwise she will just deposit it where she can find a hiding place. If one wants to incubate the eggs, they must be collected soon after she has laid them; or else they will ruin. Once her eggs are laid she never returns to them.

Eggs must be incubated soon after they are laid. Pick the eggs up without turning them; place them in the same position in which they were found. Use vermiculite or some type of soil that allows for ventilation. A plastic sweater box with holes punched in the lid will keep them warm and will provide some air- flow. The substrate must be kept moist but not wet, and temperatures should be around 85F, for about 40 days.

Baby anoles are tiny and must not be kept with adults. Adults may or may not eat them, but the babies will refuse to eat because the adults intimidate them. Pinhead crickets, gut-loaded and dusted are needed; they eat very soon after hatching. If it's possible to find pesticide free wild caught tiny insects, those are good foods for the babies.

They should grow up to be healthy adults if the diet is adequate for growth.

Unfortunately there are not many signs of illness. When signs are obvious the anole is already very sick. Anorexia, followed by dehydration is commonly the only sign; a veterinarian is needed because anoles being so tiny will worsen quickly. Dehydration causes the major organs to fail then death is unavoidable. Water alone will not hydrate the anole at this point, he needs electrolytes. A vet can hydrate the animal very quickly.

Parasites are a good possibility for the cause of illness and with a veterinarian they can be treated. There are no over-the-counter treatments that will work. These waste money and valuable time for the anole. If your anole is ill, there just isn't anyway to cure it without the help of a good herp vet.

Most anoles in pet stores have been wild caught. That means they are almost certain to harbor parasites, so newly acquired pets should have a fecal sample checked by a DVM.

Keep in mind that the OTC parasite treatments that are available do not treat all species of parasites. Different parasite species require different medications. Using a medication when the species is unknown will more than likely either kill the anole, or the anole will die because the underlying problem has not been corrected.  

Staying brown all the time is a sign of stress. Two males together will fight, the loser of these fights will often remain brown, but if not separated the loser will die because he will refuse to eat.

If your anole is brown most of the time, check your set up, he may not be warm enough or may not have enough hiding places.