#2303

 Took Gizmo out for our first walk today

It went great and we had a lot of fun. I’m sorry I don’t have any pictures, I thought I would need both hands in case she went wild on me. She didn’t really. Occasionally she would see or hear something that scared her and she would try to climb on top of my head and I would have to hold her firmly but that was the worst of it. Such a sweet ig she is! Her colors are gorgeous out in the sunshine. Robin’s egg blue on her face and neck, bright yellow and green with deep black spots throughout her body, and even a hint of orange on her forearms. There’s no substitute for real sunlight. Gizmo especially liked walking alongside the river in the parkway. Whenever we got to a bit of white water she was very interested. She’s scared of chipmunks, though!

 #2306

 Re: Took Gizmo out for our first walk today

Well you really do need to get a photo of that! I think she sounds very pretty!

 #2326

 Which lizard do you prefer?

Iguanas or beardies?Are beardies as smart as iguanas?Why dont you ever take your beardie for a walk with you?

 #2328

 Re: Which lizard do you prefer?

I take my adult dragons outside when I got out. My babies I wouldnt take out, they are a slight bit skiddish still. And my iguana...he gets all kinds of scared outside. PE

 #2333

 Re: Which lizard do you prefer?

I take my beardies out on walks all the time, but right now it’s not warm enough for them to be outside. It needs to be at least 80 degrees before they are comfortable. Beardies are very smart for lizards, but not as smart as iguanas. They are sweet, though, and I think they are quicker to tame.

 #2339

 Re: Re: Which lizard do you prefer?

What do they do when they are not tame?Bite?Run away?Hide?

 #2347

 Re: Re: Re: Which lizard do you prefer?

Flapjack is fun to take outside! He is good on his leash or in his reptarium. Sleestack is too scared...will hurt me or himself with his gator rolls and freaking out! Beardies do NOT seem as smart as iguanas, although they are not stupid. Both of mine know their way around the house and back to their cage. They understand doors, although Sleestack moreso..he’ll dig at the bottom of a door if it is closed and drive me crazy! Sleestack doesn’t react to fake lizard toys. Flapjack wants to eat them or kick their @ss until he is certain they are fake.

 #2355

 Re: Re: Re: Which lizard do you prefer?

Mostly they put on a defensive posture, kind of like igs do when they get all tall and skinny and dewlappy. They puff out their beards, turn them dark and open their mouths as wide as they can so they look too big to bite, and they make a fake charge as if they are going to bite you. I’ve been bitten about 3 times in over 16 years dealing with beardies that are too stressed out to tame so the bite risk isn’t very high in my experience. Plus their teeth are pretty small. They can bruise your skin or draw a little blood but a beardie bite isn’t bad at all. I’ve had more painful papercuts. Frankly, I prefer whichever one I’m cuddling at the moment. They both make me happy in their own way. Beardies are less independent than iguanas and tolerate longer cuddles. Iguanas are smarter and more interesting to watch. They are both good in their own way. My only real preference is beardie poop because it’s smaller and less smelly.

 #2360

 Re: Re: Re: Re: Which lizard do you prefer?

oooo I don’t know..beardie poop can stink if you ask me! And parasitic beardie poop is the worst! I have a very keen sense of smell and notice that Flapjack smells fine when he eats veggies/pellets but smells a little when he eats bugs. It is very faint but I can tell! Salvador used to smell the best...like warm luggage! Sleestack sometimes has a little musky smell but usually smells okay. Salvador definitely had the most pleasant smell of all. I like the smell of birds (not bird poop) but I think feathers smell nice...too bad I am allergic though!

 #2361

 My croc skink is eating and she is the cuttest thing in the world!

She loves when i talk to her with a baby voice( goofy voice?)and makes that babys face and turns her head a little bit to listen still better!!I love that baby and i ll breed worms and crickets only to make her happy! But i cant forget that cute bd i saw on the EXPO ! Do you think its possible for me to import a BD from the USA?It will arrive alive in Asia?Or its too risky?

 #2362

 Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Which lizard do you prefer?

