What Reptiles You've Had, Have, And Want...

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
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This whole thread reminds me of the old yarn:

Bill: "I wish I had enough money to buy a herd of elephants."

Mack: "My gosh, Bill! What on Earth would you do with a herd of elephants? Where would you keep them? How would you feed them? Are you nuts?"

Bill: "I never said I wanted any elephants - just enough money to buy them."
Sounds just like some new members posts after an impulse purchase!
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
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Chameleons are a LOT of work for very little payoff, IMHO. You can hit ALL of their physical needs, and they still just spontaneously expire with no indication on WHY it happened and nowhere near old age. A friend I knew used to breed Panthers. BEAUTIFUL animals, but he got out of it after a few years because the animals were so time consuming and difficult to maintain. He tried to do Veiled, but they are among the hardest of chameleons to get to a thriving condition.

Definitely recommend finding a local solid breeder (they don't handle shipping stress at all), and absorbing as much pre-acquisition knowledge as possible.

As for lifespans, my friend had two of his Panthers last 8 or 9 years.
Veiled males can live for about 7 years.
Of course you can shorten that time, easily.
One of mine came from the CHAMELEON FORUM as a rescue with MVB and several toes burned off.
The other two, I bought from a local store, UNDERGROUND REPTILES. They had a bunch of males in a single cage. All very small and thin.
I saw them, went home and hastily put some cages together and went back the next day and bought two for $65.
In the next weeks and months, it cost about $500 more to get the cages set up correctly. But they've all been very bulletproof pets.
They seem WAY easier to keep than my Jackson Chameleons I kept years ago.
 
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LasTortugasNinja

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Veiled males can live for about 7 years.
Of course you can shorten that time, easily.
One of mine came from the CHAMELEON FORUM as a rescue with MVB and several toes burned off.
The other two, I bought from a local store, UNDERGROUND REPTILES. They had a bunch of males in a single cage. All very small and thin.
I saw them, went home and hastily put some cages together and went back the next day and bought two for $65.
In the next weeks and months, it cost about $500 more to get the cages set up correctly. But they've all been very bulletproof pets.
They seem WAY easier to keep than my Jackson Chameleons I kept years ago.
Other than their triceratops-cool looks, I've never known anyone personally say good things about Jacksons. I've avoided Chameleons, but I love looking at them at the zoo. Beautiful animals, but I'll stick to my monitors. ;)
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
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Other than their triceratops-cool looks, I've never known anyone personally say good things about Jacksons. I've avoided Chameleons, but I love looking at them at the zoo. Beautiful animals, but I'll stick to my monitors. ;)
Jackson chams give birth to live, tiny Chameleons.
That's pretty cool to see.
 

KronksMom

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Joined
Oct 7, 2019
Messages
347
Location (City and/or State)
Illinois
Have Had:
Ball Python
Solomon Island Ground Boas
Bearded Dragon
Various frogs
Many cats

Currently have:
Russian Tortoise (our first terrapin, but not our last)
Rescue dog
Rescue cat

Wish list:
Sulcata, if we ever move somewhere warm with enough space
Not a reptile, but I also dream of someday getting a skunk, obviously de-scented. I've heard that they make very good pets.
 

Maggie3fan

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PacificNorthWest
Have Had:
Ball Python
Solomon Island Ground Boas
Bearded Dragon
Various frogs
Many cats

Currently have:
Russian Tortoise (our first terrapin, but not our last)
Rescue dog
Rescue cat

Wish list:
Sulcata, if we ever move somewhere warm with enough space
Not a reptile, but I also dream of someday getting a skunk, obviously de-scented. I've heard that they make very good pets.
You are missing out on keeping Sulcata...they absolutely add to my life enjoyment...altho it's kinda like having a 3 yr old that never grows up...there is nothing more relaxing for me then sitting outside on a sunny day watching my Sulcata...and they make me laugh with the trouble they cause...I hope you are able to keep them soon... this first photo is Knobby...he is a rescue from the downtown streets of Portland Oregon...he is a fun and and such an easy keeper...001.JPG004.JPG
 

Chubbs the tegu

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Ma
Other than their triceratops-cool looks, I've never known anyone personally say good things about Jacksons. I've avoided Chameleons, but I love looking at them at the zoo. Beautiful animals, but I'll stick to my monitors. ;)
Yes, i think male jacksons are really cool looking.. but i like to interact with my reptiles. U look at a jackson the wrong way and they’ll have a nervous breakdown
 
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LasTortugasNinja

Guest
I think my favorite reptile species that I would love to have again is a tame savannah monitor. I loved mine I had as a teen. She was fantastic. I don't think I could deal with the living arrangements again, though. She literally took up half my bedroom with her enclosure. I love my current 3 reptiles, they each have their own unique personalities and quirks, but my savannah was the closest to a "pet" reptile I had. She would nuzzle and "cuddle", she went for walks during the summer around the property, and would sleep on my chest while we watched flicks on tv during the various school vacations.

