Lizards

Most Interactive Pet Reptiles

~ BackwaterReptiles

What are the most interactive pet reptiles? Some people have said to us that they don’t understand why people keep reptiles as pets. Because they are technically an exotic species, most types of reptiles, whether lizard, snake, turtle, or tortoise, are not particularly cuddly or playful towards their owners in the same manner that a dog or cat would be.

However, this blog article will prove those naysayers wrong. While it’s true that many reptile species are best kept as “decorative” pets, there are species out there that bond with their owners and like being taken out of their cage to be played with. Read on to find out which species we’ve ranked as the most interactive pet reptiles.

The Most Interactive Pet Reptiles

Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)

Bearded dragons are bred to be many different colors and textures (i.e. they are available in countless morphs) to appeal to owners with all kinds of aesthetics, but they are also one of the most relaxed, uncomplicated species of lizards you’ll ever encounter.

most interactive pet reptiles
This hatchling bearded dragon is quite at ease being held and touched by people.

Bearded dragons are captive bred through enough generations at this point that while they are not technically domesticated, they have become quite tame.

It’s not uncommon for Beardies to enjoy being taken out of their cage to spend time with their owners. Many people like to place their Beardie on their shoulder while they sit at the computer and still others will take their Beardie to the couch to watch TV with them!

The point we’re making here is that Beardies are extremely friendly, mid-size companion lizards that will enjoy human interaction.

Ball Python (Python regius)

Although they’re a bit on the quiet side, ball pythons are very calm, docile snakes and have been dubbed the most popular pet snake in the reptile world.

Like bearded dragons, they can also be bred to express any number of traits in a seemingly endless number of morphs. Some of the most popular are albino, pastel, and fire.

baby ball python
This “normal” phase baby ball python is perfectly content to curl up in a ball and sit in the palm of your hand.

Ball python hatchlings are usually sold at around ten inches long and will mature into mid-size snakes that max out at approximately six feet in length, although three feet is a far more common size.

Ball pythons enjoy curling up into a ball and sitting in your hand, but once they reach adult size, many people also enjoy wrapping the snake around their neck. Ball pythons are not super squiggly snakes, so they tend to move slowly and more often than not, they will stay put wherever you place them.

Sulcata Tortoise (Geochelone sulcata)

If you want a carefree pet that will make itself at home in your backyard, then we highly recommend you get yourself a sulcata tortoise.

sulcata tortoise outdoors
This adult sulcata tortoise is enjoying wandering around outside in the nice weather. If you create a proper outdoor enclosure, your pet sulcata will feel the same.

Not only do these tortoises live very long lives (most will outlive their owners!), they’re also very low key. If you let your tortoise roam your yard, odds are you’ll see it at feeding time and out basking when the weather is nice.

The bottom line is that sulcatas don’t ask much from their owner. They are content to wander your yard and they’ll come say hi and get their shell scratched from time to time.

Savannah Monitor (Varanus exanthematicus)

A word of warning before we start singing the praises of the Savannah monitor – these lizards grow large. If you are not prepared to house a lizard that will top out at around five feet long, then please, stick to one of the other smaller species on this list.

baby savannah monitor
Baby Savannah monitors are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, but be warned – they grow to be around five feet long!

Savannahs are friendly as babies and with training and socialization, they can become as tame as a dog or cat. In fact, there are many videos online that show massive Savannahs watching TV sitting on their owners’ laps or on leashes going for walks. Once they are full-grown, a Savannah that is well cared for will be friendly and sociable with people.

We recommend starting out with a hatchling Savannah monitor and forming a bond with it as it grows. Babies can comfortably sit in the palm of your hand and if you teach them that being taken out of their cage means petting, food, and positive interaction with people, before long you’ll have a Savannah monitor that you’ll be happy to introduce to your friends and family.

Conclusion – Most interactive pet reptiles

We hope we’ve shown you that although reptiles are not necessarily going to share your bed like a cat or dog would, they can capture your heart just as quickly. They can be loving, friendly, and full of personality just like any other pet.

If you wish to purchase a pet bearded dragon, ball python, sulcata tortoise, or savannah monitor, Backwater Reptiles sells all of these interactive pet reptiles.

 

The Smallest Pet Geckos

~ BackwaterReptiles

We know we’re guilty of swooning and exclaiming over animals because their tiny-ness somehow seems to make them cuter in our eyes. If you’re anything like us, you’ll want to read on and check out our list of the smallest pet geckos sold at Backwater Reptiles. You won’t regret it!

The Smallest Pet Geckos

Dwarf Yellow Head Gecko (Lygodactylus albogularis)

Like all the geckos on this list, the yellow head dwarf gecko is a species of dwarf gecko. It’s very aptly named as it is known for its brightly-colored yellow head as well as its small stature.

These geckos are from East Africa and are very common in Tanzania. They thrive in man-made environments in captivity, but are commonly found nearly everywhere in their native country – on fence posts, basking on stone walls, in crevices outdoors, and on sign posts.

smallest pet geckos
Pictured is a mature yellow head dwarf gecko. Even when fully grown, these miniature lizards rarely exceed three inches and can easily fit in the palm of your hand or straddle your finger.

