Do Green Anoles Drink Water? (What You Need to Know)

You may be wondering whether or not to put a water bowl in the terrarium with your new anole pet.

After all, they’re a reptile. And most reptiles require some degree of moisture content to keep the humidity up.

So where’s this moisture going to come from? A tiny in-tank waterfall, aquarium waterfall? A water bowl? Or maybe tank misters?

Let’s demystify the issue so you can rest assured that your anole is getting what it needs in captivity.

Note that a lot of this article is repeating themes. You can jump to the section that interests you.

Do green anoles drink from water bowls?

While some pets, like dogs and cats, may drink from a bowl, green anoles don’t do the same.

To be specific, you won’t see anoles lapping up water with their tongue in that makeshift food/water bowl you have in the terrarium. Lizards that are desert-dwelling don’t ever drink- they just absorb it through their skin.

The green anole can do the same!

You will RARELY see them drinking directly from a water source, so there’s often no need to provide one.

So how do green anoles get their water source?

Anoles get water from their prey. Crickets, roaches, mealworms, super worms, etc. They all have a lot of water content- around 62% moisture content (even though they may not seem like it). This is enough to satiate the lizard’s water requirements.

But if there are no insects to consume, they lose water very quickly.

They’re also equipped with secondary measures to get water if they’re not getting enough from their food sources, such as licking water droplets on leaves or plants. This comes from the rain or from the morning dew. This is a lot more common to see- you may catch your green anole licking up water droplets after you mist your tank.

They drink the water sprayed onto the glass walls or on the plant leaves inside the terrarium. This is how they do it in the wild- they lap it up from objects, not from a pool.
Soaking up moisture from their skin is their driver.

This brings us to the next question…

Do anoles need a water bowl?

This is usually included in those reptile starter kits you can find at pet stores.

It’s a water bowl shaped like a piece of rock or some other camouflage fixture so it blends in. The water bowl isn’t necessary for the anole to drink from, but may help with increasing the ambient humidity to comfortable levels.

As you know, green anoles need 60-80% humidity to help them shed their skin, keep their diet in check, maintain temperature, keep their behavior normal, etc. This is what a small water vessel can help with inside the enclosure.

With proper heating, the water will evaporate at a sustained rate over time which will raise the humidity percentage.

Other than that, the water bowl is highly unnecessary. The excess pool of water can harbor pathogens like Salmonella. It also may trap live insects, which will then get caught in the liquid. If they get stuck in it, it can lead to even more vectors.

Waste from the lizard, bugs, shed skin, debris, or other byproducts can pool in it. It’s just another thing to clean that can get extremely nasty if not kept tidy. So is it even worth it to have a water bowl if green anoles rarely drink from it.

Anoles will even lick moisture from their own skin.

You can eliminate the water source if you mist your tank regularly. This will help stabilize the humidity and offer a secondary source of fluid intake if your lizard is thirsty.

But if choose to do this, you’ll need a good humidity gauge. It must be reliable and positioned in the right place where it can take specific measurements.

Don’t use those stick-on gauges. Don’t put it so far outside of the tank that it doesn’t even measure the “real” humidity.

Use one for the hot end and one for the cooler side. Find out where your anole basks and then cools off. The humidity should be around 80% where it spends most of its time.

If you want something “automatic” like a water bowl but don’t want to constantly mist the plants or walls, consider using a drip irrigation system.

These are cheap to make and only involve some vinyl tubing, a vessel, and the power of gravity:

• Get a plastic bottle and poke a hole on the edge near the bottom that’s the diameter of the vinyl tubing. Seal one end of the tubing into the bottle with some aquarium sealant.

• Use a needle to poke small holes on the other end of the tubing. Seal the tube with some putty so the water doesn’t leak out.

• Place the bottle at an elevation higher than the tank.

• Fill it with water. The water will slowly make its way down the tube to the holes you poked.

• The water will drip out slowly. Position it over the edges, plants, decorations, etc. Adjust the speed of flow adding more or fewer holes.

Additionally, fill it only with as much water as needed. NEVER leave it unattended when testing. If something goes wrong, it can fill the tank up with a pool of water which can kill your lizard.

How do I provide water for my anole?

Anoles in the wild will lap up water with their tongue on leaves after a rain shower or from condensation (morning dew). It’s not natural for them to drink up water from a bowl, so even if you provide one (given all the drawbacks of maintaining the upkeep).

