right now we have two beardies that we got from two different pet stores, one is a little over two years and we got her since she was the pet store mascot. she had lots of attention at the store and all she likes to do is cuddle, doesn't seem to matter what she's cuddled in to as long as it goes over her head a bit, between my army boots is just fine for her. she's not lively though. the other beardie we got at another pet store that was selling a clutch of 2 week old beardies. WAY to young but i figured i could raise it better than letting it die in a pet store so we got her anyway. she was the liveliest of the bunch and ran all around the cage waving constantly. i loved it. to this day well over a year later she's still just like that. runs all over the place and drives our calm beardie nuts but they seem to like each others company despite their differences.
but i must say, if you want a lizard that wants to come out and play with you. you might want to look into a water dragon or a frill. my wife rescued her water dragon a little over a week ago and it has grown so attached to her. it will stay in its home if we cover it with a towel but any time it knows she's in the room it begs to come out and will run around a room as long as my wife is there. also it gets along with the beardies when they're hanging out on the back of the couch together. my frill i got at the same time and seems to be the same thing. it's home is in our bed room and it will sit and bask in the morning till it sees me move. then it bounces down to the cage door and sits on its log or by the door till i let it out to feed it. then i put it back in to bask for a couple more hours to digest and then it's play time. it will either sit on my shoulder for hours watching everything or in the window overlooking the parking lot behind our condo. our bed is right in front of the window and one day it started from my shoulder, shimmied down my body (tail first, really weird) and plotted a course around the room to the stuff at the foot of the bed to get up on the bed and up a pillow against the wall so it could get back to the window. I have never EVER seen a reptile put so much forethought into something. the rest of our lizards will see what it wants and run straight off a ledge to get there and seem completely surprised when it crashes into the ground.
to pick out this frill from the pet store i was very selective though. i went to the pet store with my iguana and held her up to the cage. the frill that didn't freak out (only 1 of the 3 didn't) was the one i wanted. not only did it not freak out it sat there face to face with the iguana and just studied it. smiling like it was a normal thing for a thumb sized frill to be nose to nose with a 2 year old iguana.
also i'm starting to think when everyone who says to let it sit in it's cage to get comfortable for a few days before you start handling it, is planning on keeping it in its cage most of the time. all of our lizards except one we let sit on us for the first few days. that way, that's where they become comfortable. cage is ok, but you are what they love to be on. if it's too feisty, try holding it at night while you watch a movie or something. let it sit on your shoulder while you do things and get it comfortable to your movements. it will learn your heartbeat and soon be only really comfortable when it can feel that. then instead of just being in its cage/home begging for food or to go to the tub for the bathroom, it will also beg to see you like our lizards do to us. speaking of which. it's been a couple hours since i fed the frill and it's wanting out now. (i just went in an looked). i'll go take a picture real quick
the only reptile out of the 5 that we have that we didn't hold alot the first few days is the smaller beardie. since not only was she so small being so young but she was so active (which is why we got her) it was alot harder to take her out and hold her without her trying to take off and explore. which we're regretting now since of the 5 she's the only one that is still a bit skittish when we try to pick her up, even after over a year she's still that way, she prefers her 55 gallon glass home. so just some thought, ok, way too much thought but there is A LOT that goes into selecting the perfect reptile for you. I love our beardies and since we have one of each extreme right now i'd be happy with any personality of beardie (my wife wants more). but i can't say enough about how amazingly intelligent and sweet our baby frill is. I know i'm now going to have to buy another one of those for my wife... : ) but of all our herps that frill is the most interactive. unfortunately most people complain that their frills bite or nip a lot and are really skittish. so if you go that route make sure you bring an iguana for personality testing, though being near either beardie freaks the hell out of the little frill, i guess it can tell they're meat eaters. so borrow someone's vegetarian rep to pick out the frill. i don't know anything about uro's. i guess i'll have to get one of them next cus everyone says they're great but i think most reptiles can be great to have around with proper care and training.
