Anoles and geckos

Question
I was told that the blue lizard I saw at the zoo was a gecko, but when I looked it up I found that the only blue lizard is the Blue Anole. Are Anoles and geckos related?Thank you for your time.

Answer
Dear Angela,
thank you for your question.
Anoles are members of the iguana family, geckos have their own family, the Gekkonidae. They are not closely related. But many people are a bit hazy on reptile families, anoles are often called chameleons (because they can change their colour, too, at least a bit) and geckos are among the best know reptiles. So many people tend to think of small reptiles as geckos (although zoo keepers should know better, but you didn't say who told you about the lizard).
It's true that the Blue Anole is the only blue lizard, but there are a few geckos who are mainly or part blue. But they have other colours, too, and are not pure blue like the Blue Anole, so unless the lizard you saw at the zoo was pure blue, it's possible that it was a gecko, presumably a day gecko:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phelsuma
Here are pictures of the Blue Anole:
http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0307-blue_anole.html
I hope I was of some help to you
Jennifer