So...I'm still leaning toward this house, and since I'm not allowed to have a dog or cat (boo!!) I was wondering what other options, of the reptilian persuasion, I could have. I'd really like something that is small (not that I wouldn't love an iguana, but the landlady would freak) but still likes to be handled by people. I don't want something that is NOT expensive, either to purchase or to keep...and I was already told I cannot have a snake. Lizards seem to be kinda skittish, but I've got more experience with dogs and cats and other mammals, so suggestions are welcome! Thanks

12/7/2005 11:49:47 AM

I've been thinking the same thing, and leaning towards exotic animals. A friend of a friend has a meerkat (that thing from the lion king) as a pet, and says it's pretty cool. You can litter train them and stuff. I've also considered chinchillas, but i hear it's best to get them in pairs so they aren't lonely. Also, rats make really good pets.

12/7/2005 12:26:58 PM

well I dont think anything that has fur and can chew will be allowed

12/7/2005 12:31:38 PM

no birds?

12/7/2005 12:35:01 PM

yeah they'll let me have Friski

12/7/2005 12:35:30 PM

PM Gypsy

im sure she has some rabbits laying around somewhere

12/7/2005 12:45:39 PM

My mom had a parrot, I still want to kill that thing.

12/7/2005 12:51:55 PM

as far as reptiles
i'd recommend a bearded dragon (or pair) - if handled when young they tame really fast.
they're fairly easy to take care of - once you have a proper terranium set up -
diet - omnivores - mix of crickets/mealworms/vegetables (some fruits)
pretty resiliant/hardy

or geckos- leopard or fat-tailed. both as good beginner reptiles

if you had experience i'd recommend a uromastyx too - but they're better for those with experience.


other small pets - hedgehog, sugar glider, ferret, degus, chinchillas, rabbits, rats,
birds - conure, african grey, alexander parakeet, doves, quakers, other smal-medium sized parrots, etc..



[Edited on December 7, 2005 at 1:08 PM. Reason : i cant speel today]

12/7/2005 1:03:49 PM

wellI already have a 16 year old Cockatiel he's my baby!

but I like the idea of the bearded dragons!!

12/7/2005 1:05:08 PM

Quote :

"hedgehog, sugar glider, ferret, degus, chinchillas, rabbits"

They would make a fine coat(s)

12/7/2005 1:05:53 PM

my 2 beardies "Hank" and "Daisy"

Hanks been used in classrooms as an educational animal. he's awesome. i can walk around the house in in a busy classroom with him on my shoulder and he doesn't even move.

[Edited on December 7, 2005 at 1:12 PM. Reason : j]

12/7/2005 1:07:41 PM

If you're interested, I've got a nice hedgehog that I'd like to find a good home for - they're cute animals you can hold, he's quiet and isn't smelly.


He's about 3 and is albino

12/7/2005 1:11:12 PM

i had a leoprad gecko, he was great
easy to take care of and quiet, but he liked to be handle too!

12/7/2005 1:12:08 PM

^^^ah they're adorable!!!

^I'm trying to stay away from mammals...Unfortunately I was pretty much given the explicit "NO" for anything that could be destructive or appearing frightening.

12/7/2005 1:20:04 PM

expensive, but get a chinchilla

chicks dig em

12/7/2005 1:56:53 PM

I am a chick...and I'm not really gung-ho about chinchillas

12/7/2005 2:07:40 PM

if not gung then are you at least a ho?

if so PM with 3 color photos and measurements

12/7/2005 2:09:03 PM

disregard that, i wont be mean to you, you just had that thread about the relationship

my bad

12/7/2005 2:10:38 PM

I have a really sweet and fuzzy mouse who's looking for a good home...

he sits in your hand like a hamster

12/7/2005 2:11:51 PM

^^thanks I appreciate it

12/7/2005 2:18:41 PM

http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html
good link on care for bearded dragons ^
http://www.georgiabeardeddragons.com/page/page/757935.htm
^ the breeder i got my 2nd beardie "daisy" from
I bought her for $150 at the Reptile show (normally she'd go for up to $300)
they are expensive but the webite is very informative

you can get a hatchling at a pet store (petsmart) for around $100 or try searching different breeders online. I'd recommned buying from a breeder.

http://market.kingsnake.com/index.php?cat=51
^ also a good board to look for a beardie

12/7/2005 2:35:56 PM

ooooh a sugar glider sounds fun

12/7/2005 2:52:48 PM

just curious, but have they specified why they won't allow cats? I can understand dogs, but an indoor cat isn't about to ruin the place - your own furniture, perhaps, but the house itself, no.

