green anole lizard - very young

Question
This is my 8 year old son's first lizard. We bought him at a pet store along with all the supplies. He is in a 10 gallon tank with a heater, plants, a rock, day and night light. We have only had him for a couple of weeks. Initially we fed him baby crickets like the pet store but we quickly realized he wasn't eating them. The store suggested we buy the calcium dust and meal worms which we did. However, we cannot get him to eat. I've never seen him eat anything on his  own. The pet store said our last ditch effort is to force feed him. The result would be that he would stress and die or get better. Basically he will get better for a day or two but yet he still won't eat. He is very skinny although his color is still good.  This morning he was at the bottom of the tank, vertical, kind of resting on his tail. This afternoon he was back up in the plants after force feeding and tonight he is on the screen lid but he still looks poor.  I'm not a snake or lizard fan myself but I must admit he is a cute little guy. Do you have any suggestions as to what else I can do for him? Any ideas would be helpful.

Thanks
Theresa

Answer
Hello Theresa, how large are the food items you are offering? If they are bigger then the space between his eyes it is common he wont eat. Usually they will not eat for the first 3 days to a week because they are still nervous and scared of their new surroundings and its stressful. Have you tried to cover the sides of his tank with a towel or sheet (be careful of the heat lamps) to make him feel a little more secure while eating? He does sound sick but I am not sure exactly what it could be. Try giving him some space and make sure the food is small enough. What are the temperatures and humidity levels at? What devices are you using to measure this? If they are the plastic dial ones you may want to throw them out. They have been known to be up to 20degrees innacurate. The digital ones are best.

I hope that helps,
Good luck and I hope he starts eating soon let me know if there is anything else I can do for you,
Yexalen