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Will collared lizards make a good classroom pet?
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Classroom Pet
grimly
Oct 14, 2007 10:58 AM
Replies (1)
the4thmonkey
Oct 14, 2007 01:21 PM
I believe the answer depends on the age and maturity level of the students plus the financial and time commitments involved.
Collareds are awesome and interesting pets. They are very active and a whole lot of fun to watch. But, they can also bite and even draw blood when spooked or handled incorrectly. They are also somewhat fragile critters - a foot or tail can very easily be injured by mishandling or a cage door shutting too soon. The initial investment for housing is somewhat costly. You must have a big enough enclosure with the proper furnishings. And you must provide the proper light and heat. Feeding can become costly as they require live food, and it can be time-consuming too. I make 2 trips a week to the pet store for crickets. An adult lizard can handle the weekend with no feeding or lights, but proper heat must be assured. Collared lizards normally brumate during the winter months. This is not a must, but it is argued that it is beneficial to health, longevity and the ability to reproduce. A couple of months would be sufficient. The lizard would have to be kept elsewhere during the summer, school vacations and brumation periods.
I advise considering only a captive-bred Collared, as a wild-caught will almost certainly bite. Some wild lizards never really adapt to captivity, have a lot of anxiety and would never be an ideal pet for children.
As I read this over it sounds as if I am trying to discourage you, and I am not. Like any other pet, Collareds require certain commitments. They bring me much joy and are so much more fun to watch than the fish my classrooms had. With proper supervision they could be great learning tools for children. Friends have often brought their kids to see and hold my lizards. I've had 4 and 5 yr olds handle my tame lizards with no problem.
Our moderator Eve has a great care sheet which you can look over to help you decide. Check out the rest of her website too! Then you will certainly want one, or three!
http://www.suncharmers.com/id15.html
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Valerie Rae
We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.
--Martin Luther King, Jr.--
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