Reptiles as pets..what would you choose?
By CarmenA
@CarmenA (127)
United States
March 6, 2010 1:23pm CST
My bf and I love to have pets around us. We just added a baby alligator to our pet family a couple of days ago. The little gator is so cute. We haven't been able to set up his tank yet and he has been trying his best to get out of his container non stop, day and night since we got him. He also makes the cutest noise when it seems that he loses hope of getting out..or maybe he is calling his m other. I'm not sure. I would not like to run into her!! We haven't named the little gator yet. We also have a bearded dragon named Paco, a water monitor named Rick James (or slick Rick), a turtle named Fred, 2 red tail boas named Aretha Franklin and Bobby Brown, and then we have some toad frogs. We really enjoy the reptiles. They are quite interesting to have around. The only thing that I don't like is feeding the snakes because they eat rabbits. We are always looking to add to our reptile collection. We go to a reptile show each month, and we frequent the pet store. If you decide to invest in a reptile, be sure to take special care of them. If they do not have the proper lighting and heat then their food can not digest and they will die. If you were to get a reptile, which one would you choose? Any comments?
8 responses
@linquin (11)
• United States
7 Mar 10
You do know that baby alligators turn into big alligators, right? Apparently many people have flushed their alligators when they realized they were going to be too big. So the alligators turn into these mean ol sewer alligators and turn up in unexpected places. Just remember, your alligator is a wild animal and where will you keep it when it gets to be 7 ft long? You may end up being his breakfast.
Sorry, but I don't think wild animals are meant to be pets. I don't really have a problem with the boas and turtles as long as they're cared for properly (for anyone but me), but a good dog or cat would be my preference.
@linquin (11)
• United States
7 Mar 10
Yeah, I really do have a problem with boas, too. I don't like reptiles. But the whole thing is that wild animals DO NOT belong in captivity. They are not supposed to be pets. Remember the chimp incident where the cute little chimp took off a woman's face? Or how about the Sigfried and Roy incident? Instinct takes over with wild animals, and that can make them very unpredictable.
@linquin (11)
• United States
7 Mar 10
Well, good luck. I don't mean to sound like a "Negative Nellie" but I really do believe that any wild animal belongs in it's natural habit or a zoo, preferably their natural habitat. And that's for their happiness as well as our protection. But as for all those dogs and cats out there roaming the neighborhood, they belong in someone's home. My pets of choice are my two wonderful dogs ... mutts of course ... I'm really an elitist when it comes to dogs ... I think the Heinz 57 variety are the very best, but to each his own.
@miiszcaramel (62)
• United States
8 Mar 10
i agree with you Galena. How are you going to take an animal from its natural habitat? when hes big enough to be put out hes not going to know any survival skills because you carmen and your bf have fed him the whole time. your getting him used to having things handed to him in this case food so when you put him back in the wild hes not going to know what to do. i understand you love animals and i do to. if it were up to me i would have a zoo in my house but come on. you cant only think about yourself
@tonyllenium (6252)
• Italy
7 Mar 10
ehhe you have many special pets there!!In reality i never thought about alligator as pets..anyway if i choosea reptile as pets i think i will take an iguana!!It seemed to me very friendly as reptle pet!!
@CarmenA (127)
• United States
8 Mar 10
Yes, they seem similar to me to the bearded dragon that we have. He is really cool to! He will eat just about anything! It's so funny. However lately he hasn't been eating. I'm not sure why. We haven't put the light on him in a while so maybe that is why. We definately need to do that this week! But he is really neat...you can hold him and everything.
@raineyes (554)
• United States
6 Mar 10
Why do you like reptiles best? And your 'gator' might be cute now, but what are you going to do when it grows up and gets bigger than you? I love animals. I surround myself with them, but I do not think an alligator would make a good pet.
I've never been allowed to have any kind of reptilian pet - my mom is afraid of snakes, but the kids I babysit have a couple of lizards and those are kind of cute. They're little, skinks, I think.
I also like snakes. My mom would always get mad at me, because I'd capture them in the wild and play with them.
@iamamommy (163)
• United States
6 Mar 10
You have alot of cool pets. I really like frogs and little lizards as a reptile pet. I dont really like the big creatures or snakes. Its not that i dont like them its just that im scared of them. That also goes the same for pet spiders.
@echomonster (2226)
• Greenwood, Mississippi
22 Mar 10
I think it would be cool to have a tortoise as a pet. I don't know to what extent they interact with people, but I think of them as quite fascinating animals and of course they have a reputation for wisdom. Plus, they're herbivores...I can't imagine feeding a mouse or a rabbit to a carnivorous reptile (I'd rather have the mouse or rabbit as the pet)! One thing that would make me hesitate about a tortoise though is that they can be so long lived; I'd worry that it wouldn't be treated well after I was gone. All in all, I think reptiles are best suited for the wild.
@MRM720 (25)
• United States
6 Mar 10
I would have a dinausor!!! Because dinausor are really cool pets in country.The are also a great alternative to the car.
