Anyone own a lizard?

larrygaga

No cats or dogs at this time. I'm thinking a snake or lizard. I want something fairly low maintenance but if we want to hold it we can. I also don't want it to be an animal that lives for 15 years or something crazy. We live in a teeny apartment, and I have very severe cat allergies. We want a dog, but don't think it's very fair to have one with no place for it run around. We want to have a fenced in backyard before we get a dog. 

Anyway, does anyone have an experience with owning a lizard? I love lizards.

What other kinds of pets are good? I an not afraid of anything but a spider.

EDIT: I just found out lizards live for like 20 years. Maybe a pet is just out of the question right now. I can easily commit to getting married, but not to a pet. lol

larrygaga

I didn't know they smelled!!! Maybe I will just get a fiddler crab again.

larrygaga

Hedgehogs probably smell too, but anyone have experience with those?

JCbride2015

We had a bearded dragon.  She was pretty easy to take care of, and she actually really liked to be held and petted.

If you can deal with cleaning a cage frequently, guinea pigs are fantastic.

sarawifenow

Um...I just bought a gerbil on a whim about a month ago. Seriously, I think I was having a meltdown when it happened. He is pretty bad ass though. And they are actually really clean (minus the burrowing that leaves their bedding on the side of the cage. I like him.

larrygaga

We probably need a smaller animal because we are in a very small 1 bedroom. We do have a lot of nice parks around if it's a pet that needs to go outside. We hate lapdogs, so we would only want a big dog, so dogs are out. 

I was researching sugar gliders. I'll have to check out bearded dragons. I know I want a pet I will be able to hold, but doesn't need constant attention. I am very okay with cleaning a cage several times a week.

sarawifenow

Sugar gliders are the shit! My friend has one. Cutest thing EVER! The only thing is they are quick little bastards, so you have to be careful not to let them get out. Have you thought about a bird?

larrygaga

FI doesn't like birds

larrygaga

The more I check out hedgehogs, the more perfect they seem for us. I totally forgot they were even an animal you can have. More research is needed.

Maggie0829

@WinstonsGirl owned a hedgehog.  I am sure she could provide you with some insight.

blabla89

My brother had a gecko for several years. It was super cute and seemed to be pretty low maintenance. It met a tragic fate, but I don't think it could have lived for 20 years.

afox007

If you don' mind a bigger lizard I totally suggest getting a tegu! I had one back in high school and they are one of the most mellow lizards I've ever owned. He would actually cuddle on the couch and watch Tv with me; it was kind of like having a scaly puppy. A lot of the websites on caring for them give them 15-20 years and some say 5-8 which seems more accurate. Mine was about 6 and a friend of mine who owned a reptile shop said most of his only lived to be 7 or so. 

larrygaga

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!  I never had anything but fish before, and FI only ever had dogs. We are trying to be responsible and loving pet owners, but we are new. I love any and all advice. 

The more I look at hedgehogs the more I love them. I'll have to see what FI wants but he is always good with anything. We just don't want to make a commitment to an animal for more than a few years because we aren't very settled. I am very against getting an animal without doing research and then giving up on it and getting rid of it. 

pinkcow13

How about a hamster? We used to have hamsters and they were awesome. Low maintenance, and they live maybe at most 5 years. 

jdluvr06

I have always had cats so no small animals for us. My FI had hamsters growing up and he loved them.

shaylagirl

My son has a leopard gecko and a bearded dragon.

They certainly don't smell.  The beardie is actually super friendly and inquisitive (always watches people when they walk in to the room, will chase a laser pointer light like a cat, LOVES to be in the water, likes being handled).

The leopard gecko is a bit more grouchy; my son says that's how most leopard geckos are.  They don't like being handled as much, unlike the beardies.

I will say, both of them are kind of awesome, and even I will go in and play with them (take them out of their tanks and handle them). 

HOWEVER, they are long-lived (I think he said the gecko could live in to it's 20's, and the beardie into it's teens?).

In our house, we actually say the lizards are the best pets (they're low maintenance keepers).  The drawback of lizards is the crickets.  Crickets can smell.  We only keep a weekly supply for them (the beardie isn't quite a year old, so gets 50 small crickets and mealworms, and the leopard gecko is like 5 or 6, and gets 36 large crickets).  They're also not "cheap" to keep (I buy from PetSmart, so small crickets are .11/each and large crickets are .12/each, and I usually get 100 mealworms at about $5/container); usually costs me between $12 and $20/week.

