Pet Lizards - Which one?

Hey shackers,

I am moving with my friend into an apartment, and she wants a pet reptile. I specifically request that the pet must NOT eat rodents. So, we are thinking a lizard! The issue is that we don't know where to even start the research. I am looking for 1) A forum that members on this forum might recommend 2) Forums to stay away from and 3) Any advice on types of lizards that eat strictly plants, insects, and/or worms.

I figured I'd ask here before diving into random forums, because I trust your opinions here. I greatly appreciate any help!

Thanks

I have owned many lizards in the past.

If you are wanting a "veggie-saurus", you are kinda limited to the following:
Iguanas are awesome - but they can get up to 5 feet long, maybe more if it's a male & it is next to impossible to tell the sex when they are very small. Like all reptiles they require special lighting - similar to sunlight. It can be a little pricey getting a proper set up, proper lighting & heating are very important to the health of the reptile.
Tortoises are great. It's not a lizard - but a veggie eater.
Bearded Dragons - if you get an adult they are pretty much 90% veggie eaters but require some protein too. Juveniles needs lots of protein.
Off hand I do not know any sites, as I have not had reptiles for a while.
Right now those are all I can think of as far as veggies go.

I will be glad to answer questions for you . Most of the lizards I kept were cricket / wormie eaters. Except for my iguana.

I had an iguana growing up, he was adorable and I loved him. They are super cool pets.
I also had a few frogs and turtles. Not quite as crazy about them, but still fun.
We had a chameleon at one point also. He was a very mean creature, hated humans with a passion. X:

Someone was posting pics of their lizard recently - she was quite the cutie. Will have to see who that was...

It was Crumbilina!

http://www.ratshackforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31475

A blue-tongued skink! They are so fat and squishy!

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGPNTrjqrIs[/ame]

They need proteins and fruits/veggies, here is a list of recommended foods:

Proteins:
Canned super premium dog/cat food
Dry super premium dog/cat food (moistened)
Canned insect products (any variety, but snails are a favorite)
Mealworms and superworms
Hard-boiled eggs
Boiled chicken
Ground turkey (cooked)
Lean ground beef (cooked)

Fruits and Veggies:
Collard greens
Turnip greens
Mustard greens
Squash (including spaghetti, scallop, butternut, acorn, Hubbard, etc.)
Peas
Brussel sprouts
Carrots
Dandelions (pesticide free)
Hibiscus flowers (pesticide free)
Mango
Raspberries
Figs
Papaya
Cantaloupe
Strawberries
Blueberries

I think bearded dragons and gecko's are awesome! :joy:

I recommend the Bearded Dragon! They're great and much like rats, they enjoy human contact. They have tons of personality and do not require rodents as a food source. They eat calcium powdered crickets and meal worms as a main food source with salads with nutrient rich greens such as Romaine and Kale. They're lots of fun. I'd own one if I had the money and room.

2Rats said:

I have owned many lizards in the past.

If you are wanting a "veggie-saurus", you are kinda limited to the following:
Iguanas are awesome - but they can get up to 5 feet long, maybe more if it's a male & it is next to impossible to tell the sex when they are very small. Like all reptiles they require special lighting - similar to sunlight. It can be a little pricey getting a proper set up, proper lighting & heating are very important to the health of the reptile.
Tortoises are great. It's not a lizard - but a veggie eater.
Bearded Dragons - if you get an adult they are pretty much 90% veggie eaters but require some protein too. Juveniles needs lots of protein.
Off hand I do not know any sites, as I have not had reptiles for a while.
Right now those are all I can think of as far as veggies go.

I will be glad to answer questions for you . Most of the lizards I kept were cricket / wormie eaters. Except for my iguana.

Click to expand...

Thanks so much for the info! I am am ok with insects and worms being eaten by my pets. Just no actual meat (not rats, mice nor chicken, cow, or pig). So that is pretty limiting, but I think a beardie would be my best bet then. They seem REALLY social and adorable!

Where would you suggest getting a bearded dragon? My instincts say craigslist, because then I could get a whole setup and I would be rehoming rather than supporting a breeder (is that the same for reptiles?). My only issue with CL is the health and well being of the bearded dragon. They could possibly come to me in horrible conditions, and being a newbie, I wouldn't know how to handle it.

Also keep in mind that this won't happen for a few months, so I will be researching their care a lot!

Thanks everyone else, too, the collective input helps a lot

Unfortunately, the world of reptile breeding is often similar to that of rats (and other animals): done at a profit, without the animal's well-being in mind, done by amateurs and often in crap conditions.
There are some reptile breeders out there who seriously just love them and breed them properly. The key is /usually/ to find someone who only breeds one species, not someone who is churning out all kinds of snakes and lizards.

Since you have time, you can try and find someone who needs to re home, like you said. Don't forget about PetFinder too, they have Beardies on there. C: And there are Bearded Dragon Rescues too!

If you choose to go w/ a Beardie I think you will be glad.
They are pretty laid back guys. Actually I plan on getting one myself somewhere waaaay down the line.

