If you are planning to keep a male green anole as a pet you should know their behavior, physical appearance, and other things.
In this blog article, we’ll see everything you need to know about male green anoles.
Male Green Anole Behavior
Male green anoles are aggressive, show territorial behavior, and attract females by showing their dewlap and head bob.
Males are aggressive and defend their territory from other males fiercely.
However, green anoles are not aggressive towards humans and do not bite. If you encounter a green anole, it’ll most likely flee away. Even if an anole bites you, it won’t be harmful at all.
Males engage in fights with other anoles in case of territorial issues or they try to attract a female for mating.
Male Green Anole Size
Male Green Anole can grow up to 8 inches (20.3 cm) from snout to tail. They are robust and have a muscular physique which contributes to overall larger size.
Size may vary depending on the age, availability of food, health, and other environmental conditions. You can easily identify a male among females by looking at their size.
If you have a male green anole or want to keep an anole, provide them with a good diet and they will grow to their full.
Male Green Anole Color
Male green anoles can appear in vibrant colors including brown, green, yellow, grey, red or orange which they show to attract females, communicate among their species, and regulate body temperature.
Males change color depending on their mood, health, and environmental conditions. The change of colors is controlled by their nervous system and is a result of pigments in their skin.
They also show these colors to communicate their intentions, and emotions and to show dominance in their territory.
Males have the ability to change their color better than females.
Colors of Male Green Anoles According to Their Mood
Males change color to show various emotions and different colors show their different moods. Let’s see what are the different colors of male green anoles according to their mood:
- Green: when males are at calm and ease they show a bright green color which helps them blend in the environment.
- Yellow: males turn yellow or a mix of yellow and green to show excitement such as courtship display or aggression towards other males or rivals.
- Brown or Gray: when under stress, threatened or temperatures are cooler they display a brown or gray color.
- Red or Orange: when competing for mates or during aggressive encounters males may turn red or orange.
These are the colors of a male that he displays for different moods.
Male Green Anole Age
Male green anoles can live up to 1-3 years in the wild due to various predators and other environmental factors while in captivity they can easily live up to 7-8 years if provided with good care.
It is hard to determine the age of a green anole as there are no marks that develop as they age.
You can take a guess of their age by observing the growth of their dewlap, head crest, and their reproductive organ.
Within 1-2 years of their age, they reach their sexual maturity and are ready to mate.
Male Green Anole Dewlap
Male anole neck or dewlap is relatively larger compared to its body size and is vibrant and colorful including shades of red, orange, pink, yellow, or blue-green.
The size and color may vary among individuals and can change according to their mood.
Male dewlap when fully intended can cover their throat and chest area which they show to attract females and regulate their body temperature.
Role of Dewlap in Male Green Anole
The primary purpose of the dewlap in the males is to communicate, apart from this they display their big and colorful dewlap to attract females, show dominance, and establish their territory.
Dewlap display is the basic part of their behavior during mating, aggression, and territory establishment.
Their dewlap also helps them in thermoregulation, when basking in the sun they extend their dewlap to absorb more sunlight and heat.
To Wrap Up
I’ve tried to cover everything about a male green anole including their behavior, appearance, colors, dewlaps. If you still have any confusion, you can ask in the comment below.
