The anole family is a large family of small and medium-sized lizards. Brown anoles arenât native to the U.S., but they currently have made their home in several states. These lizards have a dull brown or gray coat offset by a vibrant dewlap under the throat.
As a green anole owner, it can be worrying to notice your pet has changed colors from its usual vibrant green to a dull brown hue. You likely are wondering – is this normal? Why did my green anole turn brown? What could have caused this change? Is my lizard unhappy or sick?
Not to worry – it’s actually not uncommon for green anoles to shift between green and brown shades. There are a number of possible reasons for the color change, ranging from environmental factors to illness. In most cases green anoles turn brown temporarily due to stress or temperature changes and will shift back to green once conditions improve.
Common Reasons a Green Anole Turns Brown
Temperature Fluctuations
Green anoles are cold-blooded reptiles that rely on external temperatures to regulate their internal body temperature They prefer a warm, humid environment with basking temperatures between 85-90°F If the temperature drops too low, below 75°F, a green anole may turn brown as its body enters a stressed, cold state.
Similarly, if the basking area becomes too hot, over 95°F, the lizard may turn brown to signal overheating. Try adjusting the heat lamp or ambient temperature to maintain an ideal gradient if you notice color changes correlated with temperature swings.
Stress and Fear
Since green anoles can’t camouflage like chameleons, their color changes are primarily signals of mood and health. A brown anole likely feels threatened or stressed by something in its environment.
Common stressors include:
- Unnatural enclosure without sufficient foliage and hides
- Overcrowding if housed with other males
- Sudden noises or movements that startle them
- Poor handling practices like grabbing from above
Reduce stress by providing a naturalistic planted terrarium, proper social groups, and gentle handling. The anole should return to normal green as it calms down.
Dehydration
Reptiles rely on environmental water sources to stay hydrated. If the humidity drops below 60% or the anole has limited drinking water, it may become dehydrated.
Signs include sunken eyes, wrinkled skin, lethargy, and color changes. Mist the enclosure at least once daily and provide a water bowl to relieve dehydration. Proper hydration supports healthy skin pigmentation.
Shedding
Green anoles shed their skin periodically as they grow. The new skin underneath tends to appear more brown until the old outer skin fully sheds.
Shedding takes 1-2 weeks, so short-term brown coloration is normal. Ensure proper humidity levels to help the old skin detach easily.
Diseases or Health Issues
An anole that remains brown for more than a few days may be ill. Potential health problems include:
- Gastrointestinal issues like parasites or impaction
- Respiratory infections
- Skin infections or mites
- Metabolic bone disease from vitamin deficiencies
Schedule a vet visit if the color change persists along with appetite loss or lethargy. Treatment depends on the underlying issue.
Breeding Behavior
Male green anoles use brown coloring to signal submissiveness to other dominant males. Lower social status leads to hormonal changes and suppressed green pigments.
Females also adopt brown temporarily when breeding as a sign of receptiveness. These social hue changes are normal and reverse once breeding activity ends.
Returning a Brown Anole to Green
In most cases, correcting the underlying issue will result in the green anole regaining its vibrant natural coloring within a few hours to days.
Try the following tips:
- Adjust temperature and humidity to optimal levels
- Add more foliage, vines, and hides to reduce stress
- Limit handling to let the anole unwind
- Ensure proper UVB lighting for metabolism
- Switch to a larger enclosure if overcrowded
- Address any signs of dehydration or illness
With attentive care and a comfortable environment, your green anole should shift back to its signature green shades soon. Seek vet advice if the brown color persists beyond a few days without explanation.
Preventing Future Color Changes
While occasional brown phases are normal, aim to limit significant stressors and habitat issues to keep your pet vibrant green long-term. Key prevention tips include:
- Maintain ideal temperature and humidity
- Provide UVB light and a balanced diet
- Establish a naturalistic planted terrarium
- Avoid overcrowding or placing multiple males together
- Allow hideouts and climbing areas
- Ensure adequate hydration via misting and water dishes
- Perform gentle handling when required
- Quarantine and examine health of new anoles
By observing your green anole’s behavior and signals, you can pick up on problems early and take steps to reverse unwelcome brown phases. With attentive care, these intriguing lizards will remain their signature green color.
What Do Brown Anoles Eat?
Brown anoles have a varied omnivore diet. They eat mainly arthropods, like crustaceans, spiders, and insects such as:
Theyâll also eat other types of invertebrates like snails and earthworms, and some small vertebrates, including newly hatched green anoles.
In the wild, brown anoles can live up to five years. In captivity, they can live up to eight years, though the average is closer to four.
Both male and female brown anoles reach sexual maturity at about a year old. After mating, a female lays one or two eggs and buries them in soil or mulch. She then abandons the eggs. They hatch about seven weeks later, and the new hatchlings are able to survive on their own.
The weather needs to be warm for brown anoles to breed and lay eggs, so their breeding season is often in the summer. In areas that are consistently warm, their breeding season may be year-round. Females can lay eggs weekly or bi-weekly, and often lay 15-18 eggs during an average breeding season. The breeding season for females lasts longer than it does for males, as females are able to store sperm within their bodies to continue fertilizing eggs after the male breeding season has ended.
Anoles are not bad pets, but they display some behaviors that may make them better suited for experienced reptile keepers. Most anoles donât like being held, and being handled may stress them out. This can cause them to bite. These bites can sting, but yanking your hand away can cause damage to the anoleâs mouth and jaw.
Habitat. Anoles can be kept alone or in groups, but the more anoles you have, the bigger space you need. You also need more hiding areas and basking areas. The minimum-sized tank for two adults is 10 gallons. Three or four should have a 20-gallon aquarium.
