Green Anoles (Anoles Carolinensis) range from the Carolinas to as far south as Florida, then as far west as Arizona. They live in a very hot, humid and almost tropical environment. They are quite common in the southeastern United States and grow less common the further north you go. In their wild environment they are hunted by not only snakes, birds and other larger lizards but they also seem to be the favorite hunting prey of wild cats. However, despite the downfalls they do make excellent pets. They are quite affordable and aren't very difficult to care for. I recommend them for any first time reptile owner.

Caging Requirements: Anoles are quite small, never getting more then 8 inches in length, and are as slender as they are small; therefore, a large cage is not needed. A couple babies can live their whole lives in a 10-gallon, 20"x10"x12", aquarium. Anymore then a pair should be kept in a larger enclosure. If you notice that any of the Anoles are being aggressive to the others you should separate them; the results could be fatal. As always, when choosing a cage for an Anole, you are better off buying glass or wood so that the precious heat is trapped inside the cage rather then allowing it to escape through mesh. One last thing to take into consideration, Anoles are arboreal (tree-dwelling) so they prefer to have cages that are high rather then cages with a lot of ground space.

Caging Substrate: When picking a substrate for your Anole, be sure that whatever you choose will hold humidity. Also make sure you don't get any pine or cedar chips or shavings because both can be poisonous to your animals. I would suggest Eco-Earth, Repti-mark, potting soil, aspen chips or cypress mulch. Of course, this list is not all-inclusive. As long as it can hold humidity and it is not one of the poisonous substrates already mentioned, whatever you use should be fine.
I also add a layer of moss to the layer of substrate. This will add to the humidity of the cage and also provide the Anoles with a hiding spot to allow them to feel more secure. Additionally, you should add plant, branches and other decorations to the cage. It will not only help add to the humidity when you spray down the cage but it will also provide them with hiding spots and add to the overall naturalistic look of the environment.

Lighting and Heating Requirements: Green Anoles require an air temperature of 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit and a basking spot of 95-100 degrees Fahrenheit. The nighttime temps can get down to 75-80 degrees. To accomplish this, I would use a basking light bulb. I can't tell you what wattage to get, it depends on a lot of factors such as room temp, size of the cage, material of the cage, et cetera. In addition to requiring high temperatures, green Anoles also depend on Ultraviolet rays (A and B) in order to receive Vitamin D3, which helps them process calcium. Therefore, you need a bulb that has UV rays too. You can get a bulb with UV rays and a heat bulb or a bulb that has both UV rays and heat but. While those bulbs tend to cost more money they are usually of much higher quality.

Food: Green Anoles eat crickets dusted or gut-loaded with calcium supplementation. Other people feed their green Anoles mealworms. However, I don't agree with this because mealworms have a hard shell, which makes them hard to digest, and they also don't seem to have as much nutrition in them as crickets. Green Anoles, of any size and age, eat about 4-5 crickets every day and the size of the cricket is dependent upon the size of the animal, they can't eat anything larger then their head.

Hydration: Whenever it rains, the green anoles start licking the drops of water off leaves and bushes so I mist my green anoles' cage completely several times a day. Unless you have an automatic misting system, that is the best way to mimic their natural environment. This does two things. First, it gives the water they need to survive. Second, it adds to the overall humidity to the cage. All of the mulch, moss and plants wouldn't do you any good without water. You can also use a "dripper" to duplicate the same effect. Place it on the lid of the cage over plants or branches and allow it to drip down. Green anoles will not drink out of water dishes because they are unable to see standing water.