I agree completely with you on that. Not only have they been domesticated for thousands of years, they are also mammals. I stand on both sides of the fence with this debate as a result of questions I don't know the answers to. I have a B.Sc. in biology with coursework heavy on animal behavior. I worked as a research assistant for 2 years in a behavior lab. I also have I minor in nutrition. None of these things makes me an authority on either subject, just want to let you all know where I'm coming from.

I have often wondered the legitimacy of giving emotions to our reptile pets, such as boredom and depression. I wonder if what we perceive as these emotions is just a lack of response to a stimuls that is not present, such as a moving cricket. Feeding response in reptiles is an instict that occurs when a stimuls is present. That would be movement with insects and colors and shapes with non-prey foods. Does the lack of that stimuls make a dragon bored? Does a dragon have the ability to sit around and ponder the absence of moving prey and as a result get deppressed? Are we going to far by projecting these emotions onto a reptile pet? I do not fully know the answers to these questions, but have my own opinions about them. All this considered, I do offer live food to my dragons, some more than others. I keep my dragons individually, and feed each dragon by what they seem to like more. Admittedly, I would prefer they eat more of the pellet and salad mixes.

As far as the nutrition aspect is concerned, I don't have any doubts that a dragon that eats the pellets(rep-cal) regularly will be any less healthy than a dragon raised on a diet of live and non-live foods. All the nutrients are there. The protiens in the pellets are complete protiens. The pellets contain as much protien as a cricket by dry weight, and more in the case of the juvenile formula. Anyway, I could go on for pages about nutrition, but I fear I might bore everyone. It's a subject I'm obbsesed with for both my reptiles and myself. I'm done, for now.
good luck
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Bill DiFabio
Azteclizard.com
Email Me

[ Hide Replies ]

• Why not feed your house cat live mice? (Long pellet/cricket post) - GoldDragon, Fri Nov 21 13:32:13 2003
• RE: Why not feed your house cat live mice? (Long pellet/cricket post) - BeginnersBasics, Fri Nov 21 13:37:41 2003
• RE: - Christyj, Fri Nov 21 14:25:01 2003
• RE: - trevoro, Fri Nov 21 17:03:06 2003
• I actually know someone who does!!!! How nasty is that?? n/p - ekpunobi, Fri Nov 21 21:49:55 2003
• I'm with ya .......... - Joel R, Fri Nov 21 23:58:54 2003
• RE: Why not feed your house cat live mice? (Long pellet/cricket post) - georgio, Sat Nov 22 01:13:24 2003
• comparing a domestic house cat to an exotic reptile is reaching.... - reiko, Sat Nov 22 01:49:21 2003
• anyways.. - reiko, Sat Nov 22 02:06:45 2003
• Not to drag this on but..... - Joel R, Sat Nov 22 15:15:08 2003
• .................. - reiko, Sat Nov 22 20:27:12 2003
• RE: comparing a domestic house cat to an exotic reptile is reaching.... - azteclizard, Sat Nov 22 10:53:58 2003