We've done gerbils and they're actually pretty cool, but the maintenance on their tanks can be a PITA if you want super low maintenance.

The hedgehog actually sounds pretty freaking awesome. 

DH and I have discussed that once our cats are gone, we're getting a skunk.  They're supposed to be pretty cool pets too.  You know, de-scented and all. 

vulpiepop

I used to raise iguanas. The smell actually isn't a problem if you clean the tank every day and I was able to let mine run around the house without too much problems while I cleaned the tank, though they liked to hang out in the solarium and eat Mom's plants so they generally hung out there. I will say that it took 2 of us to do a full clean of the tank every week just because it was so big and heavy. 

The lifespan is 15, 20 years, yes, but be aware of the initial age and health. If you live up north where it gets cold, it'll be much more difficult for reptiles in general. Also be aware that many vets aren't used to dealing with reptilian family members. None of my iguanas lived past 4 years because of liver and kidney problems and the incompetence of the vets in the area in treating reptiles.

vulpiepop

Sorry, I forgot to mention, many sites and care sheets will state that the average lifespan is 15 or 20 years but it's actually a fairly rare occurrence to raise a reptile that long as a pet. I know in some cases, they will count the lifespan of reptiles in captivity (zoos, safaris, whatever) and in others they may exaggerate a little so that potential pet owners will be more responsible. Realistically, you can expect anywhere from 3 years to 10 years (depending on the reptile) if you're keeping them as pets and especially if you're buying from a pet store.

WinstonsGirl

Thanks @Maggie0829

Hedgies are exotic animals.  They need a minimum temperature of 73F and 10-12 hours of sunlight each day or they can hibernate and die.  We left the bedroom light on during the winter months when there wasn't enough light.  

Hedgies don't smell if you keep them clean.  No more than a dog at least.  I cleaned his wheel and litter box (some can be trained) nightly, his cage weekly and he got a foot bath every day or two if he had poop boots.  

They're not as cuddly as other pets, though he would sleep in the crook of my elbow often.  They're also nocturnal so you won't see them much.  They need a plastic wheel (not metal - they get their toes caught) and they will wheel for miles every night.  

Hedgie food is bad for them.  I fed mine high quality cat food, meal worms, cooked chicken and occasionally fruits/veg though he didn't like them.  He also occasionally got live crickets as a treat.  

I'd suggest going to the forum Chins and Hedgies (http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/) as they are an amazing resource.  Also, check with your local by-laws.  Hedgies are illegal in many areas.  Also, they are solitary.  2 boys together will fight to the death, a boy and a girl will give you hedge babies in about 0.5 seconds and occasionally 2 girls can get along.  Sitck with 1, or separate cages.   If you do look into one and have other questions, feel free to let me know

larrygaga

@winstonsgirl Thank you! That was really helpful. I do live in a very cold climate, the temperature inside is usually around 60-65 and we only get 10 hours of sun in the summer. I wonder if a heat lamp would help? Maybe just a regular lamp to warm it up a little near their cage? I'm okay with it not being very cuddly, I am a pretty busy person and need a pet that isn't too needy. It is legal where I live. 

I read that some are nocturnal and some are like cats, where they are up and about during the day but mostly sleep. Do you let your hedgie wander in your house? Do you ever take it outside? I would imagine it would run away unless you had a fence. 

WinstonsGirl

Heat lamps are ok for the direct place they heat.  If you have a bigger cage (which is better), then the other areas will be colder.  For example, if you heat his sleeping place (should be a covered hiding place like a pigloo), his wheel area would be colder unless you have numerous heat lamps.  It may also get too hot for him, depending on how close/hot the lamp gets.  Ambient room temperature being higher is best.  If you do use heat lamps, make sure they don't emit light, as he'll never get up then during the night.  

There are a few who are up during the day, but never I've heard of personally.  I'd let him wander the kitchen in my old house, with a baby gate to block off the rest of the house.  They like to hide when they're scared, as their defence mechanism (even if they're not scared), so if you let him wander he will disappear under furniture or in tight spaces, and you may not get him out again.  He was always supervised, or in a area with nowhere to hide (except for toys/blankets/etc. I put out).  I did take him outside on occasion, in the summer, but again he was closely watched.  He liked to explore outside, but predatory birds could swoop down and snatch him, or he could eat some random bug that I didn't see, so he never went far from me.