Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What in your opinion do you think is better?

it depends on your experience and what youre looking for. beardies are easier to care for, dont get as big (iguanas eventually need a huuuuuge living area), and are generally easier to handle. iguanas on the other hand can also become very tame and personable but it takes a lot of effort on the owners part. their dietary and housing needs are also more complicated. im personally not in a position financially and time-wise to have an iguana, so i dont know much else about their upsides. before you get any new pet, please please please do a lot of research and know what youre getting yourself into. itll make your life easier and your new pet a lot healthier.
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proud mama to:
1.0.0 ball python (mr snake),0.0.1 albino florida kingsnake (CK),1.1.0 leopard gecko (sebastian and vilma),0.1.0 colombian rainbow boa (luce),1.1.1 bearded dragon (kaipo, dulce, and kellen), 1.1.0 colombian redtailed boas (adam and eve)

" iguanas on the other hand can also become very tame and personable but it takes a lot of effort on the owners part."

I can say that this is PARTIALLY correct. There are SOME iguanas that become Love bugs. They are known as Ambassador Igs. I have one. They are Few and far between though. Females tend to be nicer then males from what I understand. I, however, have two males. As I said, One is A Love bug ..... On HIS terms ..... He's about 4 feet long. He decides when He wants to be handled.... The other has drawn blood on me by bitting to the point where I should have gone for stitches 4 times now..... He's only two feet long..... And I've had Him less then a year.... Their "Owners" aren't known as Owners, They're known as slaves. They take a LOT of effort to tame and care for. In all honesty, Beardies are easier and cheaper (even though they more expensive to buy) them Igs. Even my nasty beardies and nicer then My Little Ig. I can handle them a LOT easier then My Little Ig. Now, Igs are Not COMPLETELY horrible. They have several good points. But You have to realize they are not easy animals to have. For a first time Lizard keeper, Iguanas are NOT a good choice. Depending on you experience with lizards, I highly suggest you try a beardie first. Their habitats are smaller, Enviornment needs slightly easier, Diet needs easier, Handling and taming 100 times easier. Whatever You decide, do a LOT of research BEFORE you buy. And if you do decide on an Ig, don't buy, adopt one. There are Hundreds of thousands of Igs, literally, that need loving homes where they will be properly cared for. But again, Please please PLEASE Do a TON of Research BEFORE you get the animal....
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2.0 Iguanas, 2.4 Beardies, 1.2.1 Saharan/Nigerian Uromastyx, 0.0.2 Leos, 0.0.1 African Fat Tail, 1.0 Columbian Rainbow Boa, 0.0.1 Fla Garter Snake, 0.1 eastern garter, 0.0.1 Banded California King Snake (M.I.A.), 0.0.1 Corn Snake, 0.0.3 Fire Belly Toads, 1.0 Eastern Painted Turtle, 0.0.1 African Sideneck, 2 Horses (soon to be three {Baby next May!!!}), 4 cats, 1 dog, and I'm still not done.....

I already have a bearded dragon I just wanna see some peoples opinions and stir up a bit of controversy

LOL gottcha
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2.0 Iguanas, 2.4 Beardies, 1.2.1 Saharan/Nigerian Uromastyx, 0.0.2 Leos, 0.0.1 African Fat Tail, 1.0 Columbian Rainbow Boa, 0.0.1 Fla Garter Snake, 0.1 eastern garter, 0.0.1 Banded California King Snake (M.I.A.), 0.0.1 Corn Snake, 0.0.3 Fire Belly Toads, 1.0 Eastern Painted Turtle, 0.0.1 African Sideneck, 2 Horses (soon to be three {Baby next May!!!}), 4 cats, 1 dog, and I'm still not done.....

Thats a bit pointless. Both forums said essentially the same thing - they are completely different reptiles, each with their own care, and do your research before buying/rescuing. What controversy should their be? Is anyone with an ig going to tell me not to own a dog?

its ok you dont need to get angry because you fell for the trick alot of others did to i'm sure......

Trick? You asked a question, it got answered. What is there to fall for?

I was being sarcastic. I guess its hard to pick up in writing.

While I do agree that iguana care isn't as straightforward as something such as a leopard gecko or a corn snake, I wouldn't say that it's any harder than caring for beardies.

Both have the same requirements that must be met (humidity, light intensity, UVB, correct diet, etc - not that the requirements are identical, just that both animals have these requirements), but with all the problems beardies have been having over the last few years, there's definitely much more to look out for now.

I would definitely say that beardies require much more work than iguanas, but the rewards they give back to you are so much better.
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Axe
The Reptile Rooms

Iguanas are a much more complicated lizard. They get huge, need a lot of space to roam, have high humidity requirements and are generally harder to keep than most desert lizards. My first lizard was an Iguana (I was 15) and I still to this day regret the things I did to him in my ignorance. He ended up dying after breaking his back after falling off his "tree" in my room because he had MBD. Since then I started out with Bearded Dragons and have added two Uromastyx and a rescued Iguana to my group. The Iguana is a very nice female, 4 feet and 7lbs (probably 2-3 years old). Even being as tame as she is she's still much harder to handle than the dragons just because of her size, strength and agility. Personally, I see more intelligence in Iguanas and I feel their affection is more "won" while with Bearded Dragons they seem just not to care most of the time (obviously there are exceptions please don't take offense =). Overall, Iguanas can make a very rewarding pet but it takes a lot of time and effort and may never amount to much if your Iguana never tames down. Anyway, that's my opinion on the matter.

Peter

Hi
a beardie need a cage 4x2x2 feet.
a iguana need a room they realy need a big cage .
so if you cant give him a space like (9x9x9 feet almost a babieroom) then i would go for the beardie
byeeee

http://www.run.to/b22

Iguanas will costs you a coupla thousand bucks just in enclosures throughout their life.
Beardies are happy 4'x2' of floorspace, and don't need it very high.

A baby beardy can eat a coupla thousand crickets every month - as well as salads.
Iguanas don't (and shouldn't) eat Crickets.

If a beardy gets pissed at you, talk to him/her nicely, put them back in their tank n' leave 'em alone.
If an 6ft long iguana gets pissed at you, you know about it, and so does the emergency room.

So there's a few lil bits of info to help you make your decision...

Personally, we've got 2 5ft iguanas, and over 20 beardies. Can you tell which is our favourite?
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Axe
The Reptile Rooms

i agree