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Lizards as pets?
Tw4win
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Having just returned from a week in Aruba and a week feeding some very friendly iguanas at our resort my girlfriend and I are thinking about getting a lizard as a pet. Sadly, we know almost nothing about them so we could use some advice.
An suggestions on species? We'd like something that doesn't require us to feed it live insects (or other live animals) if possible. In fact that's a requirement. We might consider feeding it mealworms but nothing more than that as far as insects are concerned. Raw meat is fine (I seem to remember that I friend of mine in college used to feed her lizard raw hamburger instead of insects). Also, we're looking for a species with a good temperment (i.e. not prone to aggressive behavior, etc...)
Suggestions on equipment? I know we'll need an aquarium and some sort of heat source but beyond that I'm sort of clueless and would probably purchase anything the guy at the pet store suggested. I'd like to not be a complete sucker and buy stuff we don't really need. Also suggestions on stuff that will make the lizard happier and our lives easier would be appreciated.
An suggestions on species? We'd like something that doesn't require us to feed it live insects (or other live animals) if possible. In fact that's a requirement. We might consider feeding it mealworms but nothing more than that as far as insects are concerned. Raw meat is fine (I seem to remember that I friend of mine in college used to feed her lizard raw hamburger instead of insects). Also, we're looking for a species with a good temperment (i.e. not prone to aggressive behavior, etc...)
Suggestions on equipment? I know we'll need an aquarium and some sort of heat source but beyond that I'm sort of clueless and would probably purchase anything the guy at the pet store suggested. I'd like to not be a complete sucker and buy stuff we don't really need. Also suggestions on stuff that will make the lizard happier and our lives easier would be appreciated.
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bearded dragons are the best bet. They generally don't smell if you clean them regularly, are completely non-aggressive and actually fairly friendly towards humans..The only problem is generally their main food is live crickets and vegetables. I have however heard that you can feed them mealworms once they reach adulthood. They also have bearded dragon food pellets and you can theoretically feed them dead crickets, although some dragons won't eat them if they're not moving. I can't really say all that much on their alternative food sources as i generally just fed mine crickets and veggies
heres a good page on bearded dragon care and housing http://www.dachiu.com/care/abeard.html
edit: just googled and it looks like the insects in their diet can be completely replaced with Rep-cal pellets and T-rex VGF
You really want to stay away from iguanas, they can get very agressive, revert to pretty much being completely feral if they don't get enough attention and require a lot of space.
Seriously. Go read some reptile forums such as kingsnake.com and faqs on the care of reptiles. If you've got a local pet store that specializes in reptiles go talk to the people who work there. They take a lot of work, most need a much bigger cage/aquarium than you are probably thinking they will, and can be very expensive. You'll be adding an extra, possibly fairly high wattage, heat lamp being run 10-12 hrs/day, likely a UVB/UVA fluorescent light also running those same hours. I know you want something that eats veggies (and I have some suggestions I'll get to in a second) but just to be safe, in case you change your mind on that, mice and rats run $1/each on the low end for smaller ones, crickets are $10/100 at most pet shops and 100 goes quicker than you'd think.
As to some suggestions, though, here's what I'd look into.
1) Uromastyx. There are several different varieties with varying temperaments who are various sizes and colors. They are all plant eaters and pretty much non-aggressive. The ones you are most likely to find are the Mali Uromastyx and are likely the best to go with of the Uromastyx species for a first reptile. My personal favorites are, in no particular order, the Morrocan, Ornate, and Saharan Uromastyx' because of their awesome coloration. Most of these are smaller and should be happy in a 55 or 75 gallon aqaurium, if I remember right (I haven't kept up on them because I don't have time/money for anothe lizard right now), but watch out for the Egyptian Uromastyx. I don't know how likely you are to come across them (I think the local reptile store I go to had some in a couple weeks ago), but unlike the other Uros, these guys get to be 2-3 feet long, need a large enclosure, and while not outright aggressive they can do some damage if you do happen to piss one off. When appropriate for me to get another reptile it's probably going to be a Uro.
2) Iguana. Your average green iguana will need a LARGE enclosure, keep that in mind. They also need daily handling. That said, if they get those things, they are excellent and friendly and they only eat veggies. Keep in mind there are several variety of Iguana, but the Green Iguana is what most people think of and what you are most likely to find in a store.
3) Bearded Dragon. These are a good size and are almost always very handleable and friendly. They do eat crickets and even pinky mice (you can get them pre-killed and frozen), though.
