Taming a Basilisk

[Rafini]

after doing a lot of research on different reptiles I have found that Basilisks and water dragons are probably what I will decide to go for. They will have an enclosure built for them of course I just have a few questions.


1. I've witnessed and heard many reports of basilisks and water dragons being housed together succesfully from a young age, I'm thinking of trying this (no multiple males though)

2. I know that basilisks are supposed to be kinda hard to tame unless you get them out often andfrom a young age, but when I was looking into monitors and tegu, I hear pretty much the same thing. So what i'm wonderig is, If I do get a basilisk and I take him out regularly and socialise him It can't be much harder than taming a monitor right? I'm not trying to make it be picked up and stroked but maybe just climb on me and be social around people.

3. should I just go for water dragons, They cost the same as basilisks, but I really liked the idea of taming a basilisk. Can't be much harder than an Ig or monitor/tegu surely? youtuve seems to be full of tamed ones.

PS I have a hedgehog who is aggressive as hell, he hates being picked up. But I enjoy having him because I get him out and let him roam about and sometimes he tolerates me holding him. I want that same kind of thing, I'm not looking for a holdy touchy feely pet, I already have a big lazy beardie.

 

[Gagesmith]

Tamong a basilisk has to be easier then a monitor but if you take him out everyday for ten-twenty minutes i cant see it be any harder then a eater dragon would be !

Id choose a water dragon ! I like them more, more personality , but its all in what you like ! I have tamed a couple brown basilisk at my lfs they were both 8" and i had them perfectly hand trained in 1 week, but with my tegus and monitors it can take 2-3 month sometimes

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[Rafini]

Thats exactly what I wanted to know! I was sure that it must be easier than a monitor or Tegu surely.

Would you say the browns and the greens are pretty much the same in terms of handling?

I was actually thinking of keeping a male basilisk (better personality) with 2 female water dragons. doing this from a young age would mean they would cohabit nicely (of course I would always be observing them). I've heard lots of sucess stories from doing this at young ages, And I would obviously handle all of them regularly. I think they are quite social species and i wouldn't like to keep just one in a cage alone.

I read that male basilisks and female WD's are the most tame sexes of both of those species. So surely they would cohabit nicely and make good pets?

 

[Gagesmith]

Id think so ! Ive seen it done and hopefuly it works out for you ! I love my cwds !


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[Rafini]

thanks, I am thinking of building a 4.5 x 2 x 4 enclosure for them and getting them out regularly, Thanks for giving me input I had a feeling nobody would say anything cause the reptile section here seems to be kinda dead unless youre talking about snakes

 

[Sylvias]

That size enclosure would only be suitable for one... if you are wanting to do more than one (especially if your mixing species, which i would advise against) you would need to at least double that space. For a single water dragon i wouldn't do anything smaller than 6ft tall, 4ft wide, 3ft deep. For two I'd do 6X8X4.... You might be able to fit 2 and a basilisk in that but it certainly wouldn't hurt to add a little more height and depth to that.
CWD's are easier than basilisks to hand tame but both about the same in care requirements. basilisks will be a bit more strict on their environmental needs. I have seen basilisks cohab readily but I have noticed a lot of aggression between CWD's regardless of sex on numerous occasions... Usually it is not aggression that people notice because it's not as obvious as one physically bullying the other. Most times it's more along the lines of one being so absolutely dominating over the other(s) that they just stay hidden and out of the way to the point that they starve.... cohab water dragons with caution....(another reason why doubling the space will be necessary)

 

[Gagesmith]

thanks, I am thinking of building a 4.5 x 2 x 4 enclosure for them and getting them out regularly, Thanks for giving me input I had a feeling nobody would say anything cause the reptile section here seems to be kinda dead unless youre talking about snakes

My speciality is monitors tegus larger lizard and really just lizards and snakes !


