first timer here!

[RascalDesertTort]

ok so we have the option of getting a baby beardie or a baby iggy....which would you all recommend for me and my family? We have young children as well.

Thanks!!

 

[Tom]

I think beardies are generally a much better pet. Most Iguanas, IF they are housed correctly and healthy tend to be either flighty or aggressive or both. Iggies have a surprisingly very hard bite and very sharp teeth. I speak from experience. By contrast, beardies are generally not this way.

Both species NEED sunlight. I said NEED. Direct, not through a window or anything else. Artificial UV bulbs just don't get it done for them. The mercury vapor bulbs are best for the cold times of the year, but in my opinion, sunshine is a necessity.

The upside of Iguanas, is you don't have to mess with bugs. The downside is they need huge custom built cages and tend to be dangerous when they get bigger. I've had more than one that would chase me around the room to bite me, once I got them healthy.

The upside of beardies is they are usually mild mannered and tame and they don't get too terribly big. The downside is they need to eat a lot of bugs.

Have you considered other species? I really like the savanna monitors. They get big enough to be kind of cool, but not so big that they need a room size enclosure. Three feet is pretty normal. Similar in size to an adult iguana. Thicker bodied, but shorter tailed. They are meat eaters, so pretty easy to feed. Argentine Tegus are a similar story, but they get a little bigger.

How about Uromastix. There are several species. They are similar to the beardies in some ways, but they are vegetarians. Similar food to your tortoises. No bugs. Some of these species are AMAZINGLY colorful. Lots of personality.

Good luck and let us know what you pick.

 

[egyptiandan]

The new thinking on Savana's diet Tom is that they are bug eaters and not much in the way of meat eaters. People finally figured this out after most imported animals died in a few years eating a meat diet (to much fat and it destroyed the liver). So bugs, snails and slugs for them with the odd chick mixed in.
White-throats and Black-throats are a different story though. They are meat eaters, but get bigger than Savanas.

Danny

 

[Kayti]

The new thinking on Savana's diet Tom is that they are bug eaters and not much in the way of meat eaters. People finally figured this out after most imported animals died in a few years eating a meat diet (to much fat and it destroyed the liver). So bugs, snails and slugs for them with the odd chick mixed in.
White-throats and Black-throats are a different story though. They are meat eaters, but get bigger than Savanas.

Danny

A Savana Monitor doesn't seem like a good fit for a guy with young kids, if he want his children to be able to interact with this creature...
I agree with the Uromastix recommendation though! Those guys are really cool looking. But with kids, I'd go for a Bearded Dragon or a leopard gecko.

Good luck with your new pet!

 

[RascalDesertTort]

I'm a girl

lol


[/quote]

A Savana Monitor doesn't seem like a good fit for a guy with young kids, if he want his children to be able to interact with this creature...
I agree with the Uromastix recommendation though! Those guys are really cool looking. But with kids, I'd go for a Bearded Dragon or a leopard gecko.

Good luck with your new pet!
[/quote]

---

@Tom: I'm an AZ native and sunshine is no problem. I was leanign towards a dragon anyways. Whenever I see their pics I can see the different personalities in each one. i love it. It would have an indoor and an outdoor home. (I LOVE building custom homes....hobby of mine)

I had considered leopard geckos bt they just really creep me out for some odd reason lol

Thanks everyone! (except the person who called me a dude j/k)

---

oh and meat eaters are a no go for me. Don't have the heart for it. I'm the one with rats for pets and I love them! lol

 

[Kayti]

Whoops sorry!

 

[Tom]

The new thinking on Savana's diet Tom is that they are bug eaters and not much in the way of meat eaters. People finally figured this out after most imported animals died in a few years eating a meat diet (to much fat and it destroyed the liver). So bugs, snails and slugs for them with the odd chick mixed in.
White-throats and Black-throats are a different story though. They are meat eaters, but get bigger than Savanas.

Danny

Sorry, when I say meat , I mean that to include all things not plant. Bugs, eggs, vertebrates, etc... I've always fed my savannas a varied diet and never had any problems liver or other wise. I don't know how anyone anywhere could possibly find enough snails, slugs and bugs to feed a single adult savanna for very long.

---

The new thinking on Savana's diet Tom is that they are bug eaters and not much in the way of meat eaters. People finally figured this out after most imported animals died in a few years eating a meat diet (to much fat and it destroyed the liver). So bugs, snails and slugs for them with the odd chick mixed in.
White-throats and Black-throats are a different story though. They are meat eaters, but get bigger than Savanas.

Danny

A Savana Monitor doesn't seem like a good fit for a guy with young kids, if he want his children to be able to interact with this creature...
I agree with the Uromastix recommendation though! Those guys are really cool looking. But with kids, I'd go for a Bearded Dragon or a leopard gecko.

Good luck with your new pet!

