My Pet Anole and what might be an egg...

Question
I bought my pet anole from some vendor on the beach in Delaware. She clearly did not know what she was doing and was selling the poor thing in tiny plastic hermit crab boxes with no light to six year olds and she couldn't even tell me what kind of lizard it was. I had to ask my old room mate who is a biology major and works at a Zoo. I bought one because I had a Chinese Water Dragon that past away when he got sunken eye syndrome and I was determined to help this little guy live a better life. So I have the lights, and I mist for humidity and I try to feed it three or four meal worms every other day and crickets every once in a while.

Anyway, I tried to feed it crickets a few weeks ago and he/she wouldn't eat any. They were tiny enough for him/her to eat, but they just hopped around the cage for a good two weeks before I removed them. I moved him/her to my boyfriend's condo where I was moving and after a week of having strange dreams about my anole I woke up to find a yellow egg shaped sac on the side of one of the "tree" limbs in her cage. She hasn't been around other anoles in a year and even then as far as I can tell she was separated from them. I didn't think it could possibly be "her" egg because how would you have an egg with out a mate? I was afraid that the light was shriveling the egg - if it was an egg - but when I tried to move the branch to the shade the egg fell off so I nudged it under the shade but my anole was watching the whole time. Now she's watching the spot where the egg used to be.

I'm really worried that I moved her egg and she's going to be devastated. I'm really confused to... can she even lay eggs? I didn't even know if it was a guy or a girl. I love having her as a pet, and I try to never scare her or surprised her and now I feel like I totally invaded her territory.

Do you think I'm completely off and maybe some meal worms that she hadn't eaten could have mated and it's just a meal worm sac or something? Or could she have laid an egg? If she lays an egg can it hatch even if there are no male anoles around her? I clearly know very little about reptiles' anatomy. Is there anything I can do to help her if she wanted to lay another egg? I also was thinking her cage is due for a cleaning pretty soon. Any suggestions?

Sincerely,
Mary Renee

Answer
Hello Mary Renee, It is normal that she wont eat for a week or so. Just because she is nervous and scared. Also while gravid (carrying eggs)their appetite will be weaker.

If its looks like a little white jelly bean a little less curvy then it is an egg and females will lay eggs with or without a male. If she hasn't mated then it is probably infertile and will not hatch. However they can retain sperm in there bodies and use it when its time to have the egg. So months after mating she can lay a fertile egg. So treat this egg as if it is fertile. When the egg fell and got moved did it turn upside down? Right now take a marker and make a single dot or line on whatever side is facing up and keep that side up. If the egg is turned over the air bubbles will move and possibly drown the embryo. So do not let it turn or fall over. Less movement the better.

It is ok to move the egg she will freak out a little but they get over it soon. Be sure she doesn't try to attack or kill the egg. And keep an eye on it when it hatches you will most likely have to remove the hatchling as the mother can kill it for survival. Babies eat flightless fruit flies.

Females will lay eggs all season 1-3 eggs a time. Every couple weeks. So treat them as if they are fertile and watch for signs. You can pick them up in a dark room and take a flashlight to them (dont turn them) and see if its red, orange, pink, movement, or any signs of something growing. Usually its obvious if its fertile or not. Any design (shape) or coloring inside. Put the egg back and wait.

As far as helping her for when more eggs come, just be sure to keep proper humidity and temperatures and feeding regularly. Just dont add any extra stress.

I think I covered everything if you have any more questions please let me know. I am happy to help

Best of luck
Yexalen