And next in the food chain........Anoles!

That's right. Our terrarium ecosystems have a new occupant, the green anole, also known as the American chameleon because they change color from brown to green. The anoles eat crickets and are considered SECONDARY CONSUMERS. And because they eat crickets, they are CARNIVORES or meat eaters. They are also PREDATORS because they hunt for their food. Anoles live in Florida and love to climb trees rather than crawl on the ground. When the males get angry or when they are looking for a mate, the hanging skin below their mouths puffs up, sort of like a frog. This loose skin is called a DEWLAP. Okay, so let's recap our FOOD CHAIN so far. The chain starts with the SUN. Plants use the sun's energy to make food. That's why plants are called PRODUCERS...they produce their own food. Plants and in the case of our terrarium, grass, then becomes food energy for CRICKETS (PRIMARY CONSUMERS), which in turn, become food for ANOLES (SECONDARY CONSUMERS).