Vegatarian Lizards

[Weather1]

I am looking for a lizard that only eats veggies. No crickets, mealies etc...

Any ideas as to what kind will thrive with only veggies?

The reason I ask is I am moving and the only pet shop there sells crickets at over $2.00 a dozen so it will be real expensive to feed them.

Thanks :confused:

**Breeding my own is not an option as I will be breeding rats for my snakes and only want to deal with one breeding project**

[norman]

arent mali uromatistyx veggitarians? maybe not, never really looked into it, but theyre pretty cool if you dont mind the whole turtle without a shell look.

[eyespy]

Blue tongue skinks will eat canned cat food so even though they are not strictly vegetarian they do pretty well for folks who are not able to get feeder insects easily.

Or if you love lizards who love bugs, maybe somebody can recommend a vendor who can ship crickets to you at a reasonable cost. Since I'm in the US the one I use wouldn't be very helpful to you but I'm sure there are lots of folks who can help out.

Maybe post a request in the Food for Thought forum?

[eyespy]

Oh, and there are folks who have gotten good results feeding adult bearded dragons Rep-cal pellets alongside a good varied salad diet. I wouldn't recommend that for growing beardies or if you ever plan on breeding, but a well-established adult seems to thrive on that diet.

[lynsey_togofire]

well...i didn't hear the one suggestion i was waiting for...the most obvious. but in regards to this one you have to think about size...iguanas. they are strictly vegetarians, but also get rather large. if you get a good one, they can be very very sweet wonderful lizards, they just happen to get approx. 6 feet or so.:) if you go for an iguana, just make sure that the base of their diet is Collard Greens, which can be found in any local grocery store and normally run about $.69 a bundle. for my iguana i made a salad of a mixture of Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, Turnip Greens, and Kale...then i added UNSALTED canned veggies to it. but the main part of the salad was the Collards. just remember that iguanas need a calcium:potassium level of 7:1 and the Collard Greens provide that balance. you may still want to invest in some calcium powder that you sprinkle on the food, just read the directions closely. hope that helps! and if you get an iguana let me know! i'll give you more of my vast knowledge of them! my email is: spritz7908@msn.com....or....jazminegrl@yahoo.com

Lynsey:D

[lynsey_togofire]

where that :P is....supposed to say Calcium : Potassium ratio of 7:1 sorry....:P

lynsey:D

[eyespy]

Well said, lynsey. I'm the slave to 2 green iguanas myself but was hesitant to suggest them because the iguana lifestyle isn't right for everyone. Not just the size, but the possibility of males becoming unpredictable and aggressive during breeding season means they aren't for everyone.

I do use collards as one of my greens staples but do mix it up a fair bit, there are many other nutrients iguanas need and collards are a bit weak in some of them. Adding small amounts of acorn or butternut squash to other calcium-rich greens gives a fairly good calcium to potassium ratio while keeping phosphorus within reasonable levels.

I love the book Green Iguana: The Ultimate Owner's Manual by James Hatfield III as a way of deciding whether your life has room for an iguana in it. ;)

[marisa]

I agree with Eyespy..... Collards are a definite plus but Dandelion Greens are even better than those. And the ratio of 7:1 is important but it doesn't matter if you go higher with the calcium. As with dandelion greens. I fed mine Collards but also dandelion greens. I believe Kale can inhibit calcium absorbsion, but I may have the wrong green.

You also *need* fresh winter squashes like Eyespy said, another main part of their diet. Butternut, spagettie squash, etc.

And that book is excellent.

Marisa

[Weather1]

Thanks eveyone for the interesting advice.:p :p

[marisa]

No probs. If I was you I'd go for the Mali. I love my iguanas but frnakly I'd never have another one. It does take a certain commitment level, and its higher than even having a dog or cat. I thought at first thats what I wanted but now I see how much work it DOES take to raise even one iguana, and we have two.

:)

Marisa

[Katatonic]

Blue Tongue Skink or Mali Uromastyx sound like your options. Happy herping.

[norman]

yeah i looked after a iguana for a couple of weeks and they are a handfull.but if it is going to be your only lizard then that wouldnt be bad. I do like iguanas and if you can take care of them they are fun lizards with a LOT of character.

[snakedude_03]

what about crested geckos!? they eat baby food(meat and fruit) and crickets.. there is a product made by t-rex i think and u could feed it just that called the crested gecko food or something?

[Clownfishie]

I think that mali uromastyx are really cute :) Funny looking, but in a cute way... hehe :) And they are vegetarians, although I think that they don't mind the occasional cricket snack.

I don't know if it's the blue tongue skink, or another one, but there's definitely at least one of them that can be kept on a diet of moist cat/dog food...