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[Rafini]

That size enclosure would only be suitable for one... if you are wanting to do more than one (especially if your mixing species, which i would advise against) you would need to at least double that space. For a single water dragon i wouldn't do anything smaller than 6ft tall, 4ft wide, 3ft deep. For two I'd do 6X8X4.... You might be able to fit 2 and a basilisk in that but it certainly wouldn't hurt to add a little more height and depth to that.
CWD's are easier than basilisks to hand tame but both about the same in care requirements. basilisks will be a bit more strict on their environmental needs. I have seen basilisks cohab readily but I have noticed a lot of aggression between CWD's regardless of sex on numerous occasions... Usually it is not aggression that people notice because it's not as obvious as one physically bullying the other. Most times it's more along the lines of one being so absolutely dominating over the other(s) that they just stay hidden and out of the way to the point that they starve.... cohab water dragons with caution....(another reason why doubling the space will be necessary)

Not meaning to sound disrespectful but everyone has different ideas of an acceptable enclosure size. Some people think the max is a minimum and vice versa. I've been doing a lot of research on these lizards recently and it seems a majority of keepers will keep a single lizard in a 3' long by 3'-4' high and claim that this is okay for one or more, personally I see that as much too small but I really don't see an 6x8 being necasary for the species. Yeah that would be wonderful and who knows maybe I will eat those words and end up building an even larger enclosure.

This site has a reputation for exagerrating minimum sizes for just about everything So I always do research alongside what I read on here to make sure I actually know whats really going on, And I have yet to find someone that keeps more than one basilisk or water dragon in an enclosure that is 6x8. I think I would probably be the only one.

I have seen some real bad info though saying an adult basilisk is fine in a 50 gallon, my point is, If I grow these lizards up together and I keep an eye on them to make sure everything is doing okay, I can't really see myself thinking that they are being kept incorrectly. They require a minimum of 3' according to the net and I am giving them more than that, plus I am also thinking of making the enclosure 5' tall instead for asthetic effect.


For example Iwas interested in savannah monitors, and I did some research and came to the conclusion that 6x3 was an acceptable footprint, then I stumbled across some website that is apparently the best source to go by at savannah monitor husbandry, and holy hell they were suggesting double everything and claiming that the zoo's that formulated the certain diets were wrong bla bla bla, and I just get the impression there are a lot of self entitled people out there who want to scare everyone into trippling their cage size where in reality bigger is always better yeah, but some people just take this too far (a lot of guys on here do about fish)
Needless to say I decided against a monitor after being scared that it would need a room sized enclosure for fear of being labelled an animal abuser

 

[Gagesmith]

That size enclosure would only be suitable for one... if you are wanting to do more than one (especially if your mixing species, which i would advise against) you would need to at least double that space. For a single water dragon i wouldn't do anything smaller than 6ft tall, 4ft wide, 3ft deep. For two I'd do 6X8X4.... You might be able to fit 2 and a basilisk in that but it certainly wouldn't hurt to add a little more height and depth to that.
CWD's are easier than basilisks to hand tame but both about the same in care requirements. basilisks will be a bit more strict on their environmental needs. I have seen basilisks cohab readily but I have noticed a lot of aggression between CWD's regardless of sex on numerous occasions... Usually it is not aggression that people notice because it's not as obvious as one physically bullying the other. Most times it's more along the lines of one being so absolutely dominating over the other(s) that they just stay hidden and out of the way to the point that they starve.... cohab water dragons with caution....(another reason why doubling the space will be necessary)

+1 on the space !


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[Vicious_Fish]

After keeping and breeding both Basiliscus vittatus and Basiliscus plumifrons for a number of years I found that B. plumifrons to be a little more laid back about handing but in general this is a fairly nervous genus of lizards and none really enjoy handling at all. My Water Dragons were always more calm than any of my Basilisks. If you want something to interact with than I choose dragon but if your heart is set on Basilisks than I'd recommend a male of the species. Females can be really flightly.