Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Now I happen to like these little Swifts I live in Reno and have about 10 million of these little guys all around my house front and back yards. I cetch them now and then to show my elderly great aunt she loves them.

Im not sure however that I understand fully the intrest in keeping these cute little guys as pet's there fast as hell though i can sorta see the appeal if you flip one on its back and stroke its belly the silly things will fall asleep in your hand.

Untill tonight I had no idea that there was real intrest in this paticular breed of lizzard.

Hope to hear some of your thoughts.

Justin

Swifts are not interactive pets for the most part. I am trying to breed certain kinds of indigenous lizards, and thought Blue Spinys would make good pets because of their size. Well, they don't. They are fast and bolt when I stick my hand in the tank, and these were cb and raised by me! They will tolerate my presence, but they are more like observational pets, and since I don't trust that the majority of people would house them properly, ie, LOTS of running room and LOTS of hides, I have decided not to breed them. I kept three females, and while I enjoy looking at them, they are not exactly the little buddies that my collareds, chuckwallas, and desert iguanas are.

I find Sceloporus (swifts) to be very charming pets. Not the kind of pet that you take out and hold, but very interesting to watch. I see the head bobs for courting and territory assertion, I see their excitement when I approach the tank with a bag of crickets. They are absolutely not as dumb as some ignorant people think, and clearly know that a plastic bag in my hand means dinner very soon. They will also take waxworms right from my hand if they are hanging upside down from the screen top.

I only wish I could get a trio of Texas banded geckos, since my former ones died of old age. I had those little cuties for years! I have been looking and looking, went to a reptile show, and came up with nothing. In NYC, there aren't any places to go hunting those guys. I also wish I could get some more female utas to keep my male company.

I am just wild about tiny lizards, and my tanks for them look like a piece of the desert snipped out and fit into a tank.

That is why I kept back my three girls. The male and another female went to live with a friend of mine who will just let them be lizards. I think that is the key to keeping them healthy and happy, and many people can't understand that.

Esther, what species of Swifts do you have?

Hi, Rosebuds. I keep 2.1 Yarrows spiny lizards (amazingly, the males don't fight), 1.2 green anoles, 1.1 utas, 0.1 western whiptail, and 0.3 leos. I would, as I said, dearly love to get 1.2 or 1.3 Texas banded gex (know anywhere I could do that?) and another girl uta or two. If I ever had the chance to add a small night lizard to the uta/Texgex tank, I'd jump at it. I can watch the Yarrows and uta tanks from my desk, and it's better than anything on TV, you betcha!

What do you keep?

Esther, forgive me, but what is a uta? LOL!

I see the Texas geckos for sale now and then. The only banded that I know of that is available now is some western banded gex. If I hear anything, I will certainly let you know.

Hey Rosebuds.

A uta is a sideblotch lizard. Those tiny cuties. Their scientific name is Uta stansburiana.

Texas geckos? If you hear of any, PLEASE let me know. My teenies tank looks empty without their adorable little tail-waving selves in it.

Have a good 'un,

--Esther