Jamaican giant anole (Anolis garmani)

Short answers

Jamaican giant anole: How big does the enclosure need to be?

Single animal at least 60×60×100 cm; for a pair 80×80×110 cm (L×W×H). The expert-report formula (6 x 6 x 8 of snout-vent length) gives about 78×78×104 cm for 1.1 animals at 13 cm snout-vent length.

Jamaican giant anole: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 24–28 °C, basking spot 35–40 °C local basking spot under the lamp, at night 20–24 °C.

Jamaican giant anole: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB needed (Ferguson zone 2–3, UV index 2–4).

Jamaican giant anole: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 8–12 years in captivity.

Jamaican giant anole: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

24–28 °C

Night temperature

20–24 °C

Basking spot

35–40 °C local basking spot under the lamp

Humidity

60–80 %

UVB

UVB needed (Ferguson zone 2–3, UV index 2–4)

Enclosure

Minimum size

Single animal at least 60×60×100 cm; for a pair 80×80×110 cm (L×W×H). The expert-report formula (6 x 6 x 8 of snout-vent length) gives about 78×78×104 cm for 1.1 animals at 13 cm snout-vent length.

Substrate

Peat or soil substrate, leaf litter, live plants, sturdy climbing branches and bark

Feeding

Food

Large insects (crickets, grasshoppers, roaches), plus smaller lizards in the wild; adult animals also take soft fruit and nectar. Dust regularly with calcium and vitamins.

Feeding interval

adults 2–3×/week, juveniles daily

Key facts

Adult size

20–30 cm total length, exceptionally up to 37 cm; of which 8–13 cm is snout–vent length, the rest tail

Life expectancy

8–12 years in captivity

Origin

Jamaica, endemic; forests and large garden trees from sea level up to about 1300 m. Introduced to southern Florida; its establishment on the Cayman Islands is unclear.

Protection status

Not listed under CITES; no German registration duty as a non-native species; prefer captive-bred animals

Brumation

None (tropical)

Cohabitation

A pair (1.1) or a single animal is least stressful; NEVER keep males together. One male with several females is possible in a large, well-planted enclosure with visual barriers, but females also defend territories, and a subordinate animal is easily pushed aside.

Notes

A robust, relatively easy-care large species. Prone to mouth rot and MBD with the wrong diet or too small an enclosure – provide enough calcium and UVB. The basking zone under 25 % of the area.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Ghost anole (Anolis lemurinus) – Intermediate
• Ahl's anole (Anolis ahli) – Intermediate
• Aliniger anole (Anolis aliniger) – Beginner with some knowledge
• Allogus anole (Anolis allogus) – Beginner with some knowledge
• Bahaman green anole (Anolis smaragdinus) – Beginner
• Bahoruco anole (Anolis bahorucoensis) – Beginner with some knowledge
• Baleatus giant anole (Anolis baleatus) – Intermediate
• Baracoa giant anole (Anolis baracoae) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Jamaican giant anole (Anolis garmani) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (Single animal at least 60×60×100 cm; for a pair 80×80×110 cm (L×W×H). The expert-report formula (6 x 6 x 8 of snout-vent length) gives about 78×78×104 cm for 1.1 animals at 13 cm snout-vent length.), substrate (Peat or soil substrate, leaf litter, live plants, sturdy climbing branches and bark), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.