[snakemann87]

id have to agree with those who said uromastyx, they are good sized, great tempered, easy to care for, and not to mention funny lizards that fit your veggie needs

[Youkai]

I'll agree with all those who said uromastyx! But don't limit youself to malis. I'm quite partial to U. hardwicki. Also, make certain you get a captive bred individual! WC, especially if untreated, could be a handful (personality and vet-bill wise).
Uromastyx are bursting with personality, and are exclusively herbivorous. (Yes, some will take crickets, but they really shouldn't be offered...)

[andrea88]

Just too add, Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, Turnip Greens and all the other dark leafy greens that iguanas need are usually not available in most parts of Canada.
When I wanted an iguana, I did a lot of research and found that there was not ONE place in Alberta that had these greens or was willing to order them for me. Most places had never even heard of them.
You may be able to occasionally get dandelion greens at a heath-food store, but they will gouge you for it.

In any case, research your food source FIRST before you get any herp.

[Dragons & Balls]

I have no problem finding any greens in Edmonton,go to the big fresh and for 8.00$ I can eed my reptiles for a week.

[Youkai]

I found all the greens you're talking about for like...less then $3 for a huge bushel of it. (In Edmonton).

[Greg West]

Dandilion greens are $2.49 per bundle at Community Health Food Store in Calgary. Expensive, but cant find them anywhere else so i dont mind paying it. It also last a week or a little more, so it isn't really that expensive.

Greg

[marisa]

In Ontario none of the iguana greens are hard to find. Collards, and Dandelions are all about 50cents to 1.50 a bunch. :)

Marisa

[andrea88]

Id like to know where you found them in Edmonton, especially in the winter.
I went to every grocery chain last year and inquired, but no luck.....

What is "the big fresh" ? Ive never heard of it and I cant find it in the directory....

[Youkai]

What, you think I'm fibbing? :eek:
Debajios (sp?) has all or at least most of those greens year round. You don't go to chains for stuff like that in smaller centers, go to places that specialize and you'll have better luck.
I've never heard of 'The Big Fresh' being in western Canada. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[Feed'em All]

What about a corucia zebrata (Solomon Island Skink)? those guys are smaller and nicer than iguanas...
Martin.

[andrea88]

No, no! I don't think you're lying! lol

I just really want to know where I can find them..

I don't live in Edmonton anymore, but even my grandma complains that she can't even make a good 'ol fashioned southern dish 'cause there aint no darn collards up here in Edmonton.....

[Youkai]

Tell her to check Debajio's Market, it's on the southside. :)
It's really an awsome place to get some neat foods, not just greens. I'm not sure if I have the spelling right, but I'm sure she'll find it.

[Linds]

Weather1,
I would recommend either uromastyx, chuckwallas, and as above mentioned, blue tongues can also be fine, though you shoudl still feed them insects occassionally. Though their diet doesn't consist heavily of insects, you should still feed them some at least once a week, dog food shouldn't be the sole source of animal matter. Feder insects and the occassional mouse should make up half of the animal matter IMHO. Iguanas are ok, but I agree with eyespy, I too am hesitant to suggest them due to the fact that they grow to be quite large, as well as the fact that they are (more often than not) agressive and can inflict serious injuries if your not familiar with them (and even still accidents happen). There is a reason iguanas are a "throw away" pet, sadly to say. If you are prepared for this then you can add anothet to the lsit ;) You could also take into consideration an older water dragon, these canfeed on veggies, greens, and mice/rats. Babies however babies should have a good portion of their diets consisting of insects. I wouldn't suggest beardies, though they are omnivores, even adults should have a good amount of feeder insects in their diet. Forumlated diets (pelleted, etc) are not suitable as a staple IMHO.

Marisa,
Yuppers. I too find no problems finding all those goodies for no more than a dollar usually in jsut about any grocery store I go to. As for kale imhibiting calcium, it doesn't at all, but it still needs to be fed sparingly as it interferes with the uptake of iodine, which can eventually lead to goiter :eek:

lynsey,
The C:P ratio they are rferring to is calcium:phosporus, not potassium ;)


Now haven't heard any mention from any of those other high calcium greens such as endive, kholrabi, an escarole. Can't forget those, green leaf letuce and romaine are also good leafy greens :) I feed my iggy and tortoise a variety of 15 different types of leafy greens (in alternation). Variety is the key with any vegeatrian species, since there is no "complete" food, an what is high in something may inhibit something else found in another food, or jsut generally be lacking in all sorts of other nutrients ;)

[marisa]

hmm then it must have been some other green or veggie I am thinking of....crap....can't remember. It's something though....LOL

Marisa