How many crickets?

Lizzy, our anole, spent several days without eating any crickets. Last night we put a couple of crickets in and she just pounced on them. We kept giving crickets until she wouldn't eat any more. Is it usual for an anole to not eat for a day or two and then start eating? If so, how long should we go before getting worried? How many crickets should she get? We have been giving her food until she wouldn't eat any more and then leaving one cricket and cricket cube with her. Most of the time the cricket is gone by feeding time the next day.

How big are the crickets? They should only be about as long as the distance between your anole's eyes. How many does it take before she gets full?

Most of the crickets fall in that range with the odd one being a little bigger. The last time she ate five in just a couple of minutes. Two weeks ago the crickets were a size larger and she ate them with no problem. We have been trying to let her eat as much as she wants and then putting one more in with a cricket cube. The thing that had us worried was that she had not eaten in about four or five days and then feasted for the next two. I would be happier with a more constant number of crickets per day. She however does not seem to want to listen to reason. I am ordering her some different kinds of food to see if she just was saying: "Aw Dad, not crickets again!"

How about this link:

http://www.anapsid.org/anole.html#diet

I just read that link and I have to say I would never feed a bug out of my yard to one of my lizards. You have no way of knowing if the bug has had contact with insecticides or is carrying a pathogen that could harm your pet. I feed my anoles crix and once in a while mealies. Stripe is my oldest and is going to be 5 this spring. I don't feed her everyday anymore as she seems to prefer every third day. She is very active when I skip days and if I feed her on censecutive days she acts like it's a chore for her to hunt them. Remember lizards aren't like people, they don't eat if their not hungry.

Hello,
Her advice about feed backyard insects is not a safe one. Crickets and flying insects are migrators. They move constantly and come into contact with numerous things. Any portion of the items that they come into contact with could have a man made contaminent on it. Just because your yard doesn,t use pesticides, lawn enhancers, etc., doesn't mean that the house 3 yards away doesn't! There is no certainty that could be placed on backyard insects. You would be literally gambling with your pets life every time you feed him from the yard.

I agree. Feeding insects from outside is playing russian roulette with your animals.There is no way to tell exactly what the insects or mice or any other prey animal has been in contact with.
The little bit extra it costs you is a lot cheaper than poisoning your pet!