Aww...anoles are HIGHLY underrated, and I don't think they should be considered "low quality", or "feeder lizards", even if they are used as a food source for vine snakes and the like.
Their low price tag isn't their fault, either...it's not as though their reproductive rate is any higher than that of some of our more popular pet lizards that sell for more.
The truth of the matter is, you couldn't ask for more interesting lizards for a planted vivarium. They are alert, active during the day, change colors, and have fascinating dominance, territorial, and breeding displays. That dewlap is a real stunner.
If these animals were $50.00 rare imports from South America, people would be snapping them up almost as avidly as they do dracos. I'd definitely like to see more people captive-breeding these animals--not just the native anoles, but less common species as well. Each is distinctive (particularly the throat flag colors), and some are absolutely stunning.
Look at this:
http://www.stetson.edu/~pmay/woodruff/branol.jpg
and this:
http://www.birdingamerica.com/Louisi...ole-brownx.jpg
...and those are the common species used as feeders.
Incredible animals.
This one is from Costa Rica:
http://www.monteverdeinfo.com/images...costa-rica.jpg
Spectacular!
http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/r...ages/anole.jpg
It's a travisty that they're treated so poorly. Even "feeders" deserve better than the treatment anoles tend to get during collection, shipment, and sale. The green anoles are US natives, and we should appreciate what we have. They are small, but they're certainly not ordinary.
There are a lot of reasons to appreciate small lizards. They eat less, they take up less space, and they certainly can't give you a nasty bite or scratch. <G> Paying attention to the small is calming...an anole tank would be far more restful to watch than an enclosure of larger animals. Is big more "macho"? Some of the most fascinating and beautiful things are tiny.
And you definitely do not want to use a weak, debilitated, parasite-ridden animal as a feeder. I mean, that's just common sense. It's hard to believe anyone would purchase sick animals to use as feeders, particularly as feeders for other reptiles. You might as well just mix up a slurry of bacteria, parasite eggs, and hold the calories...not much fat on animals near death. Honestly, CB lizards would be the only reasonable feeders to use. I can see people screeching, but wouldn't baby leopard geckos make much safer feeders? And the price tag is so low now, it isn't too much of a leap.
Well, at least some folks are interested in our little natives...there's even a blue phase color morph available. You CAN get cb anoles now...it was unheard of 20 years ago.
