Reptile & Amphibian Forums

n/p

bigger, more colorful, more personality and demonstrative, no egg issues and generally a better representation of the species.
of course my opinion is in general.

I have 4 males and 5 females, 2.1 of which are 5 year old offspring of my first 2 females. Although my 2 favorites are females, my males on average have reached a higher level of acclimation to captivity. Egg laying females have a terrific burden and can change weight by up to 40%. If they lay eggs, females are definetely more work than males who for the less specialized herper would be my recommendation.

Terribly difficult question!! Both sexes are amazing looking, juvenile thru adulthood. I have 3, 2 males and 1 female, all wonderful animals. If I were put in the horrible position of choosing to keep only one it would have to be Bubbles, the 5 year old female. She is the one that purposefully seeks out my presence and attention. She's gentle, calm, tolerant, and very intelligent. My year younger male, Scrub, has also turned into a very reliable, well-mannered lizard but he doesn't show the degree of human dependancy that Bubbles does. Loofah, the 20 month old male is still quite fiesty and would prefer to be off exploring than interacting with me at the moment, but shows the potential of being a great pet in another 6 months or so.

you didn't know the personality of the rhinos. If Robert does than the choice is easy. I'm not trying to give you a hard time. I am just curious on your choice.

I think adult personality has alot to do with how the animal is raised. With the exception of Doonie, I've raised all of my Cyclura from yearlings or younger. They are raised indoors with daily interaction, handling, hand feeding, and exposure to other species, mainly GGI's. They all become freeroaming when they get large enough not to get into tight spots. This gives them the opportunity to become a part of the household and, basically, a family member, not unlike raising a dog. Some folks may disagree with this, and I've been told that I'm foolish because Cyclura are dangerous animals and should not be allowed to freeroam in the house. So far I'm very pleased with my animals as pets.

OK, as far as my choice of a female goes, that is based purely on my own experiences with Bubbles and Doonie. Both females showed a desire to be with people. They will actively seek out my location to hang out with me. Bubbles will go so far as to place her front feet on my leg until I pick her up. Egging is another issue and I had my worries with MiMi last year, then the unfortunate loss of Doonie this year.

My opinion may change as my males mature. Scrub is only 3 years old and my male Cuban is 2. They both are wonderful animals but are not showing the personality and human dependence that the females have shown. Ironically, in Green Iguanas I prefer the personalities of the males.

Hi all, I agree with Jane here. I only have the (semi-longterm) experience with one female lewisi cross I got from DB 2 years ago. At first I thought I was either going to have to give her up or just have an evil iguana on my hands (just ask Jane) but after loads of hands on with her she is what I would consider dog tame. It took all of last summer taking her all over the place and letting her freeroam my computer room but it was all worth it. She is completely unscared of humans. She does not seek out human attention yet tho. I am pleased that she doesnt automatically head in the other direction anymore when presented with a human. So that is what I have seen with females so far.

Now as for Pete, the male caymanensis I just got in May from some wonderful people in CA. They brought him up very well with a lot of hands on also. He is completely different in personality tho. He is EXCELLENT with us in the house, he likes to be petted and climbs on my lap quite frequently. On the other hand I dont feel that I can take him out in public or even outside on a leash. Outdoors he freaks out unless he is in a cage. And he doesnt like unfamiliar territory or other people very much. I can see that his upbringing had a lot to do with this. His old owners took him out a lot and petting him a lot and let him bask outdoors in a cage. They didnt socialize him to other people very much and didnt take him out in public.

In conclusion, I think they are a product of their environment when growing up, much like people. Give them the attention they need and take them out and desensitize them to every little thing you can and you will have a very well adjusted lizard.

Carole
www.reptilecare.com