Impaction in Anoles?

[Leighanne]

I have never had this problem with my other Reptiles, but the Anole was a tard! The Pet Store also lied to me again, this time it was Pet Supplies Plus. They said that they definatley wouldn't recommend paper towels. Well the Green Anole, or Picolo has only ever eaten once that I've seen. He went for a cricket on the ground and missed, and got a mouth full of Jungle Mix! Not sure exactly what it is made of, it doesn't say. Pretty much dirt with bark pieces in it. I was in shock at first, but then quickly shock my head and tried to grab as much of it out of his as possible. I do believe he still ate some though. Can their stomach acids digest this??? It has actually been two weeks since this happened and he looks fine. He is also now on paper towels.


After thinking about this logically, and monitoring him. I would have to say the Pet Store is wrong, and paper towels don't hurt him. The only time he is ever on the ground anywayz is when he is hungry! Otherwise he is on his vines, and he definatley loves the tropical foliage plant I bought for him. He was really skinny when I bought him to, I could see his ribs, the whole set. Once he got settled in though and we got the plant and vines for him, he has been eating one a day. I can't see his ribs anymore, and hes been a lot more green! Thank Goodnes! He doesn't look bloated though. I was just wondering if they could pass it? How do you tell if they are sick from substrate?? And if they are sick, what do you do??? I am very interested in learning this! I am not sure why he did this, he is older, our oldest Reptile, and should be a better hunter. Our Leopard Gecko Gex eats GREAT! Hes not a tard. We watch him eat every night and sometimes the cricket will hold onto a piece of Aspen, but somehow Gexie wiggles or shakes it off. Needless to say they are all on paper towels now, I'd rather be safe then sorry. These Anoles live in peoples gardens in North Carolina, geesh do they all die of imapction from gardens? I don't know how these little manage! Thank You! :)

[coyote]

In the natural environment Anoles take most of their insect food from leaves and branches. They don't have to go to the ground to eat as the food is in the branches with them.

You could try offering the insects via a long pair of forceps. He should take them from you this way and wouldn't have to go to ground to eat. Arboreal animals can find being on the ground very stressful.

A small amount of substrate isn't going to cause significant problems. He probably ingested far less than it seemed.

Am I to understand that you offer only one cricket a day?

[Leighanne]

And thank you for not jumping my bones. When we first got him wich was May 9th he wouldn't eat very good for us in the begining. He had two today. We tried meal worms in the begining also and he wouldn't touch them, and for the first week he wouldn't touch his crickets, they would bully him when we put them in. That seems to be fixed though because he isn't skinny anymore, and theres lots of poop! I actually have the oh so fun chore of spot cleaning. Yeah! Comes with the territory I guess! :) We are now buying our crickets in bulk. They were $4.99 for 100 at Pet Supplies plus, and we are keeping them in a 20 gallon. They have egg carton, and paper towel hides. We feed them Flukers gutload everyday, and for water this Fluckers calcium gel stuff. I think they are breeding in there to. Do you get that with your crickets??? We feed the babies, or the smaller ones to Picolo(Anole), and the bigger ones to Gex(Gecko) I read that they are not supposed to be bigger than the size of your Reptiles head, and I read somewhere that if you feed them to big, it can be a problem like impaction. Is this true? How many would you recommend feeding him??

[Leighanne]

Actually the BEST care sheet I have ever found so far was this one for Anoles! I think the feeding info is from here. :) http://www.kingsnake.com/anolecare/18.htm