What type of lizard should I get?

[JeffT]

Actually it is very possible for an animal to go downhill that fast. I have just recently had to put down a uromastyx of mine because in about 2 weeks she went from fat and healthy to a living skeleton. She had a bacterial infection along with several problems that she had before I bought her, it just turns out she had been fighting it all and putting on an act that she was fine when I was around her.

And Emily

Your one to give a lecture about buying new animals. You say "wait at least a couple months before buying a new animal". I know you dont do that ,try following your own advice before giving it to others. Dont think of this as a personal attack, Im just laying out the tiles...

[bob_thesnowman]

hey snakemann,well if you do have the money,and if you do have the time,I'd suggest an animal you might not have even thought of,ever think about getting a monkey-tailed skink??they grow to be about two-two and a half feet and make great pets and are very docile,they do however require large cages/tanks and a fair amount of time,but if your looking for a great animal look into it

[NewLineReptile]

Give the kid a break!

Brandon

[gelobte balwop]

what a lot of money for the vet.

I pay 10 euro = 10 dollar for a fecal research, when not infected. If medicines are invloved, maybe 20 dollar. I post the fecals and get the medicine by post within 3 or 4 days.

My vet (at home, who isn't very experienced with reptiles, more cats and dogs) often even doesn't charge for anything, cause he likes the pet so much and is very, very interested. I even got a x-ray for free.

He helped several times with my lizards, and the costs always stayed beneath the 20 dollar.

so i think the vet costs aren't that much. Although i only have lizards and no snakes.


Concerning a leopard gecko, i disagree with the bonding with humans. I think a beardie or collared lizard (not WC!) are better pets in that way. But that's my experience. A waterdragon (especially WC) are not that good pets. The are very busy and banging against the glass, often injuring themselves. Thereby they often have worms. But wich reptile is easy

[bob_thesnowman]

yea that happens to me too!!they know me so well down at the vet,as i've given presentations on reptiles to their classes(it's actually at a vet colledge)lol,i don't mean my animals get sick alot or anything,i just know a guy around here who brings in alot of reptiles,and he'll often give me free of charge a sick reptile or two he couldn't be bothered with(he'd just end up feeding them to a snake)so i take them off his hands,take 'em to the vet and hope for the best!!i had a recent rescue from him 4 days ago(a baby albino leo)after i got her injected with some fluids(basically an electrolyte type thing)i gave her mushy dog food,and now i've gotten her to eat solid food,i pick her up get her to open her mouth,and place about 1/4 of the cricket in her mouth,then i set her back down,and like three or four minutes later she'll decide to eat it!!she still has a long way yet,but she a strong girl and i hope for the best!

[bob_thesnowman]

sorry,lol,i realize this forum may not have been the best place for my little story...but thought i'd share anyway

[Emily-Fisher]

Actually, Don, yes I do pay for my own vet bills. When my blizzard had round worms, I paid for allt he treatments. When my cornsnake needed surgery, I paid for that too. That's already $300 that I spent on vet bills. My parents don't have anything to do with my pets except for sometimes, they bring me to the petstore to buy some crickets. Otherwise, I breed my own food and have everything else under control. When I went to camp, I had someone who also keeps reptiles as pets and who is experienced with them come to take care of mine. When I got back, it was as if I never left! All of my animals were in tip top shape and I even came home to some babies. I have a plan planned out on my computer. Basically, it has phone numbers of people who I can phone who are experienced with reptiles that I can phone in case there is an emergency, example, I ave to go to the hospital for some reason or another. I also have a bank account and every week, when I get my pay in the mail, I put half of it away in the bank in case there is ever an emergency with my pets and they need to see a vet. I am organised and ready for anything to happen at this point. Sure, I'm 12 but this 12 year old didn't lose any of her pets due to emergencies.

[Pixie]

And Emily

Your one to give a lecture about buying new animals. You say "wait at least a couple months before buying a new animal". I know you dont do that ,try following your own advice before giving it to others. Dont think of this as a personal attack, Im just laying out the tiles...

True Emily has a lot of animals but they were all researched beforehand and she's never gotten in over her head getting a pet that is unsuitable for herself to care for. I don't think you'll ever find a giant snake in her collection while at home nor a lizard that is too much to handle now or later. She actually thinks things through for both the animal and herself first!

I've also had the chance to visit Emily's place on a few occassions and was very very impressed at how well everyone is set up and cared for. Her husbandry is impeccable and puts many others I've seen to shame no matter what age they are!

As she explains above, she has thought of pretty much every situation possible and has planned for it. I've seen her prepare for a 2 week camp this last summer and was totally impressed by how everything was setup for the babysitter to care for her animals while she was gone.

Honestly, I haven't planned for everything as well as she has! I guess I better get my butt moving on that!!! lol

Age of the keeper isn't important to me as I've seen quite a few young and very responsable keepers. That is really what makes the difference in my opinion: responsability.

Pixie

[marisa]

Agreed. don't use your age as an excuse to why we are saying what we are saying. Its CIRCUMSTANCE not age!!!!

Marisa

[snakemann87]

No offense Emily but it doesnt matter to me really....lol

My choices are down to a Bearded Dragon, Leopard Gecko, Yellow or Red Ackie, or a Crested Gecko

[Linds]

Originally posted by snakemann87
Linds: I thought leos can only take so much handling before they become stressed out?? But with beardies arent they good to handle?

I honesty can't stand beardies. There isn't anything I like about them. I don't like how they look or behave. I find them far less handleable than people make them out to be, they are as interactive as one could expect a lizard to be. What I like about leos is that they actually seem to thrive and crave interaction with people, unlike any other type of lizard. Just about all of ours go nuts when you open their enclosures, literally running at you and jumping on you and just wanting to hang out. This is quite common behaviour for leos, no so for beardies, or any other lizards for that matter. They are really incomparable to any other type of lizard IMHO. Class of their own

[snakemann87]

Oh ok cool thanks

I like beardies though....at the petstore yesterday when i touched the glass both of them would run up and scratch at it were my hand was....it was cute

[Bartman]

i had a beardy and in my experience, dont get one. They are a huge hasstle to own because they eat A LOT and there poop is GROSS!!! They can smell up a whole room in 1 minute. I had to sell my guy because i couldnt take him anymore..i would tell you to get like 3 or 4 leopards, there much cooler and you could breed if you get like a pair or somthing.

[eyespy]

If a beardie's poop has a noticeable odor from across the room something is wrong!! Either parasites, liver or kidney disease, or too low cage temps to properly digest the food. Up close it will never smell good but you shouldn't be able to notice the odor from more than 4 or 5 feet away.

I love beardies, they are my second favorite after green igs, but they are indeed a bit of a high-maintenance pet and not for everybody. They require the same varied salad diet that an iguana does plus feeder insects on top of it.

[Linds]

Originally posted by Bartman
and there poop is GROSS!!!

LOL Beardie poop is the worst poop out there! Big, slimy gobby stuff... looks like bird crap, snake crap, and jello all mixed together :flick: Have no idea why beardie poop is like that.