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Lizards

Pet Lizards:

Pet lizards like other reptilian pets are usually the fancy of quite a few individuals with a taste for the unconventional.



Reptilian pets might seem like they are the ideal sort of pets considering that they have very few space requirements and even feeding requirements but the fact is that adopting reptiles is something that you must be very careful about. Remember that most reptiles that are considered as pets are not native to North America with the exception of the corn snake.



This is especially true of some lizards like monitors, geckos, and chameleons. These are all natives of the tropics and because of the vast temperature change from their native lands can end up being a disappointing experience.





Most people who do adopt lizards have to do a lot of research before they get a reptile in the first place. Nearly all lizards are quite harmless to humans except the Komodo dragon, which can kill with a single bite and is as big as a human lying flat on the ground. Therefore, the first thing that you must bear in mind is that what a lizard starts out as is sometimes far from what it will end up as. Start out with species that don’t grow up to be huge monsters like the gecko. Do not attempt to source a pet lizard from the wild as this is by now illegal in most countries. Lizard care for wild species is especially problematic because these cannot be tamed and end up behaving quite distressed around humans. Always source your pets and their products from a legal pet store only. The average reptile might have a lifespan of a few years and in that time, they will usually just be happy being around in one part of their cage. It is worth noting that some lizard species are quite mobile; therefore, apart from just the requirements of food, water, and warmth, you must also provide for ample climbing opportunities inside their enclosures.

One of the few points to note is that nearly all reptiles contain populations of salmonella bacteria within them, which can cause a significant infection to you and sometimes even death. Therefore, when you handle reptiles, you must always keep your hands covered and wash your hands with strong antiseptic soap afterwards. The diet of the lizard would most likely be insect-based but this would largely depend on which species you plan to acquire.

 
  Submitted on January 21, 2010