RE: Camper Stowaway

[springer02]

 
OK. I ve seen just about everything talked about at some point on this site, but here s one I don t recall seeing. I don t even think Tim has a page about it.
 
 Just back in the past couple of hours from spring break in the Florida Keys. One annoyance while down there was that our AC didn t work. Or more correctly, if we tried to run it, it would wake up the whole campground. It wasn t really hot enough to need it in the Keys this week, so we decided not to pop down to look at it until we got home.
 
 It was our fault for not trying it out at home after the roof was replaced. Something got messed up in the move from the old roof to the new one, we guessed.
 
 So even though it s only 50 here today, I decided after unpacking to go out and take the cover off the unit. In about 10 seconds I saw the bent cowling and in 20 had it bent back into position. I have no idea how it got bent, but figured the installers must have screwed it up. Oh well.
 
 Then, just before closing it back up, I was cleaning debris (leaves, etc.) from the unit and saw what looked like a stick with legs. Turns out it s a brown anole, which were all over our campground. []
 
 A brown anole is a 4- or 5-inch long lizard native to South Florida. In the wild they eat bugs, mostly. They are fast little things that even outrun the campground cats.
 
 He looked dead until I grabbed his tail. Then he moved! Now remember, we left the Keys at 9 a.m. Friday, overnighted in Savannah last night and got home in the cold today. He had been holding on for dear life up there for 33+ hours when I found him.
 
 This little guy looks dehydrated and cold. He moved around more once we brought him in and warmed him up. I ve done a little Internet research on how to try to care for him. I figure he s going to have to be lucky to make it, but if he s tough enough, we ll give it a try.
 
 So .... Any specific anole advice would be appreciated, and I m sure other stowaway stories would be good reading, too.
 
 Dave

[andym86]

 springer02
Hi Dave
 
 Do they taste like chicken?
 
 Just kidding![][][]
 Andy

[Miss-Teri]

 springer02
I used to tell my mom, " It followed me home"  but I can t recall saying that about any lizards!  []
 
 Try this site:  http://www.geocities.com/mistergecko2000/anole_care.html

[wssfetch]

 springer02
The DH, who is an amateur herpatologist, says put him in an aquarium with some leaf litter, a couple of sticks to crawl on, a small or paper cup as a hidehole.  You can put a jar lid with water in there and feed him flies, crickets, roaches.  At one time my hubby experimented with turning some geckos loose in the house one summer for roach control. The lived under the frig and we had no roaches.  He also keeps some green tree frogs in the house in the kitchen and bathroom. They live on the venetian blinds and get mosquitoes and flies that wander inside.  Never see one until taking a shower and a tree frog leaps across the room!  As long as they don t leap on me I am okay.

[springer02]

 springer02
Here s an update on our stow away.  He lived through the night and escaped from the container that DH put him in.  I found him in one of my plants, he had turned bright green.  DD got out the old hamster aquarium, cleaned it out and Parsley the lizard has a new home.  We put it in a sunny spot and he s moving around the fake aquarium plants that DH put in there and he s eaten some of the cut up fruit.  I guess we have a new pet.  I wonder what the dog will do if/when she realizes that there s something ALIVE in there?
 
 Tena

[mattsmom]

 springer02
Might want to try meal worms and crickets, pet stores will have them.  Also from what I understand they need lots of ultraviolet light.  If you can t give them natural sunlight, the petstores carry ultra violet light bulbs, expensive though.
 

[tlhdoc]

 springer02
A friend of ours has an Anole and it likes flies and crickets.

[Zooey]

 springer02
I know with all of the lizards we have had, heat is very important.  You can get heating pads or lights at any pet store... Good Luck
 
 Check out this link...
 
 http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/vines/8020/anoles.html
 
 Zooey[&:]

[texacokat]

 springer02
We have had 2 funerals for our lizards here in north, so we moved on to hamsters, BUT what we learned is that they not only like heat but moisture, too.  We misted the cage with a small spray water bottle (apparently not enough, and then next time too much).  They are awfully hard to keep in cold, dry climates so I wish you luck!

[Trlrboy]

 springer02
I object to andym86 s comments about wanting to know if it tastes like chicken.  I m sure it tastes more like spotted owl because of the size difference.

[whippetwrun]

 springer02
DS has a collared lizard (desert type lizard)  We use a regular incandescent light bulb plus a fluorescent light to provide the heat and vitamins he absorbs through his skin.  We also have the vitamin powder that we dust his crickets with before feeding.  If you get crickets, start off with the small sized ones.  The large can sometimes be too big for smaller lizards to swallow.  
 
 Also make sure you has your hands thoroughly whenever you handle the anole - before for his benefit and after for yours.
 
 There should be books at your local pet store on anoles.
 
 Have fun, they are cool pets to watch.