Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi everyone I am new in this forum.
I am thinking of getting a new pet lizard but couldnt decide on one. TWhat I am looking for is more of a family pet one which I would preferably let him roam my room.

Iguana was my initial choice but heard that he got a bad temper morover he can grow really big.

Beardies are nice but life span seems abit short.

Do anyone know of anyone other species that seems to be a better choice?.. thanx.

Hello Catcha:
Beardies can actually live quite a long time, so they are not a "short-lived" species.
As far as keeping a lizard loose in your room; it's probably not a good idea. The Lizard might get into things you don't want it to get into. Plus, and this is the most important reason, In the wild they jump around in trees and to the ground which is soft and has some give. Under controlled situations Lizards can possibly hurt themselves because the floor has no give. Broken legs among house roaming lizards are not uncommon.
The animals are much safer in habitats which mimic the natural habitat.
Hope this info Helps!!!

Im with spawn about not letting lizards rome free(unless its nescessary).another option is to use an empty room in you house and make it into one big habitat for a lizard.here are some lizards you could do that with and some you could use a large aqaurium for.

aqaurium:beardeds,green water dragon,tegu(although get them when small so you can tame them),savanna monitor,ridgetail monitor,uros

room:savanna monitor,green water dragon(I think),water monitor,tegus

hope this helps
Nick

green water dragons can be kept in a "reptile roon" if a humidifer is present... they also do very well in aquariums... but i agree that there really isn't a reptile that can be complety cage less... even iguanas need a place to call their own.. with uvb and basking areas.. etc..

alissa

if you're worried about an iguana having a mean temper, i wouldn't suggest you even consider monitors or tegus. the worst an iguana can do is give you a nice welt with its tail, but a large tegu or monitor can seriously mangle a hand or give you very nice gashes in your arm. all-in-all, i'm not in favor of the "house pet" reptile, but the only species i've heard it done with are iguanas and burmese pythons. (also retics, but i strongly do NOT reccomend them) however, a bearded dragon or uromastyx will be "dog tame" and can even me taken for walks on small reptile harnesses, or (more likely) while hanging onto your t-shirt.

-kyle
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[signature edited to remove advertising]

Edited on December 20, 2003 at 19:50:47 by phwyvern.

For a family, I would get a bearded. There much more friendly, plus I've never heard of someone getting bit by a bearded dragon, the most mine does is hiss at me but then it's only maybe about 3 months old.

Water Dragons are also pretty cool, you might want to look into those.

Our houses are climate controlled for our comfort in most cases, and most humans are comfortable at about 70 F. Most reptiles are comfortable between 80 and 90 F, depending on the species, and many require it even warmer. Iguanas are a VERY hot species, for example, requiring very high temps to digest their food properly. Bearded dragons also require high temps for proper digestion. Reptiles also have exacting humidity requirements. A bearded dragon is really too small to roam free even in a climate-controlled room. Water dragons, monitor, iguanas, and tegus are a few animals large enough to require/do well in a room setup, but NOT a person's bedroom! They would need the room temperatures to meet THEIR needs, with a warm basking area, and controlled humidity levels, and in spite of some reports of house trained animals, it's really just that they tend to defecate in the same spot each time--you cannot housebreak them. What if he chooses your bed? What if he's stepped on and injured? If something falls on him? Give up the idea, it's a bad one.

If you really want a pet lizard, a leopard gecko or a bearded dragon are good choices but research your individual animal very carefully FIRST. Setting up a reptile properly can be expensive, and you cannot cut any corners. They must have certain things to survive in captivity, among them are heat, light, proper humidity, and proper nutrition. Keeping a reptile is completely unlike keeping a cat or a dog, or even a bird.

I vote for the Bearded Dragons. They live up to 10 years in captivity. My males are 6 years old and very healthy.

They are easy to care for(a good "starter" lizard) and quite durable. Both mine have had a couple incidents and recovered well. The smaller one actually had to have the tip of his nose stitched back on and, except for a line where it was reattached, you would never know.

They are also quite tame and easily handled.