im starting to consider reptiles. wich should i get snake or lizard

[WckedMidas]

what should i try and get if i decide to. some type of monitor. or a snake?

In your all exsperience how are monitors are they all mean and vicous or can you handle certain types

[rayman45]

red tail boa
or beardie

[guppy]

Most monitors are not trust worthy, some are down right vicious, individuals vary alot. A friends 6' Nile got out one day and killed his dacshund. Snakes and monitors tend to have strong odors. Water dragons and bearded dragons are good startes and hand tame easily.

[Vitaliy]

Personally I am not too fond of large reptiles, just not my thing. If I had a choice I would get a nice Chameleon setup.
and/or
I would also really love a tree frog setup, something with a fog machine and live plants!

[guppy]

Personally I am not too fond of large reptiles, just not my thing. If I had a choice I would get a nice Chameleon setup.
and/or
I would also really love a tree frog setup, something with a fog machine and live plants! I hear you, I like geckos, esp. those little F.U. geckos, and giant leaftails. A good tank of small geckos will sing to you like crickets. They also tend to be cheap but you have to handle them gently. I also love dart frogs.

[WckedMidas]

not realy wanting a boa or python unless its albino. Ive had them in the past. I had iguanas,anoles,geckos, im wanting something difrent this time. the lfs does have the beardys tho. If i did the frog setup ide have to go full blown terrairium i no i screwed the spelling up on that. But aint got the lot for a costly setup right now. One lfs has niles and savananhas i think it was savanha that was long and thin like. looked pretty cool. But he wanted alot for it. Hm

[The TRUST]

if you go snakes, get some cobras and a gaboon viper. I went so a guys house here that had them. very awesome especially when they start getting pissed of and start hooding.

[redtailfool]

Im partial to bearded dragons because theyre tame, beautiful and you can put them on your shoulder like a parrot.

[WckedMidas]

Im partial to bearded dragons because theyre tame, beautiful and you can put them on your shoulder like a parrot.

ow thats cool ima definitly check them out alittle more
what about watter dragons how are they?

[redtailfool]

ow thats cool ima definitly check them out alittle more
what about watter dragons how are they?

Dont know much water dragons. but def check out Beardies.. they have nice colors too.. orangey.. etc etc... gets to about a foot or 2 and very tame.

[Aimhigher38]

I would also recommend Bearded Dragons for u too.....They have some color morphs that are reddish/gold really nice. These arent as vicious or aggressive as monitors. Ever since I saw my friend's Savanah Monitor attack him while feeding...I dont think I would get them as pets.... Can lose some fingers one day

[redtailfool]

Aim- how did it happen? what were the injuries?

Jed - gaboons cobras .. i need wills insurance policy pronto !

[Aimhigher38]

My buddy wasnt paying attention...he had 2 large savanah monitors and he was putting mice in the cage and one of the monitors tried to take a bite at my buddys forearm...Lucky..no serious damages...but its waiting for things to happen with such an aggressive reptile...thats my opinion though...and Im sure every indivual animal is different also

[The TRUST]

Jed - gaboons cobras .. i need wills insurance policy pronto !

LOL! the guy had them devenomed. he said "I'm such a dumbass that I need to get them devenomed. I have been bitten by these guys so many times."

He said the the Gabbon viper bite was the most painful. It has the longest fangs of any snake in the world

here is a skull shot

http://198.31.251.176/store/images/ProdImages/R-11130.jpghttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/01/photogalleries/snakes/images/primary/snake_1n.jpg

[redtailfool]

Yeah those gaboons have retractable fangs. Id rather get tagged by my rays than that. Look at those fangs. Ugh!


Aim - wow those monitors are certainly no joke. Arent some venomous as well ?
Tell your sleepy friend to try komodo dragons next. I saw an episode of "wildboys"
where steve -o and party boy were chased by komodos. Those mofos are HUGE>>..!!!!!!

[cenecker]

Well the best choice is obvious...get a tegu! :headbang2

Well I guess I'm a little biased.

Snakes are WAY easier to keep than any lizard. They only eat once a week, they don't need UV lights, boas and pythons don't need huge cages because, well, they don't really move much.

Monitors - Savannah monitors and white throat monitors tame down pretty well, beyond that, most of them are pretty nasty unless you're ready to put some time into taming them. And with any big predatory lizard you have to always keep in mind it could take your finger off if it's in a bad mood no matter how "tame" it is.

Venemous Snakes - yikes, I used to have a Rattlesnake...I thought I wanted one for sooooo long. When I finally got one, well that turned out to be a real mistake. It NEVER stopped rattling and it bit the glass everytime I walked past it's cage.

Bearded Dragons - I can't stand them... but that's just my opinion. They're kind of like the Oscar of the Reptile world. They're cool but EVERYFREAKINGBODY has one.

[cenecker]

there aren't any venemous monitors, there are only two venemous lizards in the world - the Gila Monster and the Beaded lizard (closely related)

[redtailfool]

Thanks for the info ceneker. iguanas are the oscars of the reptile world IMO
everybody has one.