Kayti, just curious why you think a savanna would not be a good fit around kids. Worse case they are fidgety and want to walk away. I've never had one that was willing to bite, have you? I raised a couple dozen myself over the years and have been around over a hundred while I worked in the pet shops. I've used three different big savannas for outreach programs to schools and educational shows. The savannas are one of the animals we always let the kids touch and interact with. Never saw even a hint of a problem.

Rascal's Mom, I get it that savannas aren't for you, just want you to know you don't ever have to feed them a rodent. They can eat lots of other stuff instead. A Beardie will be a great choice and I've never been all that keen on the Leopard Geckos either. I don't get why they are so popular.

 

[Kayti]

The new thinking on Savana's diet Tom is that they are bug eaters and not much in the way of meat eaters. People finally figured this out after most imported animals died in a few years eating a meat diet (to much fat and it destroyed the liver). So bugs, snails and slugs for them with the odd chick mixed in.
White-throats and Black-throats are a different story though. They are meat eaters, but get bigger than Savanas.

Danny

Sorry, when I say meat , I mean that to include all things not plant. Bugs, eggs, vertebrates, etc... I've always fed my savannas a varied diet and never had any problems liver or other wise. I don't know how anyone anywhere could possibly find enough snails, slugs and bugs to feed a single adult savanna for very long.

---

The new thinking on Savana's diet Tom is that they are bug eaters and not much in the way of meat eaters. People finally figured this out after most imported animals died in a few years eating a meat diet (to much fat and it destroyed the liver). So bugs, snails and slugs for them with the odd chick mixed in.
White-throats and Black-throats are a different story though. They are meat eaters, but get bigger than Savanas.

Danny

A Savana Monitor doesn't seem like a good fit for a guy with young kids, if he want his children to be able to interact with this creature...
I agree with the Uromastix recommendation though! Those guys are really cool looking. But with kids, I'd go for a Bearded Dragon or a leopard gecko.

Good luck with your new pet!

Kayti, just curious why you think a savanna would not be a good fit around kids. Worse case they are fidgety and want to walk away. I've never had one that was willing to bite, have you? I raised a couple dozen myself over the years and have been around over a hundred while I worked in the pet shops. I've used three different big savannas for outreach programs to schools and educational shows. The savannas are one of the animals we always let the kids touch and interact with. Never saw even a hint of a problem.

Rascal's Mom, I get it that savannas aren't for you, just want you to know you don't ever have to feed them a rodent. They can eat lots of other stuff instead. A Beardie will be a great choice and I've never been all that keen on the Leopard Geckos either. I don't get why they are so popular.

---

I've never owned a Sav so I don't know firsthand, but I was interested in keeping one until I read about how hard they are to tame.
I guess I base my opinion mostly on all the videos people post of angry savs hissing and tail-whipping. Like so: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW_HyvNrK-w&feature=channel
(This guy was obviously agitated by having the camera shoved at him- but you get the idea)
I talked to two people that keep both Tegus and Savs, and they both talked about taming issues with Savs, unpredictability, and how a healthy, warm savanna has a high chance of not being handleable.
This website also helped convince me that I didn't want a sav:
http://savannahmonitor.org/
Have you seen it? A lot of the info there was very different from everything else I've read, and they never say who they are or what their credentials are. But it does look truthful to me.

That's cool that you have good experiences with them though! I think they are awesome creatures. How did you tame yours?

 

[Meg90]

What about a Crested gecko? They are amazing. They don't need artificial heat, or light (they are nocturnal) and they eat something called "Crested gecko Diet" which is a powder that you mix with water and it completely mimics a healthy balanced fruigivore diet. In the wild, they eat nectars, overripe fruit, and bugs. I don't feed mine bugs regularly. Just once or twice a month for some of them that like it.

They don't get very big, they come in a ton of pattern and colors, and to top if off: they are the SWEETEST, gentlest reptile I own! (baring the tortoises of course! )

Here are some pictures of mine!

Tonks, adult female

Firs, juvie boy

Sookie, sub-adult female

Merlotte, hatchling unsexed

One of my habitats:

I have 13 cresteds. Once you get the hang of them, they are the easiest keepers ever!

And take a look at this:

She was 3 here, (my mom's gecko in the pic). With supervision, they interact very well with children!

 

[Tom]

The new thinking on Savana's diet Tom is that they are bug eaters and not much in the way of meat eaters. People finally figured this out after most imported animals died in a few years eating a meat diet (to much fat and it destroyed the liver). So bugs, snails and slugs for them with the odd chick mixed in.
White-throats and Black-throats are a different story though. They are meat eaters, but get bigger than Savanas.

Danny

Sorry, when I say meat , I mean that to include all things not plant. Bugs, eggs, vertebrates, etc... I've always fed my savannas a varied diet and never had any problems liver or other wise. I don't know how anyone anywhere could possibly find enough snails, slugs and bugs to feed a single adult savanna for very long.

---

The new thinking on Savana's diet Tom is that they are bug eaters and not much in the way of meat eaters. People finally figured this out after most imported animals died in a few years eating a meat diet (to much fat and it destroyed the liver). So bugs, snails and slugs for them with the odd chick mixed in.
White-throats and Black-throats are a different story though. They are meat eaters, but get bigger than Savanas.

