Puerto Rican bush anole (Anolis pulchellus)

Short answers

Puerto Rican bush anole: How big does the enclosure need to be?

45×45×60 cm for one animal; densely planted with grasses and thin twigs (a grass-bush ecomorph).

Puerto Rican bush anole: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 26–30 °C, basking spot 30–33 °C, at night 20–23 °C.

Puerto Rican bush anole: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: UVB needed (Ferguson zone 2–3, UV index 2–4; open, sunny habitats).

Puerto Rican bush anole: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: approx. 3–5 years in captivity.

Puerto Rican bush 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

30–33 °C

Humidity

60–80 %

UVB

UVB needed (Ferguson zone 2–3, UV index 2–4; open, sunny habitats)

Enclosure

Minimum size

45×45×60 cm for one animal; densely planted with grasses and thin twigs (a grass-bush ecomorph)

Substrate

Coco humus or forest floor, plenty of fine vertical structures (grasses, reeds, thin branches)

Feeding

Food

Small insects: fruit flies or flies, micro crickets, small crickets; calcium and vitamins

Feeding interval

adults every other day, juveniles daily (small prey)

Key facts

Adult size

small: approx. 10–12 cm total length (SVL only 35–43 mm), slender

Life expectancy

approx. 3–5 years in captivity

Origin

Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, the Virgin Islands; a grass-bush ecomorph of open, grassy habitats

Protection status

No CITES or EU regulation protection; not specially protected.

Brumation

None

Cohabitation

Territorial, but a small grass-bush anole. Keep them singly, or as one male plus one or two females in a densely planted, richly structured enclosure. NEVER keep males together.

Notes

Very small and delicate – small feeder animals only; it needs fine, flexible perching structures (grasses) rather than thick branches. Little husbandry data (the figures are derived from its ecology plus genus-level care). Not for beginners because of the prey size and humidity management.

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 Puerto Rican bush anole (Anolis pulchellus) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (45×45×60 cm for one animal; densely planted with grasses and thin twigs (a grass-bush ecomorph)), substrate (Coco humus or forest floor, plenty of fine vertical structures (grasses, reeds, thin 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.