I have a friend who kept anoles for awhile. Almost all anoles are wild caught and we got plenty right outside our homes. They are known to be flighty and more of a display pet. The fact that you can even hold it may mean it is not doing well, plus it looks incredibly skinny. If you want to rescue it, you will need to take it to the vet and get it dewormed, check how old is the UVB light and what kind. UVB light should be replaced at least every 6 months, and with a mesh lid, if it has developed MBD, you will need stronger lights to penetrate that mesh lid. More than likely it is lack of proper heating, no calcium supplements with D3, bad UVB lighting, plus the stress of captivity. Most WC anoles are adaptable and can handle captive life well if they are healthy to begin with and husbandry is on point.
I would never pay $50 for a healthy anole, much less a sick one. If you want to try and save that lizard, expect to pay for a lot more like I mentioned above. Even for the tank itself, I have seen them sold for $30-40 on personal ads as used. Anoles needed a lot more space than that tank to thrive, so even if you were to get another one in the future, a 29gallon tall would be a better choice.
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