Danny

A Savana Monitor doesn't seem like a good fit for a guy with young kids, if he want his children to be able to interact with this creature...
I agree with the Uromastix recommendation though! Those guys are really cool looking. But with kids, I'd go for a Bearded Dragon or a leopard gecko.

Good luck with your new pet!

Kayti, just curious why you think a savanna would not be a good fit around kids. Worse case they are fidgety and want to walk away. I've never had one that was willing to bite, have you? I raised a couple dozen myself over the years and have been around over a hundred while I worked in the pet shops. I've used three different big savannas for outreach programs to schools and educational shows. The savannas are one of the animals we always let the kids touch and interact with. Never saw even a hint of a problem.

Rascal's Mom, I get it that savannas aren't for you, just want you to know you don't ever have to feed them a rodent. They can eat lots of other stuff instead. A Beardie will be a great choice and I've never been all that keen on the Leopard Geckos either. I don't get why they are so popular.

---

I've never owned a Sav so I don't know firsthand, but I was interested in keeping one until I read about how hard they are to tame.
I guess I base my opinion mostly on all the videos people post of angry savs hissing and tail-whipping. Like so: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW_HyvNrK-w&feature=channel
(This guy was obviously agitated by having the camera shoved at him- but you get the idea)
I talked to two people that keep both Tegus and Savs, and they both talked about taming issues with Savs, unpredictability, and how a healthy, warm savanna has a high chance of not being handleable.
This website also helped convince me that I didn't want a sav:
http://savannahmonitor.org/
Have you seen it? A lot of the info there was very different from everything else I've read, and they never say who they are or what their credentials are. But it does look truthful to me.

That's cool that you have good experiences with them though! I think they are awesome creatures. How did you tame yours?

---

That you tube vid is just a normal baby reacting to that thing shoved in his face. Beardies and everything else will do the same thing or something like it. An iguana would be in the next room. Did you see how the lizard settled down and relaxed toward the end of the vid? That's what makes them so good. They tend to settle down even when somebodies trying to rile them up. They just tend to be calm, adaptable and less defensive than some other species.

The website was interesting, but a lot of doom and gloom. Kind of like the anti-sulcata craze that's going on. Its just not as bad as they say it is. 1% survival rate? I must be magic then. I've always had 100% success with this species. I use the typical pet store set-up, but give them a humid hide box to go into. Kind of like a burrow, I guess. Most of the care info seems very idealistic. We could all spend $150,000 and build a complete naturalistic, room sized set-ups for each of our turtles too. It just seems a bit much. Nothing wrong with doing it that way. I just don't see all that trouble as necessary. The diet info is a bit extreme too. I have no doubt about the study finding insects in the wild ones, but that is not the whole picture. They most certainly ARE opportunistic in the wild. I've seen footage of them hunting, catching and eating other things in the wild, like snakes for example. A varied diet and appropriate quantities are necessary for all captive animals. My savannas were never fat, because I didn't over feed them. They said it best in the second to last paragraph. If this, this and this, "then the status quo should be kept." Well, I don't do it the way they say it should be done, but I always achieve the results they say they desire. They do make some good points and I do like some of their suggestions, but I really don't care for the condescending tone. These sound like zoo professionals who think they know more than the guy whose been keeping and breeding one species for decades. There has been a lot of elitism coming from zoo keepers and conservationist in recent years, but that's a whole 'nother subject.

I never "tamed" any of mine. They just tend to have a good disposition. I pick species to work with based partly on this.

 

[RascalDesertTort]

hmm....lots to think about now. If I don't need to feed rodents I'm open to it. lol And the geckos still freak me out lol...I love to look at them but i wouldnt want to hold them lol. I had a house gecko fall off the ceiling into my hair once and have never recovered. If they are by my porch light, i have to say a little prayer before I close my eyes and rush in the door lol.

 

[latshki]

I think your best choices, especially with kids are beardies or uromastyx
they both have relativly the same care but uros like it a bit hotter and run on veggies only so you can give thme most of the things your torts eat
also a good thing with the uros is that they tend to be a bit more active as beardies kind of laze around

 

[Itort]

Ok, now my vote is for a captive bred bluetongue skink. A northern if possible. They are mellow interactive lizard that get good sized but not to big, easy to feed (omnivours), good looking, and kid friendly but the downside pricey (150 to 200) because they are livebearers with one litter a year. Don't buy the ones in petshops as they are wildcaught Indonesians and can be snappy (you'd be to if you were a choice food item) and often parasite laden and badly stressed. checkout www.bluetongueskinks.net Otherwise I'd suggest an older Beardie.

 

[latshki]

how did I forget blue tongues! they are great and are on my list of some days

 

[RascalDesertTort]

I actually like the laziness of the beardies....fast moving reptiles make me jumpy too lol. I know i just need to be around them more but I'll start with a slow/lazy one. Thanks!!