Lizards and snakes...

My 6yo Dd's little water dragon passed away last week. We have been expecting this for some time. She had only had him for a couple of months, and it was evident shortly after we got him that he was not healthy. We took him to the vet, but she said that he was just so tiny that there wasn't much she could do (couldn't draw blood for tests, etc) and that some babies just do not thrive. The local reptile shop we got him from (which has always been excellent) offered to trade him for a healthy water dragon, but DD loved her little lizard and decided to keep him on the chance that he might pull through. I was very proud of how attentive she was to good husbandry, misting him several times a day, changing his water, and feeding him. But he stopped eating last week, and passed away a few days later. RIP little Buttercup.

In other lizard news.... You may have seen the photos I posted in Pet Pics of my DH's Argentine Tegus. I was honestly not thrilled when he wanted to bring them into the family, because they have a bit of a reputation for being ornery animals. However, we were told that these lizards were quite tame and friendly, and they seemed to be exactly that for the first few weeks. However.... I'm not sure if their previous owner did not give them proper heat or what, but their personalities changed. They were steadily becoming more and more aggressive and less tolerant of handling. Then one day a couple of weeks ago, DH took one of them out of the cage and it freaked out. DH was trying to restrain the lizard to avoid it launching itself through the air, and it's powerful thrashing broke DH's wrist. He's in a cast now, and he has now traded his tegus for another boa that is living happily in the 8 foot cage we bought for the lizards. The tegus are now living with a football player who is an experienced reptile keeper and who, I am hoping, has very strong bones.

So we are no longer lizard owners. I think we are much better off sticking to cats and snakes!

I'm sorry about the baby water dragon. "Good" pet shop or not, those usually come from farms (mill like) or are wild caught. Relatively cheap reptiles makes up for how many die in transit, shops, and after. Quantity over quality.


Have you ever dealt with a lizard that's went off it's food before? If not, for future reference, just like with other animals, you must take over and force feed to help keep the reptile alive. With herbivorous reptiles vegetable baby foods can be used but for insectivores it means you must make a homemade slurry mix. Generally mealworms are used, among other ingredients. The recipe should be very easy for you to find online. You should bookmark/ print out a copy and memorize it for future emergencies if you ever get anymore lizards.

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Have you ever dealt with a lizard that's went off it's food before? If not, for future reference, just like with other animals, you must take over and force feed to help keep the reptile alive. With herbivorous reptiles vegetable baby foods can be used but for insectivores it means you must make a homemade slurry mix. Generally mealworms are used, among other ingredients. The recipe should be very easy for you to find online. You should bookmark/ print out a copy and memorize it for future emergencies if you ever get anymore lizards.

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We are not planning to get any more lizards, but I don't think it was the lack of eating that caused his death. As I said, the vet had told us several weeks before that he was quite unhealthy and she did not expect him to live as long as he did. He had been steadily deteriorating since then, and I would not have forced him to eat right at the end when he was so obviously suffering.

OMG....I'm sorry for DD's loss (for the record, I would have done the same thing) but I am so glad you posted about your husbands broken wrist.

Coming from an experienced reptile handler, to have his wrist broken, makes for a great educational tool.... seriously, I'm sorry it happened, and I hope others learn from it. The big lizards are not something to toy around with... Just like snakes aren't something to toy with.... ya ever try convincing someone that the little cute boa, will become a large animal capable of squeezing the life out of you or sending you to hospital needing stiches? Same as trying to convince people that those cute little baby iguanas turn into 5ft powerful lizards. Your story with your dh broken wrist definately reinforces this.

I still have my babies, 2 pet beardies. Awesome lizards, if u should ever chose to get back into lizards. Very personable, can't do much damage.... great for children.

Snakes are good too LOL.... (but I'm a little bias on that one.... funny tho, I started off as a lizard girl... never liked snakes LMAO)

Sorry for the loss, and for the wrist. Tegus are almost always vicious lizards, it's just their way. I have never owned a Water Dragon so I can't comment much on them other than that I'm sorry for it's young passing.

Originally Posted by BabyWukong

How is it possible for unsufficient heating to cause personality changes?

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Low heat can cause them to go into burmation, a process in which the reptile slows down considerably, thusly giving them a false look of calmness. Their metabolism slows and so does their reaction time.

I have a Bearded Dragon and I love her to pieces. She's very docile and sweet. I actually take her out on a leash and take her places with me. They are however sensitive to big spray so you cant ware any when handling them, or allow people wearing it to touch them.
Here she is enjoying our car ride to Florida last month

I'm sorry WHO told you tegus were tamed and sweet?? They are pretty nasty actually.

I'm so sorry about the water dragon though.

Originally Posted by aquagirl

I'm sorry WHO told you tegus were tamed and sweet?? They are pretty nasty actually.

I'm so sorry about the water dragon though.

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Tegus can be sweet, by the way. But they need a responsible owner.

strange_wings, I agree. Many reptile breeders do have a quality over quanity type idea. Snakes especially. They brag about making money off a living creature, which I find totally irresponsible and greedy. I watched a video of someone who kept a 10 foot boa in a cage where he could barely move around. My friend breed BD morphs, and she treats them like her babies. She has 15, not 150! However, I am getting a rescued BP when I do get a snake (in like seven years or so).