Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am debating between getting an iguana or a bearded dragon... although I'm leaning towards iguanas. Is there someone who owns both and can tell me which one they enjoy more? I know how hard it is to answer that though, but even a list of pros and cons would help. Thanx!
-----
~Shana~

I have both of them, and I would say if you're going to buy your first lizard, I recomend the bearded dragon. First, they are extremely docile, second, they need less room and less moisture. The only problem, although I don't think its a problem, is the food. They eat live food and greens, while igs eat only greens. And when I say they eat live food, I mean lots of live food. You will have to raise crickets too. Mine eats about 20 crickets per day, 3 days a week and greens 2 days a week. Igs are more dificult to tame, they need more room, they live much longer, they get much bigger. I don't want to change you're mind about getting a iguana, I'm just being realistic. I love beardies and I love igs even more, but I recomend the bearded dragon as a first lizard.
Let's see what the others will say.
Hope it helps.

I cant tell you wich is better, but i can tell you about my own experience. I was planning for a year to buy a beardie, i want a reptile that i can have a lot of interaction with and that is a good size. I have other reptile but i dont interact much with them for different reason. (most are small or not tame at all). So i read all that i can for beardie get a medium sized enclosure and my lighting was almost done. Then one evening a friend of mine call me saying that he found a "lizard" in his backyard. The temp that evening was pretty cold outside. He dont know what to do with it. I offer to take him until i find him a good place to live ( i dont know then that it was an iguana). So i put the iguana in my beardie home for a temporary shelter with a good heating lamp. And i start reading...and reading... I have that iguana for about 4 month now. I do try to find him a good home but i never let him go. I have a nicer enclosure and i'm in the making of a permanent one. I can tell you that i have a LOT of interaction with my iguana, they are fascinating creature with a LOT of character but definetly not a beginner lizard. I spend an hour or two EVERY day taking care of my igg. I've been whipped, scratch but luckily not biten...yet. I dont regret it one bit to have kept her (now i really think it's a her). My beardie is going to wait for a couple of years now that i have a green monster to take care of. I was yearning for a calm and tame beardie and i get an active and characterial iguana and i love every second of it. Hope this help...
-----
Mizar 21
1.0 Collared lizard (Ganymede)
1.0 Leopard Gecko (Gethsemani)
1.0 Nerodia Fasciata (Serpentard)
1.0 rescued iguana (Gomez)
1.2 Cats

Bearded Dragon.

Much easier care wise. They require less space, attain a MUCH handlable adult size, in my experience much more resistant to changes, tend to have a lot better temperment.

Of course I could tell you also that should you ever decide to need to find a home for a bearded, it will be a VERY easy task, where as trying to place an adult iguana is a hard if not impossible feat.

I have had several beardies over the years and have dealt with several hundred iguanas I think at this point. When ever given the choice I jump at beardies.
-----
Cindy
PHFaust

Email Cindy

Land of the Outcasts!

Definately a beardie for a first lizards.

Beardies are much easier too care for but are tons of fun to interact with. Igs make great pets but you need a lot os patience to tame a baby down, and lots and lots of space for an adult. Beardies over all have better temperments and are easier for people who don't have experience with large lizards.

Although they can be awesome pets (I love mine!) an iguana is something that you might want to wait until later to get.

And on a side note, i have two beardies and have had up to six at one point and i never had to raise my own crickets. And i grew all but two of them from babies. So if the idea of raising crickets doesnt appeal, you can have a beardie without doing that. Just make friends with your local pet store! lol
-----
1.0 green iguana-Deitrich
1.1 Common Boa-Un-Named, Ursula
1.0 Ball Python-Anabell (go figure!)
1.0 Red Tegu-Uteg
1.0 Albino Cal King-Pig
0.1 Mexican Black King-Morticia
1.1 Bearded Dragons-Unnamed, Hanabil
1.0 Albino San Diego Gopher-Unnamed
0.1 Hermans tort-Esio
1.1 JCP-Milton, Medusa
1.1 Reverse Okeetee Corn-Unnamed
0.1 Snow Corn-Unnamed
1.0 Hypo Okeetee Corn-Unnamed
0.1 Motley Okeetee-Unnamed
1.0 Western Hoggie-Wyrm
0.0.1 Rose Hair Taruntla-Unnamed
2.0 Leopard Geckos-Reptar, Pogo
4.1 cats-Tucker,Poe,Abhib,Emerald, Felicity
0.1 Bullmastiff-Asha

In some ways, the choice is similar to chosing between cats and dogs.

Beardies tend to be more "people" lizards, very approachable; they like everyone.

Igs, on the other hand, are very much like cats, with strong, independent personalities. An ig will often be a one-person animal, and they *definitely* have strong opinions.

So what do I -- a family guy with three kids and other pets -- have? An iguana. I like challenges...

This really depends on the type of person you are and how much expirence you ahve with herps. also if you tell us how old you are that will help us decide as well.

Have you ever had a reptile before?
Do you have the room to house a 6 foot long lizard?
Do you have money to build a big cage for it?
Do you have money to feed it?
Do you have teh money to set it up properly?

Think about questions like that.. all that stuff adds up real quick...