4) Water Dragon. There are both Chinese and Australian variety, with the Chinese being more common. This is one of my favorites of the types of reptiles I have kept. They do eat crickets and gold fish, though. Also, they need a much larger enclosure than you'd think judging by their size as they need room to climb, run quickly, AND swim. They also need a pool of some sort in their cage to swim in which also works well for keeping their fishy meals in.
5) Leopard Gecko. These are common, relatively inexpensive, and can be kept in a much smaller enclosure than my previously mentioned reptiles (and most reptiles you might get). They are known for being very calm and non-aggressive. They do eat crickets, though.
6) Anole. Small, easy to find, inexpensive, and fun to watch. These aren't really handleable (they "can" be handled, but don't really like it and can escape easily if you try). They come in a green and brown variety. I mostly like the looks of the brown better myself, but the greens are cool in that they have some color changing ablity. Again, cricket eaters.
7) Collared Lizards. I loved these when I had them. Not really handleable (not due to being mean, just skittish, they just don't like it) but they are neat to look at and can be kept in a relatively small cage compared to many reptiles. Males are especially neat due to the bright colors. Like most smaller reptiles, they eat crickets.
As to the mealworms, as you mentioned. Most of the cricket eating reptiles can also eat mealworms. Mealworms are not as good for them as crickets, though, if memory serves and while it's common for lizards to eat them, it's also common for them to refuse to eat them.
Yeah, we know that.
Right now we're thinking about a bearded dragon or iguana. I realize that some people on here say to stay away from the iguana but a friend of mine in college had a HUGE iguana in her apartment and it was the friendliest lizard ever. I remember she pretty much gave it the run of her apartment (somehow she trained it to only go to the bathroom in it's carge) and it would sit in my lap like a cat whenever I'd sit on her couch
My parents bought an iguana when I was a young teenager. It's named "deadbeat" as it doesn't do anything. Sometimes it gets excited and will get out of its cage, usually found feasting on a houseplant or up in the christmas tree. Most of the time it just lays there, waiting to be fed and then moved to the tub where it poops.
It's 18 years old now, and neither of my parents expected it to live this long.
this image seriously needs an inurstuffdoingthings.
PS- if you want the reptilian companionship without a lot of the effort, get a snake.
I have a 4ft ball python. Of my 3 pets he's by far my favorite. Bathe & clean substrate once a month, feed every 2 weeks, fresh water every other day. Other than that all you have to worry about is habitat.
Plus, watching him eat is like, Discovery Channel level of awesome.
Check out my flickr page to see pics. He's just a little hatchling, but they'll grow to no longer than six feet and usually max at between four and five in captivity.
He's now sitting on a vine in a nice, 250 gallon mesh enclosure in our living room...
We were told to just let him chill in his cage with minimum interaction for about a week, then handle him daily.
Any advice on nighttime heating solutions? We want to keep a normal light/dark cycle for day/night and our heat lamp is obviously pretty bright. Do those nighttime heating bulbs (i.e. the things that look like black lights) work OK or should we go with something ceramic? His area probably won't get cooler than 65 - 70 degrees F at night without the lamp but I'm afraid that's too cool for him. Until we find a solution we were going to turn off one of the bulbs in his heat lamp. That would reduce the heat a bit (which someone suggested) and not be so bright.
As to the lighting, I've always just used the ones that look like a blacklight. The ceramic ones you have to be careful with because they get VERY hot (not that the incandescent bulbs don't, but these get hotter) so you want to be 100% certain that they are not going to touch any of the caging material or the lizard.
I have 2 green iguanas, a full grown male (2 foot body 4 foot tail) and a smaller male he is only aboue 3 feet total. They live in a 6ft tall, 5ft wide, 4ft deep cage that me and some friends built, and can never take out of the room it is in, as it will never fit through a standard 36 inch door. The hardest part I ever ran into was all the bulbs you need to start Day, nigh, and UV bulbs.
We were told that it's normal for the lizard not to eat the first few days he's home. At what point should I start to worry about it's not eating? We got the Lizard Sunday so I was thinking Thursday might be the time to take action if it hasn't eaten veggies, Iguana kibble, or went to the bathroom. That sound about right?
There is a large pan of room tempreture water at the bottom of his cage. Can clue how I can get the lizard to drink or will he just do it when he gets thirsty enough?
Eating is easier...if iguanas are like anoles anyways. An anole will have fatty bumps where the tail meets the body, showing it is well fed. I don't if iguanas are like that, but I suggest researching it.
The water is accessible, fresh, and he looks healthy...