Jamaican twig anole (Anolis valencienni)

Short answers

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

A pair ~60×50×80 cm, with plenty of horizontal branches.

Jamaican twig anole: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 26–29 °C, basking spot Small warm spot ~30 °C, at night 20–23 °C.

Jamaican twig anole: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Recommended.

Jamaican twig anole: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: ~5–7 years.

Jamaican twig anole: Is it suitable for beginners?

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

Climate

Daytime temperature

26–29 °C

Night temperature

20–23 °C

Basking spot

Small warm spot ~30 °C

Humidity

60–80 %

UVB

Recommended

Enclosure

Minimum size

a pair ~60×50×80 cm, with plenty of horizontal branches

Substrate

Forest-floor substrate with bark and leaf litter, planted; what matters most above it is a dense tangle of very thin, mostly horizontal twigs at all heights, plus a cork tube or hollow as an egg-laying site

Feeding

Food

Insects (including slow-moving prey)

Feeding interval

Several times a week

Key facts

Adult size

~18–20 cm total length (SVL ~7–8 cm)

Life expectancy

~5–7 years

Origin

Jamaica (endemic)

Protection status

—

Brumation

None

Cohabitation

In pairs (1.1), with some experience also 1.2 in a larger enclosure. This species is unusually little territorial among anoles: males barely defend fixed territories, the mating system is considered only weakly polygynous, and in the wild females lay together in the same tree hollows. Even so, only one male belongs in an enclosure, and every new grouping needs to be watched.

Notes

A bark and twig anole, slow and camouflaged. Offer plenty of horizontal climbing branches. The figures are derived from general anole husbandry.

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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 twig anole (Anolis valencienni) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (a pair ~60×50×80 cm, with plenty of horizontal branches), substrate (Forest-floor substrate with bark and leaf litter, planted; what matters most above it is a dense tangle of very thin, mostly horizontal twigs at all heights, plus a cork tube or hollow as an egg-laying site), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.