While dogs and cats were once the favorite companions of the world, people are now getting more and more diverse in their options when choosing a companion. Now, when choosing a pet, you can choose from spikey, furry, cuddly, or hooved!
If you or your child have an interest in owning a lizard or two for companionship, there are a few things you must know. Let’s take a look if lizards make good pets and what you need to know about keeping them in your home!
What Makes Lizards Good Pets?
Lizards are great for anyone looking to experience life with a unique pet! While they do have more care requirements than other pets, they are great to have around. Lizards make excellent pets for kids especially.
This is because kids are naturally very curious about unique pets. There is no denying that these scaly, colorful creatures are very interesting and exciting. While dogs and cats have always reigned in popularity, lizards are now becoming very common in households all over the world.
Lizards are especially cool as kids are able to decorate their terrarium houses with very cool décor items. Some of these items include:
- Rocks to climb
- Plants
- Bright lights
- Branches
This makes them a step cooler than dogs and cats. With lizard terrariums, there are no limits as to how cool and unique they can be. Nobody can resist how intriguing these little guys are!
Realistically, it’s no wonder that lizards are so popular as pets these days. They’re all over our movie screens, in ads, and even on billboards! These little guys are ideal for families as long as there are adults or older children around as well to provide stable handling. There are many lizards that are suitable for first-time owners.
Can You Bond with a Lizard?
Of course, you can! When your lizard comes home, you should ensure that you spend some time simply letting it adjust. For the first few days or the first week, make sure you give your pet time alone to explore their new home. This will allow them to get acclimated to the new décor.
They will also likely take on a new schedule that isn’t the same as the one they had. While it may seem like a good idea to get started with handling your pet lizard as soon as possible, it isn’t always a good idea. Don’t give in to the temptation and simply allow your lizard to settle in comfortably.
Once your lizard is settled, you will notice that they’re eating well, drinking as they should, and finding their very favorite spots in their enclosure. This is the point where you can begin interacting with them a little more. Your lizard will soon get into a routine and become excited to see you.
Lizards such as chameleons and bearded dragons often make the best pets. They are fascinating pets who often exhibit calm personalities and relaxed behaviors.
How to Handle Your Lizard
It’s a good idea to start by just getting your lizard used to you. You can stick your hand in their terrarium and let them be naturally curious. They might just sniff you and walk away, or they might actually climb up on your hand!
Once your lizard is comfortable and you can hold it, you can work on patting it. You can touch places like the area behind his ears and over his back. Many lizards actually like being handled and petted, and will learn to enjoy your company this way.
Petting your lizard is an excellent way to bond with it and help it remain calm. If your lizard is showing signs of fear and discomfort, try to settle it before putting it back in its cage. This way, he doesn’t have a bad representation of you in his mind.
You should handle your lizard 2-3 times per day if you can. This way, your lizard can become comfortable and confident with you quickly.
How to Feed Your Lizard
If you’re planning to buy a lizard as a pet, make sure you’re ready to feed them live insects. For some people, this can be confronting. So, if you don’t want to see this, maybe stick with dogs and cats.
You will need to ensure that you’re close to a pet shop or somewhere where you can frequently buy new food for your pet lizard. They often eat live crickets or mealworms. It is crucial that your lizard has a healthy and nutritious diet along with clean water, otherwise, they can develop illnesses.
Without these basic necessities, your lizard will not be happy. Herbivorous lizards are more likely to eat fresh greens such as veggies which may be hard to feed if you’re not close to places that source these things. Some lizards will also require supplements and excess care.
