Great Unique Pets (Lizards)

Member Name: DocDan3

Product:	Lizards
Date:	20/07/09 (67 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Unique, Interesting, Cheaper Than A Large Dog, Some Are Humorous/Entertaining

Disadvantages: Live Food Is Pricey, Certain Requirements

When it comes to buying a pet, you may look for something that is easy to look after, has a personality and is enjoyable to keep and playful. I would say that most lizards have these attributes and they make excellent pets. Not all of them cost a lot to look after, but some can be quite pricey when they eat insects and other live food or pink mice.

I will start with perhaps my most favourite - the bearded dragon. This is a very common lizard found in pet shops around the UK. They are grey with beige and light brown colourings. They look like real dinosaurs with their spiky, rough skin but they are softer to touch than they seem. Most of the spikes are actually quite soft. They are famous for their beards, hence their name, which inflates to warn off predators. They also do this when they get angry, and sometimes if they see another lizard or bearded dragon - it's a way of saying hello. They are great lizards as they are very maneuverable and you can carry them around - I used to take mine to craft fairs and everyone would look at it and say 'oh look, an iguana!' Not all lizards are iguanas! Just like turtles aren't the same as tortoises. Bearded dragons are omnivores so eat both insects such as crickets and locusts as well as fruit and vegetables including dandelion leaves, flowers and watercress. They are easy to look after but they should be given a diet of many insects, which can cost a lot. You can buy a bearded dragon for around £60.00, if it's a baby, or you can expect to pay a lot more.

Then we have the iguana itself. They can grow to be quite large and very long with their tail, so you must take this into consideration when planning where to keep it. They use their tail as a whip and they have a very cute look too. They have rather characteristic feet, which very long toes and sharp claws on the end. They can run quite fast and have good personalities too. You will find them for a similar price to a bearded dragon and they make great pets too.

I used to have a Panther Chameleon, which unfortunately died from an eating disorder. It was my favourite lizard but it was a real shame that it died after only a month. It will cost a lot more at maybe £200-250 but they are really amazing pets. You must keep them in either a tank, or what I had, which is a black-netted box. They only drink from a drip of water due to their mouth and tongue. I think this may the reason mine didn't last very long, as it didn't like drinking from its water or didn't know it was there. They purely eat insects such as small crickets and can eat larger ones when they grow. They are really lovely pets with a somewhat humorous personality as they have eyes that rotate all around. They can change their skin colour slightly too, according to their mood. They also have characteristic feet, which are like little pincers. They pinch you lightly as they climb up your body and it's actually really cute. They move quite slowly and need a lot of climbing material in their habitats as they live in the trees.

This has just been a taster of a few pet lizards out there. You may have heard of the amazing Komodo Dragon, which is the world's largest lizard. I don't think you'd want that as a pet, but it's a fascinating animal. Lizards have certain requirements for heat, food and water but they are not too bad to look after. Their food can cost quite a lot but it's well worth the entertainment they may bring.

Thanks for reading,

Dan ©

Summary: A great pet and a fascinating animal that resembles the dinosaurs