Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Which one in your opinion is better?

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 have both, and it depends on what you want out of your pet. Beardies are much more laid back, easier to care for and overall a better size for something to sit on your shoulder or in your hand. I adore my beardie! He's always cheerful and easy to handle, I can trust him with little kids, and nothing much seems to faze him at all.

If you want a 5 to 6 foot long, potentially bad tempered lizard that takes a great deal of specific care, an enclosure the size of a small bedroom, that may or may not be handle-able, get an iguana. Tempest is much more work than Doodle, but because of that he is a bigger part of my life. I can't imagine not owning an iguana after having Tempest arrive in my life, just watching his attitude and temperment change over time is very rewarding. The highlight of my weekend was having him actually eat a piece of lettuce from my hand!! AND he ate a piece of banana for the first time!! Doodle eats anything I offer him, with no suspicion or mistrust, while Tempest looks at me like I'm trying yet again to poison him.

Basically, do your research. Originally when looking at a reptile pet, I had thought iguana, and decided on getting a bearded dragon instead. I have to say it was the correct choice, and I recommend beardies to all kinds of people looking for a reptile pet for themselves or their kids. I thought iguanas were too much work, required too much space and special care, and too much of a time commitment. Well, I ended up with a rescue ig, and they are alot of work, he does take a huge amount of time and commitment, but I would never get rid of him. If you aren't sure, get a beardie, they are smaller and are a very rewarding pet! Just my 2 cents though

Let me put it this way, I can place a bearded dragon today. A large iguana could take months to place. Dragons are much easier to handle and they don't throw tantrums. The iguana has much more personality though and if you insist on a vegetarian, then the iguana is your pet.