Looking to buy a bigger reptile

[Wiggles92]

ya i dont think I have a big enough place for one of those, cant really keep it outside except for the summer. I really like the tegu,

You'll certainly have more time to get an adult-sized enclosure ready, though, plus it isn't supposed to have insects in its diet. Realistically speaking, you would be looking at a tortoise with a shell length of 18" and a weight in the 70-100 lbs. range after five to ten years if you feed it often. You could feed it less in order to slow its growth down; I don't see that as inhumane as these animals evolved to deal with infrequent feedings and take 20-50 years to reach their adult size in the wild.

Tegus & monitors grow very fast and will easily reach their maximum size in two to three years (sometimes less for some species) if given proper care plus all of them need a diet that mainly consists of live insects for their first few months/years of life. Canned insects & processed meats are not an acceptable substitute for live insects when these lizards are young. Besides, you'd be going against your "no insects" rule if you got a tegu or a monitor.

They have the potential to take off a finger

That's a bit of an exaggeration imo but like I said they could do damage as any large lizard could..

I find it very believable that a tegu could take off a finger considering the damage that adult specimens will do to rodents; you'd be surprised as to how much force they can exert with their jaws.

water monitor all they way full grown they can live on a healthy diet of cat food and egg's

No they can't.

I definitely agree with Chub_by! That's not a suitable diet for any monitor!

 

[RMorrow]

Don't sell the iguana short on doing damage! They have torn me up a couple of times and I required stitches once. And you do not have to be an old timer to have heard of people having to have reconstructive surgery because of their wonderful habit of trying to bite your face. I think there was even an article about it in the old Reptile[I ]Magazine.[/I]

 

[Wiggles92]

Don't sell the iguana short on doing damage! They have torn me up a couple of times and I required stitches once. And you do not have to be an old timer to have heard of people having to have reconstructive surgery because of their wonderful habit of trying to bite your face. I think there was even an article about it in the old Reptile[I ]Magazine.[/I]

Iguanas can be evil lizards! I've read that they will latch on to you if they're irritated; I wouldn't doubt that a big adult male could take off a finger as well. I remember that the locals warned people about going near the green iguanas more than the Nile monitors when I was on vacation in Florida last year!

 

[Vicious_Fish]

My old female iguana of 14 years was a real sweetheart. The only time you had to watch your hands was when you put her food dish in her cage.

 

[A. gigas]

water monitor all they way full grown they can live on a healthy diet of cat food and egg's

No, they can't. They need a varied diet of whole prey items. Cat food is for cats, and it really isn't terribly healthy for them either. It's certainly extremely unhealthy for monitors, and eggs really aren't a good food item either.

would like to get something personable or at least easily hand able.

Monitors certainly don't fit this requirement..

 

[savannah_az]

What about a blue tongue skink? I didn't see it suggested but not sure if its big enough for you. Still meets your other requirements though, handleable, almost always personable, usually $200 tops. Doesn't have to eat live prey, mine never has... Just a thought .


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[crayfishguy]

leachianus gecko.