When my parents were in a transition period between selling/buying, they rented a house which was initially a "no dogs, no cats" house. Once my parents talked with the property management company and explained that the 2 cats they had weren't about to piss/shit/claw at/etc. the property, they were more lenient.

12/7/2005 3:01:29 PM

I have a yellow bellied pond slider; they are very cute turtle that you can get for fairly cheep in SC or any where not in NC. It uses distilled water and a little sun bathing roke, eats pellet food and every now and then I give him a fish. They don't get very big and he lived in a little 10 gallon tank for his first 6 years, I just now bought him a 40 gallon tank.


But they are so easy to care for, my brother got him when he was 8 and I just now inherited him.

http://www.petplace.com/article.aspx?id=1356 thats a good link about them, and I have pictures of Squirtle in my gallery

[Edited on December 7, 2005 at 3:10 PM. Reason : link]

12/7/2005 3:04:35 PM

sugar gliders are fun

they are expensive (i think some rescue orgs have some for adoption - try looking on petfinder)
they really should be kept in pairs. and they're noctural so they'll be noisy at night.
they like a varied diet so that is the major concern with care
they also take alot of time and patience to tame but if you do it right you'll have a wonderful pet.
if you don't do it right you'll have a little evil monster on your hands
^ thats the case with keeping any exotic animal as a pet. they haven't been domesticated for thousands of years like dogs and cats so you need to keep that in mind when keeping them as pets. they'll need the right habitat and enrichment to be happy.

i have alot of books and references on exotic pets if anyone wants to borrow them
i'd recommend doing the research before getting any pet like these.
I've taken in many pets that were impulse buys at one point or the people just grew tired of them

i'm also writing curriculum for a course on exotics (for when i'm teaching h.s. AgEd)

[Edited on December 7, 2005 at 3:06 PM. Reason : f]

12/7/2005 3:04:40 PM

Ali-apparently they had a prior tenant who had a cat that scratched up one of the windowsills...yeah...cause EVERY cat will do that...and it WOULD be MY furniture...let the dog chew on it...there's a reason I don't have new stuff yet

12/7/2005 3:22:23 PM

^ahh, so the place is scarred for life now since the cat owner wasn't willing to buy the cat a scratching post (or show it how to use the damn thing!) or cut the claws If you'd really like a dog or a cat, offer to pay a pet deposit (if you add non-refundable, they'll probably bite).

12/7/2005 3:34:08 PM

well...I honestly think they are a little tired of all the questions I've been asking. The landlady actually told me a few weeks ago that she wanted me to get all the questions I had out in the open b/c it was the last time she was going to ask the owners! argh

12/7/2005 3:36:08 PM

geesh
if i was you i'd just go by what they've already told you.. meaning no dogs,cats, or animals that coould potentially harm the place.
that leaves you with any animal that can stay in a cage or is too small to do any damage.

honestly, how often is the landlord going to be coming by?
If you're a responsible pet owner, which you seem to be, and stick to their no dog or cat rule they shouldn't mind if you have something else for a pet.

12/7/2005 3:39:48 PM

actually I asked if I could have a "small lizard"...she replied, "well as long as I won't be met by something scary if I have to go in" and I said, um...no...it'd have its own enclosure...and she followed with "its not big, is it...?" I dont know about this dropping by she's speaking of...but whatever

lol the things I go through...

12/7/2005 3:43:59 PM

so if I get a little bearded dragon...

what kind of initial costs will I be looking at?

what kind of monthly/yearly costs will I incur from then on?

I don't think there is a doc out here that is comfortable with anything other than dogs and cats...I have a vet, sorta, in Raleigh for my bird...what about a reptile? annual vet visits or are they pretty hardly little guys?

12/7/2005 3:56:45 PM

you have got to just go out and get the thing

risk taker!!1!!1!1one!

12/7/2005 4:15:15 PM

Bearded Dragon all the way.