Pros about iguanas are is they are great to have as pets i love mine.. he is one of my best pets i have ever had.. but i enjoyed my bearded dragons as well... iggs may be cheaper in the store but in the long run they are alot more money. my next cage for my igg is going to cost me anout 600 dollars to build.. and i think my bearded dragon cost me about 250-300. so thats quite a bit of savings and that was getting a cage that he could stay in for the rest of his life. with an igg you will go through a few cages so stuff adds up real qickly..

Sadly there are more cons about iguanas
They are big
Can have very nasty attitudes
Require alot of space
More expensive
Need more lighting
eat more

I could go on but you get the idea

Now with bearded dragons. they are smaller averaging about 18 inches in length.. some can get bigger.. some stay smaller.. which means a smaller cage. i had mine set up in a 75 gallon tank and he was very happy but you can use a smaller tank but the smallest i would go with is a 55 gallon. with bearded dragos they are all captive bred. so you are more apt to get a healthier one than if you buy an igg.. bearded dragons are very docile.. mine would sit on my shoulder for hours at a time while i watch television. but my igg will also sit on my lap.. my bearded dragon was very nice. you can get ones with lots of color... but with bearded dragon you ahve to feed live prey.. ie crikets and mealworms when small and mine always enjoyed a mouse or two a week.. and cricket expenses can add up real quick.. mine would eat a ton of them.. my male would easily eat about 50 in a sitting and my female would eat about 30-40 and tehy would both down a pinky or two after that.. but my igg eats alot to.. he eats about a bunch and a half oif greens a day.. some days more.

I could make a longer list but alot of your disision has to do with what you want. we cant tell you which one to get you have to decide for your self.. i suggest reading up on evrything you can find.. there is a great link at teh top of the page i think its called iguana info or something like that read through that.

Sorry for rambling on and on. i think i answered everything if you have any more questions just post them up.. or you can email me. i have alink to my email at teh bottom..

Mike D

-----
1.0.0 adopted iguana
0.0.2 Hedgehogs
My Email

YOU DONT OWN YOUR IGUANA, YOUR IGUANA OWNS YOU

HAPPINESS IS LIKE PEEING ON YOURSELF, EVERYONE CAN SEE IT BUT ONLY YOU CAN FEEL THE WARMTH

i have a bearded dragon and have never heard of feeding mice or pinkys. i work at a pet store so i could get them at a discount. how often did you feed them pinkies? i dont really like feeding stuff like that as i have 3 pet rats but if it is healty for them i may think about it. of course im going to do more rearch before i consider it. just would like to know how you went about it and how it worked for you.
-----
brandy

I fed my large male about 3 to 4 pinkies a week and he was very healthy.. i also gave him mice every once and a while.. the female she got the same as him but she never took larger mice... but man did she love pinkies.. i have heard not to feed many pinkies because it can make them fat because the pinkies have a high fat content. but i never found that a problem.. mine would do anything for them..
-----
1.0.0 adopted iguana
0.0.2 Hedgehogs
My Email

YOU DONT OWN YOUR IGUANA, YOUR IGUANA OWNS YOU

HAPPINESS IS LIKE PEEING ON YOURSELF, EVERYONE CAN SEE IT BUT ONLY YOU CAN FEEL THE WARMTH

i just read it can cause impaction. i dont know. id like to give him a new treet but im a little worried. some say it wont hurt others say it can hurt alot. i also read that it may cause parasites. if i do i will only give him like one a month. there are some pretty small ones where i work some even smaller then the cricks i feed him. thanks for the info.
-----
brandy

Dont worry too much, very often crix are loaded with parasites...if they come from a breeder that isnt too careful. My guess would be that pinkye are safer.
-----
Mizar 21
1.0 Collared lizard (Ganymede)
1.0 Leopard Gecko (Gethsemani)
1.0 Nerodia Fasciata (Serpentard)
1.0 rescued iguana (Gomez)
1.2 Cats

i fed pinkies for years and never had any problems.. no impactions and they didnt get sick. i think it did good for them.. they were always in good health and always had good weight.
-----
1.0.0 adopted iguana
0.0.2 Hedgehogs
My Email

YOU DONT OWN YOUR IGUANA, YOUR IGUANA OWNS YOU

HAPPINESS IS LIKE PEEING ON YOURSELF, EVERYONE CAN SEE IT BUT ONLY YOU CAN FEEL THE WARMTH

I have had beardies for years, and I think the obesity issue with beardies is the same (in a way) as it is for humans... many other factors are going to affect it. I have seen some overweight beardies who were over-fed on pinkies, but I'm sure there were other things involved. You can't just say "pinkies cause obesity" You have to consider activity level i.e. are pinkies the only protien source? If you're feeding live crickets then the beardie is getting alot of exercise chasing them down. And then there's individual metabolism to take into account; some beardies are simply more prone to obesity than others. I haven't had any impaction problems with pinks, especially considering they are more digestible than crickets anyway (I don't think the chitin [shell] on crickets is very easily digested), and they seem to pass those quite well. I'm rambling now, so i'll stop typing and just post this.
-katie

thanks guys i think i will give it a try. i posted on the beardie board but only one person replied. how often should i give him one. i dont want to give him to many because he has done fine on the diet i have him on now but i try to give him alot of verity. sorry for being so off topic
-----
brandy