NONE

Reptiles are captive or captive bred ... they are not domesticated and do not belong in captivity

Buying reptiles just creates a demand for more

Personally, I believe that if someone really likes a type of reptile then they should move to where those reptiles are indigenous and enjoy them in the wild .....
like people here in Canada have backyards that are reptile friendly and enjoy the wild indigenous grass snakes living in their natural habitat ....

or like Canadian teachers who live and work in Mexico and enjoy the wild indigenous reptiles who move in and live in everyone's homes and keep the insect population down

I respect everyone's feelings. But I was in the reptile "community" for many years and I have to disagree with part of your concerns.
As long as they are captive bred & we are not taking the supply in the wild ( which I feel is very wrong ) then there is no harm. The harm is when people obtain them & do not research the care that is required. But that applies to any potential pet. Some reptiles enjoy human interaction & some do not.
The ones that do not - such as the chameleons, are kept in the sense that aquarium fish are. They are admired from a distance and are provided with a very good home that meets all their requirements.
Some are calm from the get-go,some can become quite tame, some tolerate handling & some do not. Each must be evaluated & respected as to how they are to be handled & interacted with.
Herpetology can be a very intense rewarding love for reptiles. There is much for one to learn before aquiring a herp. Just as rats, they require an exotic vet and then some.

What 2Rats said.

Is your friend experienced with reptiles at all? Blue-tongues (which even as adults eat a good chunk of protein---preferably snails and grubs) and beardies are IMO what I'd consider 'advanced beginner' reptiles.
They can be fragile when young, cost a fair bit, get reasonably large and need quite a bit of space. It's also very important to vary their greens and make sure they're eating a nutritious mix with tons variety. Of the two I consider beardies more of a 'hang out' reptile while blue tongues like to wander around.

True 'beginner' reptiles for me says either leopard geckos (strict insectivores) or crested geckos/gargoyle geckos (fruit eaters with occasional insects though not required).
Leopard geckos are very easy to handle and easy to maintain as well as coming in a variety of colour morphs and being easy to find. They are not a high-humidity species, being nocturnal don't require specialized basking, high basking temps or UV lighting and are not overly large. Heat is supplied by an under tank heat-mat set on a thermostat to control it. Supplied with a good variety of feeder insects and the appropriate type and amount of calcium, D3 and multivitamin supplements they are easy keepers and do well as pets. They live about 10-15 years or so. Although a bit squirmy and feisty when young they acclimate nicely and quickly and enjoy hanging out.

Cresteds and gargoyles are arboreal stereotypical 'stick-to-the-wall' geckos both of the genus Rhacodactylus from New Caledonia. They do not require supplemental heat provided your house stays around 70F (in fact excess heat is not good for them) and being nocturnal do not require lighting or UV. In captivity they eat a variety of prepared slurry-like mixes
(add water to the powder) that are fruit-flavoured and contain vitamins and minerals. You can supplement insects but the powder mix is the bulk of the diet. They live about 15-20 years. They are not quite as easy to handle or hold as beardies or leos, but most do tame down (just be prepared, they jump lol!). They are a higher humidity species, but it is fairly easy to accomplish (moss substrate for example).

Iguanas are not of course in any way a beginner reptile. They're behaviourally complex, large and have pretty strict habitat requirements (and a huge habitat at that).

Grey Whiskers: sounds like you have had some experience w/ reptiles:thumbup:

yes - Iguanas can take people by surprise.....
Long story short: I got my first iguana when he was about 6 inches long. I tamed him down quite nicely. When he became well...sexually mature @ about 18 mos old, all hell broke loose! He turned on me, the person who raised him with TLC. He became very skiddish for the next 12 months or so at which time he was approaching 5 feet long. From that time period on I could no longer handle him. He would chase me & try to attack me if I entered the room. My husband had to help me feed him & clean his large cage. He LOVED my husband and anyone else except me. Well it got to the point when he reached 6 ft long and 10 pounds, that I had to rehome him. He had literally busted his nose from charging me in his cage & the skin would not grow back. That is the story of Bob.

Yup, I actually fell in love with rats (rather unexpectedly) by being a reptile keeper.
My soft spot is snakes and arachnids (I'm a python n tarantula type of guy) but between helping a former roommate and my own experiences I've managed beardies, ball pythons, box turtles, boas, blue-tongues, leopard geckos (and breeding them---babies are the cutest little things), cresties, gargs, different colubrids, all manner of arachnids...the list goes on.
Right now I'm just down to Lowan my rescue beardie and my heart snake Ihsyius the ball python, but I hope to start keeping more reptiles (and tarantulas! oh goodness I miss my tarantulas!) again when time, money and bylaws permit (I've had to move into a new muncipality).

SQ---you and I have had this discussion before so I'm going to stand down here. However as a parting thought all of your domesticated animals were once wild. If a keeper can provide proper enclosures, diet, exercise and enrichment and thus satisfy the needs of the creature and keep it healthy and stress-free---then there should be no qualms keeping it. The OP has made their decision re: morality of captive-bred and maintained reptiles.

Some animals are truly domesticated .... reptiles are not, they are wild animals living in captivity - an evil practice they do not deserve.

And *how* do you think those truly domesticated animals came to be?
Someone chose to subject their wild ancestors to the 'evil' practice.
It is only an 'evil' practice if we cannot meet their needs. Anthropomorphizing them and giving them your romantic notions of 'life in the wild' and 'freedom' is more of a detriment to them than any captive keeping.

Again...I can guarantee you my shy, nocturnal, nervous ambush predator is much less stressed in a temperature controlled environment, with ready access to adequate food, plenty of clean water, plenty of hiding places and no predators or disease.