Tuesday, February 9, 2010

The Temperate Cricket Eaters

Species
Green Tree Frog Hyla cinerea
Grey Tree Frog Hyla versicolor
Green Anole Anolis carolinensis
Brown Anole Anolis sagrei
House Gecko Hemidactylus frenatus
Rough Green Snake Opheodrys aestivus
Long tailed Grass Lizard (LTG) Takydromus sexlineatus

This viv was definitely my most diverse one because of the many lizard species, the 3 foot snake that ONLY ate insects and the tree frogs this was my first mixed vivarium.

My first mixed terrarium contained a long tailed grass lizard, 
brown anole, green anole, house gecko, green tree frog, 
and a rough green snake.

For these herps I would recommend a tall terrarium with some ground space since all of the species listed are either aboreal or semi aboreal. There should be a good amount of plant cover and many vertical and horizontal branches for them to hide in and climb on. If any rocks are added make sure that they are secure because LTGs will dig and hide under them.  A UV light source must be available so diurnal reptiles can bask and absorb calcium and so the plants stay healthy.

The temperature should be between 70-80 degrees F with a humidity level between 70% and 75%. This can be achieved by misting the cage twice daily, using live plants and by having a large enough bowl of clean water for animals to soak in. All animals in this setup eat crickets and other appropriately sized insects. Daily spot cleaning will be necessary in order to keep bacteria from building up.

Only be one male anole of any species present in the tank. Male green anoles and male brown anoles will fight so it is best to have only one male present in the tank at any time. Ideally one would want all females to avoid any hybrid anoles. With the exception of the anoles all other species can be male or female as long as there is only one male of each species. This will avoid any territorial disputes.

This combination makes for a very attractive setup providing enjoyment during the day as well as the night.

3 comments:

  1. What is the size of that tank.

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  2. its a 30 gallon with only 1 representative of any of the species mentioned above no more than 5 in a tank at a time

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  3. Good evening, I like it very common biotope tank. I want to ask about the coexistence green anoles and green tree frogs. I was told that the female treefrog can eat female green anole. Have you ever observed such behavior. I would not do crap. thank you

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