[guppy]

if you go snakes, get some cobras and a gaboon viper. I went so a guys house here that had them. very awesome especially when they start getting pissed of and start hooding.
Most states require permits for venomous snakes, make sure to aquire antivenom for any exotics, your local hospital probably won't have cobra antivenom and antivenom for rattlers won't help a damn. gila monsters and mexican beaded lizards are the only venomous lizards but large niles almost always give infected bites similar to but not as lethal as a komodo. Good luck getting a Komodo without a CITES permit and those are hard even for zoos to get.

[jackspartus]

I recommend a desert species of lizard or snake due to the fact that they are easier to keep, most new keepers lose animals due to humidity issues ex: to high fungus, bacteria, slothing of the skin. to low broken skin, respatory problems for either to high or to low humidity and the list can always grow, my cousin has uromastyx as his first herp and he seems to have problems getting the food during the winter and keeping the enclosure very hot during the day 120 degrees after you get them going u rarley have complications IMO

[cenecker]

Thanks for the info ceneker. iguanas are the oscars of the reptile world IMO
everybody has one.

yeah good point.

[Chad55]

Everybody says how tame beardies are but i have one that is agressive and i know another person that is VERY agressive. I went over there this one time and he struck at me through the glass. Mine is not quite that agressive he just puffs up alot when you try to touch him. I really hope he calms as he gets bigger because he is only 10.5" right now. Good luck

[fishnthings]

i agree with rayman45, a redtail boa is one of the best snakes for beginners, they r very docile and easy to care for. i personally feel that they bearded dragon is the best lizard available. they r also easy to care for and have a great personallity, one of the nicest of all lizards. ( a ball python wouldnt be bad either)

[Dargath78]

I've always wanted a Brazilian Rainbow boa.

[rattlermike]

look into frilled dragons i have had my male for a few years now and it is one of the best lizards i have had in years godd personality and just a little different then what every one else has also blue toung skinks are great they get a little bigger then a bearded dragon but they are just as friendly

[Chad55]

I agree 100% At the begining of my "herp keeping" I got a chinese water dragon. It was so hard to keep the humidity up. Then i had a golden gecko and crested gecko, once again very hard to keep the humidity up. Now I have my beardie which is extremly easy to keep. The only thing you have to worry about is food and water everyday.

[prm]

i have a baby bearded and a crested gecko i like my gecko more better personality i think

have you thought about dwarf monitors like storres etc.

[Chris@TSE]

Bearded Dragon or a Leopard Gecko for a first pet reptile, for sure!

Leopard geckos are a bit more visually appealing.... Beardies more "personable"

Good luck! :)

http://topshelfexotic.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/normal_babies.JPG

[Hoplight]

i don't now much about lizards get a kingsnake they stay small :cheers:

[inline4]

i once had a green anole, i put it on a rose bush to bask in the sun and it ran away.
then i had a green iguana, i put it in the backyard with a reptile leash to bask in the sun and it too ran away.
then i had a pacman frog, most awesome frog ever. it got big, and i sold it to the lps.
one day I want to try a big monitor lizard, but dang if it runs away someone will get a fright.

[joel]

i have owned a number of lizard and snake species. The most interesting i think are chameleons . If you are considering a larger species, Savanah monitors are nice. they are more docile then most monitor species. Or a blue tongue skink. i have a western hognose snake right now, by far the most interesting snake i've ever owned. They display a hood like a cobra. and if you really piss them off they will play dead. King snakes and rat snakes are great for beginners. King snakes are cannibals though so you can't put them with other snakes.

[bosshawg]

i had a mexican spiny tailed. they get nice size and are very tame if u handle them early mine loved for my grandmother to come in and talk to him. plus theyre omnivorious. i saw mine catch a fly out the air in his tank that was just crazy

[cenecker]

i once had a green anole, i put it on a rose bush to bask in the sun and it ran away.
then i had a green iguana, i put it in the backyard with a reptile leash to bask in the sun and it too ran away.
then i had a pacman frog, most awesome frog ever. it got big, and i sold it to the lps.
one day I want to try a big monitor lizard, but dang if it runs away someone will get a fright.

Heres an idea...stop putting them outside.

[guppy]

Heres an idea...stop putting them outside.
Or switch to tortoises so that they run away real slow.

[pete620]

My buddy wasnt paying attention...he had 2 large savanah monitors and he was putting mice in the cage and one of the monitors tried to take a bite at my buddys forearm...Lucky..no serious damages...but its waiting for things to happen with such an aggressive reptile...thats my opinion though...and Im sure every indivual animal is different also


The monitor did not "attack" your friend, it was simply acting on an instictual feeding response. I would also question your friends knowledge of keeping monitor lizards if he feeds them in their enclosures. A large monitor is NOT a good reptile for a begining keeper. If you want a monitor look to the dwarf species, such as Varanus acanthurus. Of course, always reserch an animal BEFORE you get it.

[cenecker]

I would also question your friends knowledge of keeping monitor lizards if he feeds them in their enclosures

AMEN...feeding large predatory lizards in thier cages is a great way to lose a finger.

[Thomas_Hung]

I have both (corn snake,bearded dragon) I would personaly recomend a snake as they are much easier to care for! Plus you dont have to mess around with crickets!! haha