It is too bad, xta. Burying your nose in a budgie’s neck feathers is just the most lovely thing, all soft and warm and mildly spicy smelling. Pity mine are too wild to put up with that sort of thing very often. Gizmo’s poop doesn’t stink really but there’s just so much more of it than with any beardie that I notice the smell much more than a little old beardie poo. Gizmo herself smells very nice, like leather that’s been out in the sun for a few hours. But actually my favorite pet scent is my cat Buster. He smells vaguely of 5 spice powder, and it’s really quite pleasant.

 #2364

 Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Which lizard do you prefer?

Xta: Magellan wanted to know if you would like to smell his poop and describe to him what it smells like. He claims it smells like strawberries. I couldnt help but to laugh at the way you describe your reptiles and the smell of their poop. I thought of you as those wine taster guys, execpt you use poop instead of wine, and i’m sure you smell and not smell, taste and swish like wine is. I have 13 bearded dragons, only two dont like to be held...One is just plain out strange and anti-social, and one that lost her hand and lower wrist from a bite. Other then them two all my dragons almost climb onto your hand. I also think they are just as entertaining as iguanas. They do have personality, but they may not be as smart as iguanas, but they are less annoying. I think you would like a bearded dragon Flavia. You can stick them in you pocket and walk around. Pe

 #2365

 Re: My croc skink is eating and she is the cuttest thing in the world!

Flavia, there are always risks in shipping but people do it all the time. If you find an animal that is in very good health, get it shipped in less than 48 hours from start to finish, and make sure the box is marked to protect the beardie from heat or cold while providing cool packs if necessary it might be okay. I’m a nervous mama though and wouldn’t ship a reptile that far personally. There is always stress and some dehydration involved in shipping and I just don’t trust the airlines to get a package delivered in a timely manner, especially with all the increased airport security in the US now that we’re at war. Frankly, I’d try to see if a country that is closer has any reputable breeders rather than risk shipping such a distance. If you do decide to import a dragon, I’d look for an adult or a sub-adult so that it has bigger fat reserves to draw on should the package be held up in customs or security. Will there be another expo coming up anytime soon? Or maybe the Malaysian zoo vet would know of a breeder who could hook you up? I’m glad to hear your little Crocky feels settled in enough to eat and take interest in her surroundings. I hope that you and she have many happy years together. She sounds like a very beautiful animal and I look forward to seeing her pictures.

 #2366

 LOL!Your message was VERY funny PE!!

I started to imagine XTA and Eyespy tasting and smelling small portions of poop around a cauldron just like two witches or two renowned " Chef de Cuisine".lol!! I cannot say anything about that because i dont even see my igs poop!! Lets talk about business!Do you want to SELL me one of your beardies?Do you think such a long trip will be safe for him/her?

 #2368

 Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and cauldron bubble.....

No tasting!!! EWWWWW!!!! Even a witch like me has limits.... Flavia, I wish I could sell you a beardie because I love selling them to friends that stay in close contact so I don’t miss the little dearies too much. But I don’t have an export license so customs would seize them. I can’t apply for one either, because I’ve already put in my application to become a registered non-profit rescue organization, so getting a license to sell animals abroad would cancel out the non-profit status. Rescuing animals is my passion and I won’t do anything that would make it harder for me to do that. I would worry about the shipping though, and it’s probably better if you are able to find a lovely and healthy animal that doesn’t live halfway around the world from you. I’ll have to keep my ears open and see if I hear of any breeders in Asia, New Zealand, etc.

 #2369

 Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Which lizard do you prefer?

I don’t even stick them in my pocket, I just let them cling to my shirt. How can anyone sit down and watch TV without snuggling a lizard or 3 or 6? A beardie would be good for you, Flavia, they listen when you talk to them and are very fun to watch. Just like iguanas, they are very interested in what is happening around them and are very good at exploring and getting into trouble. You’d probably have to keep it inside though because Malaysia has such high humidity but if you could bring him outside every day for a few hours of basking in that lovely tropical sun you don’t have to fuss with UVB lighting indoors. Just use regular household lightbulbs to heat up his cage. Magellan, dear, I don’t believe the strawberries claim!

 #2375

 Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Which lizard do you prefer?

Hey..I was talking about what my animals smelled like more than their poop! I only said that I thought beardie poop did smell worse than iguana poop! Some days it is a toss up though. My descriptions were definitely more toward the smell of the animal though! What a smart @ss!

 #2376

 Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Which lizard do you prefer?

Oh...didnt realise that is what you meant. I think bearded dragon poop has a much stronger smell. PE