12/7/2005 4:59:17 PM

ant farm

amazing how those things build tunnels and shit

12/7/2005 5:24:47 PM

i've taken my iguana to the avian and exotic vet off creedmore
i'd call around to vets in your area and see if any vets will see reptiles

i was home in CT when one of my dragons got sick and i was able to find a vet to see him

if you buy from a reputable breeder they will usually guarantee its health and it may have been tested for parasites. the one i bought was.
parasites and fungus are your main concern with vets. they can be loaded with parasites and it's hard to tell.
its up to you whether you want to take the preventative and take it to the vet.


initial costs - dragon - $50-$150 average being around $80
Terranium - minimum for a hatchling/juvenile is 20 gall. I'd go ahead and buy a larger tank cuz it will need it. they grow pretty fast. I keep my pair in a 50 gallon (which is more than big enough and they're still small).

substrate - sand ( you can get the cheap play sand at home depot) or buy the more expensive stuff at petstores. or astroturf, even newspapers or towels. Sand looks the best and it what they live in their natural environments.

a half-log or large branches and stuff to climb on, other accessories, i added fake plants and fishtank ornaments to my tanks.

Lights and heat- UVB strip light - vita-light or zoo-med, you can also use a blacklight for additional UVB. (plus looks cool at night).
you can also use ceramic bulbs.
i have 2 UVB strip lights on my tank and 2 100watt bulbs for the basking spot as well as an undertank heater.
the UVB bulbs need to be changed every few months.

The temperature gradient during the day should range from 76 F on the cool side to 86 F on the warm side, with a basking area ranging from 90-100 F (32-37.7 C). Night time temperatures can drop no lower than the low to mid 70s on the cool side.
use an undertank heating pad with an overhead basking light.
petstores sell the light fixtures but its cheaper to get them at a hardware store (one that will use 100 watt bulbs)

* get timers for your lights!*
the ones you use for house lights work fine. keeps the lights on a schedule (less stress for you and the beardie)

food is relatively cheap.
mine get vegetables such as greens (kale, turnip greens, collards, mustard greens, red leaf lettuce), mixed vegetables, some fruit such as bananas.

you can get crickets and mealworms at the petstore or online.
i order crickets online from armstrongcrickets.com by boxes of 500
its cheaper for me then buying at the petstore.

water available at all times



i get most of my tanks, setups, and supplies at the NC Reptile show, held at the fairground twice a year, (May and Sept)

[Edited on December 7, 2005 at 5:48 PM. Reason : d]

12/7/2005 5:47:21 PM

this lady you're dealing with sounds like your in for a constant pain in the ass

12/7/2005 5:51:38 PM

^^Thanks so much! also, your vet is where I take my bird

^yeah, that's what I'm worried about. I"ve not signed the lease yet...but I dont know if I want to miss this opportunity since its sooo hard to find places to live out here

12/7/2005 6:14:12 PM

Quote :

"as far as reptiles i'd recommend a bearded dragon (or pair) - if handled when young they tame really fast. they're fairly easy to take care of - once you have a proper terranium set up - diet - omnivores - mix of crickets/mealworms/vegetables (some fruits) pretty resiliant/hardy "

I second this idea. We discussed them in Ans 105 Companion Animals and they were super soft and calm to hold.

12/7/2005 6:22:14 PM

i love african fat tailed geckos! and my corn snake is a sweetie.

12/7/2005 7:25:37 PM

FERRETs. Like a small dog-only better- smart, curious, answers to its name, but does like to dig in dirt, coffee and hide behind dryers and steal stocking stuffers and hide them behind the couch.

(and I have geckos too). Ferrets are so cuddly.

12/7/2005 7:28:31 PM

says "ahem"

12/7/2005 8:16:26 PM

ferrets are awesome

reptiles? go with a beardie

12/7/2005 8:54:36 PM

...ferrets have that musk, even if they've had glands removed.

12/7/2005 8:56:21 PM

GET A FERRET! I want/ed one, except their cages/area kinda smell. I never knew if that was just because all the one's Ive ever seen had kinda messy cages or not, but if I could do something about the stinkiness I would own one of those little guys in a heartheart ::..Sigh..::

12/20/2005 11:37:58 PM