Marie-Galante anole (Anolis ferreus)

Short answers

Marie-Galante anole: How big does the enclosure need to be?

80×80×100 cm for an adult animal or a pair, as a tall enclosure with sturdy climbing branches, dense foliage and high perches. The official minimum size under the 1997 expert report (anoles, tree- and shrub-dwellers, 6 × 6 × 8 times the snout–vent length) comes to 72×72×96 cm for a male with a 12 cm snout–vent length.

Marie-Galante anole: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 26–30 °C, basking spot 32–35 °C, at night 20–23 °C.

Marie-Galante anole: Does it need UVB lighting?

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

Marie-Galante anole: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: approx. 5–8 years in captivity (an estimate).

Marie-Galante anole: Is it suitable for beginners?

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

Climate

Daytime temperature

26–30 °C

Night temperature

20–23 °C

Basking spot

32–35 °C

Humidity

70–85 %

UVB

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

Enclosure

Minimum size

80×80×100 cm for an adult animal or a pair, as a tall enclosure with sturdy climbing branches, dense foliage and high perches. The official minimum size under the 1997 expert report (anoles, tree- and shrub-dwellers, 6 × 6 × 8 times the snout–vent length) comes to 72×72×96 cm for a male with a 12 cm snout–vent length.

Substrate

Damp tropical substrate, leaf litter, dense planting, sturdy climbing branches

Feeding

Food

Insects (crickets, roaches, locusts); occasionally soft fruit

Feeding interval

adults 2–3×/week, juveniles daily

Key facts

Adult size

males up to approx. 12 cm snout–vent length (with tail and tail crest about 30 cm), females approx. 6.5–7.5 cm snout–vent length

Life expectancy

approx. 5–8 years in captivity (an estimate)

Origin

Marie-Galante (Guadeloupe, Kleine Antillen), endemisch; Typusfundort Morne Constant. In Frankreich national geschützt: Der Arrêté vom 14.10.2019 verbietet in Artikel 2 Besitz, Transport, Verkauf und Kauf von Tieren, die der Natur Guadeloupes entnommen wurden.

Protection status

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

Brumation

None (tropical)

Cohabitation

Pairs (1.1) in a large enclosure, or singly. Never keep males together — they fight seriously, and at this size such fights do not end lightly; this is why males are deliberately sold singly in the trade. One male with several females is possible, but: females also defend territories and the subordinate one gets pushed aside — this requires considerably more space, many visual barriers and several basking spots.

Notes

A large Antillean species; the male has a pronounced tail crest and a blue-grey head. The husbandry figures are largely derived from general giant anole and Antillean care.

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Related species

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• 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 Marie-Galante anole (Anolis ferreus) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (80×80×100 cm for an adult animal or a pair, as a tall enclosure with sturdy climbing branches, dense foliage and high perches. The official minimum size under the 1997 expert report (anoles, tree- and shrub-dwellers, 6 × 6 × 8 times the snout–vent length) comes to 72×72×96 cm for a male with a 12 cm snout–vent length.), substrate (Damp tropical substrate, leaf litter, dense planting, sturdy climbing branches), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.