There’s no reason to have a bowl if you can keep the humidity in the right range. Regular misting of the glass edges should be sufficient. The green anole will lick the droplets from the glass. This should be enough for their water source combined with the moisture content of the food you feed.

If your lizard doesn’t lick the walls, try misting other objects in the terrarium to make it more obvious. The goal is to create water droplets that don’t drop but hang in suspension.

Any reputable reptile food brand will have the guaranteed analysis label on the package. Utilize this to see how much moisture content is in the food. Live prey has multitudes more than dried prey.

If you choose to buy a water dish for your anole, make sure it meets the following requirements:

• Shallow enough so can easily swim, and then crawl out if needed (the lizard shouldn’t be able to swim in it)
• Large enough to accommodate all members of the tank (they should be able to fit in it together)
• Has nonporous material so bacteria or pathogens don’t get into the pores
• Easy to clean
• Non-painted (if painted, ensure it’s non-toxic paint)
• Safe for aquarium use
• Able to withstand high heat (resists heat)
• Has no sharp or abrasive surfaces
• Has a “grip zone” so the lizard can climb out easily

Replace the water daily. Spot clean as needed. Deep clean once per week.

Connect something to it so the lizard can climb out of the puddle. It should be touching the water surface and easy to grip.

The majority of lizards, such as chameleons, iguanas, anoles, etc. won’t drink from a bowl. This behavior isn’t exclusive to green anoles.

So hobbyists often just get a small spray bottle to mist the sides of the tank or even installing some drip irrigation systems to drip water on the leaves of fake or live plants.

But if you choose to get a bowl, just be sure to keep it clean.
The design, color, or appearance is up to you. The anole doesn’t care, but something that doesn’t stick out is the obvious choice.

How often do anoles drink water?

Green anoles will get water whenever they can if the food isn’t providing enough. This is daily behavior. They can only go for 3 days without it, and even then it’s risky.

How do green anoles get their water?

Even though the green anole is a lizard that can thrive in the desert, it still needs water. Just like any other reptile.

These reptilian species are equipped to swim it (very quickly), so they’re water-bound. In the tropics, they’re found natively in warm and wet environments, often near a water source. Just because you don’t see it actively drinking from a bowl doesn’t mean they don’t need water.

In the wild, green anoles get it from:

• Licking their own skin
• Licking up droplets from leaves
• Licking up water pools after rainfall
• Diving into ponds or streams
• Crawling on water droplets
• Eating moisture-rich insects

In captivity, green anoles will get water from the following sources:

• Water bowls
• Misting the leaves or walls of the tank
• Live prey
• Irrigation systems
• Misting systems

Do green anoles even like water? Do they need moisture?

Green anoles like water just like any other reptile. It’s necessary for proper shedding, growth, diet, and livelihood.

While you won’t see them going for a swim in the water, they still need water to sustain themselves. Just like food, high humidity/moisture levels should be kept in the green anole terrarium.

How long can anoles go without water?

Green anoles will need a water supply 24/7. The average anole will only go without water for 2-3 days. They can only soak up enough water for a maximum of 3 days with zero water source. Longer than 2 days is risking dehydration for your lizard.

If you don’t provide a water bath, mist the tank twice a day while checking the hygrometer. It should be higher than 60% at all times. If you don’t have time to mist or you’re away from home, use a mister with a timer or a drip irrigation system. Or get a buddy to help you out when you’re not home to take care of it.

References

• Reptiles & Amphibians, Part I: Housing, Heat And Humidity
• Effect of Diet on the Growth Performance, Feed Conversion, and Nutrient Content of the House Cricket – Oxford

Green anoles will drink when they need it

As you can see by now, green anoles don’t ask for much care in terms of water. This is why they’re purchased by beginners in the reptile space because they’re a good, easy starter lizard.

So the main takeaway regarding anoles and water requirements is this:

A water bowl isn’t necessary if proper misting is provided, given that misting is constant and maintains proper humidity levels. The lizard should be able to lap it from the walls or leaves in the tank. If you can’t keep this up, then a water bowl should be given as a replacement.

Ideally, misting is the first option. It’s cleaner, efficient, and gives your lizard just enough water.

Do you have questions about your lizard and the necessary water requirements for its husbandry? What do you think of this guide? Post your thoughts in the form below.