Their tanks should include:
- Branches or logs for basking
- 2-inch potted plants to provide shade and keep the atmosphere humid
- Substrate, the bottom layer, made of sterile peat moss potting soil over pea gravel or a few inches of potting soil with a layer of bark mulch on top
Their enclosures should range from 75°F to 80°F (24°C to 26.5°C) during the day and 65°F to 75°F (18°C to 24°C) at night. Their basking area should be 85°F to 90°F (30°C to 32°C), and their basking light should only be on in the daytime. To keep the tank the right temperature, use thermometers throughout and use a nocturnal heat light as needed at night. Anoles also need UVB light for 12-14 hours a day.
Humidity should be about 60% to 70%. To keep the enclosure humid, spray the plants with purified water or set up a mister or dripper.
Diet. When keeping anoles as pets, feed them food similar to what they would find in the wild. Insects work well, especially small crickets. Gut-loading, or feeding the prey a high-protein diet before offering them to your anoles, is a great way to help your anoles get essential nutrients. Feed your anoles daily.
Anoles may have a hard time learning to drink from a bowl. Spraying leaves allows them to lap moisture off the leaves as they do in the wild.
What Are Brown Anole Lizards?
Brown anoles (Anolis sagrei, formerly Norops sagrei) are a medium-sized species of lizard. Theyâre usually 5 to 9 inches long. As their name suggests, brown anoles come in shades of brown and gray and often have yellow spots or markings.
Brown anoles are sexually dimorphic, meaning the males and females of the species have distinct differences. Males typically weigh about 8 grams, while females weigh closer to 4. Males are darker in color, sometimes nearly black, while females are lighter and often have a dark diamond or scalloped pattern down their backs. Both males and females shed their skin several times a year.
Brown anoles have a dewlap, an expendable flap of skin under the throat. When extended, the dewlap of the brown anole is bright red or orange, but when collapsed, the color is hidden. Both males and females have the dewlap, but the females are smaller and they donât extend them often. Males may extend theirs when theyâre defending their territory or trying to attract a mate.
Brown anoles live in groups, although males and females live separately. They arenât generally territorial except sometimes during mating season. They arenât vicious but will sometimes fight among themselves. Larger brown anoles tend to have more power in their group, but otherwise, there doesnât seem to be any sort of social hierarchy.Â
One of the most common species of anoles in the U.S. is the green anole, Anolis carolinensis. Theyâre easy to identify, as the green anole is green with a longer, more pointed snout and a light pink dewlap.
Brown anoles typically prefer to live on the ground in areas with dense vegetation or moist forests. While they spend much of their time on the ground, theyâre also comfortable up high in trees and will also make their territory in fences, shrubs, and vines. They prefer semi-tropical climates, with temperatures around 75°F to 80°F (23.8°C to 26.6°C) but no lower than 65°F (18.3°C), and humidity levels between 40% and 80%.
Brown anoles originated from the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cuba, and Honduras. They currently live in the U.S. as an invasive species. Brown anoles were first recorded in the Florida Keys in the 1880s and since then have spread to Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. Theyâve also been found in California and Hawaiâi. Most of this spread is caused by accidental transplant, especially from live plants being transported into the U.S.
Because brown anoles can adapt to changing environments so easily, theyâve made themselves comfortable in the U.S. Their presence in the U.S. is an ecological threat, as they displace the native green anole population and spread parasites.
6 Cool Facts about Green/Brown Anoles | Pet Reptiles
FAQ
Why do green anoles turn brown?
If your green anole appears brown, it could be due to: Stress: Anoles often change color when they are stressed. This can happen due to handling, changes in environment, or threats. Temperature: Color can also change with temperature. If the anole is too warm or too cold, it may turn brown as a response.
How to know if a brown anole is happy?
Some anoles develop small yellow dots on the sides of the body when excited.
Can you keep a brown anole?
Brown anoles can pretty easily be kept successfully in captivity. If he wants an anole, might as well keep it, no harm done.
Are female green anoles brown?
Even though they’re called ‘Green Anoles,’ their coloring ranges from shades of brown to green or grey. Their coloring is dependent on many factors, it is most often dependent upon temperature and excitation, such as increased activity or competition.
Why is my green anole turning brown?
There are numerous factors I am going to discuss below which could be causing your green anole to turn brown. They could be environmental, territorial or psychological stress. Stress is one of the most common factors of a green anole turning brown.
What causes the big toenail to turn yellowish-brown?
Toe nail can turn into yellowish brown colour due to various reasons such as fungal diseases, infections, certain vitamin defeciencies, diabetes mellitus or even due to some underlying malignancies related to lymphatic obstruction.
Why is my green anole acting stressed?
Your green anole may be acting stressed due to several reasons. One reason is that they may not have a good enough appetite and have a pale color due to a deficiency of some important minerals. Other potential causes include hygiene problems, ventilation issues, and lack of proper care.
Can green anoles change color?
Green anoles tend to change colors for a variety of reasons. If a green anole turns brown, it can switch back to green. Brown anoles, on the other hand, can’t change their color to green. They can only change to darker shades. Can green anoles change into colors other than brown? No.
What happens if you get a green anole?
Once you get a green anole, make sure you find a good reptile vet. This will help you quickly diagnose and treat any parasitic infections. Roundworm, pinworm, and hookworm are the most common types of intestinal parasites. They cause weight loss, vomiting, diarrhea, and low appetite. Anoles with a parasitic infection will almost always turn brown.
How do you know if a brown anole is eating?
Notice where the brown one goes, and where it does not go. You will probably see that it is not eating, basking, or otherwise behaving in the same way as the others. More careful observation should enable you to identify which of the other anoles is causing this behavior.