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I am 6' 1" tall and weigh 225 lbs. Hope this helps with scale .Russ

>>I am 6' 1" tall and weigh 225 lbs. Hope this helps with scale .Russ
>>

Russ, I noticed some kids toys in the background of your pic with Santiego and I was wondering how kids/big lizards get along? I also heard that lizards can carry salmonella which can be very dangerous to infants. I dont' have any kids yet, but considering how long my Tegu will live I'm sure I will sometime during his lifetime. Did you have any issues with this? Any thoughts on kids and lizards in general?
JonV

As long as you wash after handling the animal there is no problems. Also cats and dogs have more of a chance of giving your child Salminila(spelling) to yourkid then do reptiles.(Especally cats) This is what my vet told me . my son is 1 year old now. never had any problems . I also use latex gloves when I clean there cage . And I dont let my kid touch the tegus as well .Thanks Russ

Hi Jon. I believe that if done under close supervision and with proper sanitation, kids and herps can get along fine. My 5 year old daughter has been into them for over a year now. I got out of reptiles when she was born because with a new house and baby, it just wasn't fun cleaning cages anymore. Anyway, when she was 3.5, she started showing and interest in them so we started a small collection and I started introducing her to these animals and showing her the right way to do things with them. Her favorites are the boids we have because they are very handleable while the big lizards are not (too squirmy with long, sharp nails). I think it's a great thing to raise kids around animals, even reptiles. Here's a pic of her with her yearling Guyana boa. Billy

>>Russ, I noticed some kids toys in the background of your pic with Santiego and I was wondering how kids/big lizards get along? I also heard that lizards can carry salmonella which can be very dangerous to infants. I dont' have any kids yet, but considering how long my Tegu will live I'm sure I will sometime during his lifetime. Did you have any issues with this? Any thoughts on kids and lizards in general?
>>JonV