I don't have the time for interactions at this point in my life to tame a new monitor. :(
 

Relic

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Here
I think my favorite reptile species that I would love to have again is a tame savannah monitor. I loved mine I had as a teen. She was fantastic. I don't think I could deal with the living arrangements again, though. She literally took up half my bedroom with her enclosure. I love my current 3 reptiles, they each have their own unique personalities and quirks, but my savannah was the closest to a "pet" reptile I had. She would nuzzle and "cuddle", she went for walks during the summer around the property, and would sleep on my chest while we watched flicks on tv during the various school vacations.

I don't have the time for interactions at this point in my life to tame a new monitor. :(
I suspect some men feel the same way about their wives...
 

KronksMom

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347
Location (City and/or State)
Illinois
You are missing out on keeping Sulcata...they absolutely add to my life enjoyment...altho it's kinda like having a 3 yr old that never grows up...there is nothing more relaxing for me then sitting outside on a sunny day watching my Sulcata...and they make me laugh with the trouble they cause...I hope you are able to keep them soon... this first photo is Knobby...he is a rescue from the downtown streets of Portland Oregon...he is a fun and and such an easy keeper...
001.JPG
You're selling me on it even more, Maggie. My husband and I can't have kids, so a 3 year old who will outlive us sounds just about perfect.
 

Maggie3fan

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You're selling me on it even more, Maggie. My husband and I can't have kids, so a 3 year old who will outlive us sounds just about perfect.

There are 2 different types of Sulcata keepers...for instance...my sister, her tortoises are wild animals and she treats them that way...each of her tortoise pens have a habitat for that specific species...her pens are pretty... then there's me...my tortoises are interesting pets to me...I generally spend several hours a day with them...it's interesting to me to try and develop a personality and train them to do something...my pens are not pretty...but they are functional...and on 4 sides of my house there are bushes and lettuce, dandelions and the like, grown for them...I pick that stuff and drop it in a pen...
 
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LasTortugasNinja

Guest
There are 2 different types of Sulcata keepers...for instance...my sister, her tortoises are wild animals and she treats them that way...each of her tortoise pens have a habitat for that specific species...her pens are pretty... then there's me...my tortoises are interesting pets to me...I generally spend several hours a day with them...it's interesting to me to try and develop a personality and train them to do something...my pens are not pretty...but they are functional...and on 4 sides of my house there are bushes and lettuce, dandelions and the like, grown for them...I pick that stuff and drop it in a pen...
LOL Awesome! Both ways are great. My wife always says she's amazed at the attention to details and care my animals get. Even on weekends I get up early for prep (I even raise my own roaches and buy my frozen rodents in bulk). My wife says if the pets were only cared for by her, they'd all be taxidermy now... So on the safe side, my daughter will inherit my animals in case the worst should ever happen to me. LOL
 

KronksMom

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Joined
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Messages
347
Location (City and/or State)
Illinois
There are 2 different types of Sulcata keepers...for instance...my sister, her tortoises are wild animals and she treats them that way...each of her tortoise pens have a habitat for that specific species...her pens are pretty... then there's me...my tortoises are interesting pets to me...I generally spend several hours a day with them...it's interesting to me to try and develop a personality and train them to do something...my pens are not pretty...but they are functional...and on 4 sides of my house there are bushes and lettuce, dandelions and the like, grown for them...I pick that stuff and drop it in a pen...
I joke that my Russian tort is my therapist. I spend hours sitting at the side of his castle (yes, he does live in a castle) talking to him and telling him all about whatever's going on in my life. He's such a good listener, he seems so genuinely interested in whatever I say! Just that interaction of sitting and talking to them, watching them get into some kind of mischief that they trust you'll rescue them from, it's amazing. It's brought about a bond that is a lot more intense than what I was expecting from a tortoise. I love him :)
Now, a Kronk who's 100lbs, I'm very very interested. Sounds wonderful. With only a few downsides. Like the cost of repairing what he decides to remodel on his own...
 
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