Yellow head geckos rarely exceed three inches in length. They have an expected life span of five to ten years in captivity.

Because they are “bite sized” animals, yellow head geckos are naturally very shy and will therefore require lots of hiding places in their enclosure. They will hide in loose substrate, tunnel-like decor, and the foliage provided for them to climb on.

Williams Blue Cave Gecko (Lygodactylus williamsi)

The most colorful gecko on our list is certainly the Williams blue cave gecko. The males of this dwarf gecko species are a brilliant, bold blue tone with black stripe accents, while the females are a bronze-like green color with fainter dark accent stripes.

female lygodactylus williamsi
This is a female Williams blue cave gecko. Females don’t live up to the “blue” portion of their common moniker since they are actually green in color.

Besides commonly being called the Williams blue cave gecko, this species is also named the electric blue day gecko and the turquoise dwarf gecko. We think all of these names are suitable as they properly describe the attributes that best represent what this species of gecko is known for.

male lygodactylus williamsi
The male Williams blue cave gecko is a true gem and definitely earns itself all its common color-based, descriptive names.

The Williams blue cave gecko is slightly smaller in size than the yellow head dwarf gecko. The blue cave gecko generally stays under or around two and a half inches long when fully grown, with the females being slightly smaller than the males. Captive animals usually have life spans of five to ten years.

Ashy Gecko (Sphaerodactylus elegans)

As hatchlings, ashy geckos look extremely different than their adult counterparts. Babies are horizontally striped and exhibit multiple colors. Once they become adults, their coloration becomes somewhat drab. We’d describe them as salt and pepper toned – they have a mixture of brown, black, and grey speckles all over their bodies.

juvenile ashy gecko
Young ashy geckos are rainbows of color with horizontal stripes or banding. As they mature, they become more drab.

Baby ashy geckos, as well as all the dwarf gecko species on this list, are extremely tiny and can fit through the small holes in screen cages as well as the gaps in screen cages doors. We highly recommend sealing any cage edges or large holes with masking tape or electrical tape until your gecko has grown into its enclosure.

adult ashy gecko
Adult ashy geckos don’t usually surpass three inches in length. They are also peppered with brown, black, and grey spots.

Your pet ashy gecko (and all the other mini geckos on this list) will eat small insects. At Backwater Reptiles, we give ours mainly pinhead crickets and fruit flies.

Conclusion – Smallest pet geckos

The petite geckos described in our list are not very hard to care for. They also don’t require a large enclosure, given the fact that they themselves don’t take up lots of space.

If you can handle the cute punch that these tiny geckos pack, Backwater Reptiles has got you covered! We sell dwarf yellow head geckos, Williams blue cave geckos, and ashy geckos at affordable prices. Just be sure your enclosure is secure as pretty much all these tiny geckos are master escape artists!

Trickiest Pet Lizards

~ BackwaterReptiles

Many lizards are relatively low maintenance and thrive in captivity with minimal care. However, there are many that have finicky temperaments, need more space, or have specialized diets that are not so effortless to keep in captivity, even though they can make equally rewarding companions.

The following list describes our top picks for the lizards that we feel are best suited to be kept by hobbyists with plenty of experience. In other words, these animals can be tricky to care for.

Flying Dragon (Draco volans)

The flying dragon is an agamid lizard that gets its name from its ability to open up membranes attached to the side of its body that allow it to glide from tree to tree in its natural habitat.

trickiest pet lizards
Pictured is a flying dragon with its wings folded against its body.

Flying dragons are dark brown with even darker accent markings and appear remarkably ordinary when their wings are not in use. The dragon’s wings are kept folded tightly against its body when it is not gliding, which gives the lizard a long, slender appearance. When extended, the wings have bright yellow and black markings which is what attracts many owners to them in the first place.

Due to their inclination to glide, you will need to provide a very large enclosure for such a relatively small lizard. We also recommend that the enclosure’s walls be constructed of screen material both to cultivate the proper humidity levels and also so that the dragon doesn’t glide into a hard surface and injure itself accidentally.

In addition to requiring a large, semi-specialized enclosure, flying dragons can also take time to acclimate to captive diets. In the wild, they eat mostly termites and ants, so you will need to spend some time training your dragon to consume prey items outside of its usual fare such as crickets, roaches, and other invertebrates.

If you’re prepared to own your own flying dragon, Backwater Reptiles sells these unique lizards and also has a blog article written up that details how best to care for them.

Flying Gecko (Ptychozoon kuhli)

Like the flying dragon, flying geckos are another species of lizard that can glide from tree to tree in the wild. However, flying geckos are much larger and heftier than flying dragons and don’t possess wings to help them glide. Instead, these geckos have specially designed tails, thick webbing between their toes, and membranes extending from their sides.

Housing a flying gecko is also different than housing a flying dragon. Because geckos are more likely to injure themselves by gliding in a confined space, most owners actually restrict them to a small space so that they don’t have room to fly.

flying gecko adult
This photo shows the serrated nature of the flying gecko’s tail. You can also see the thick webbing of the gecko’s toes.

Flying geckos are also not known for their stellar personalities. While they’re not necessarily outwardly aggressive, they certainly don’t enjoy being handled too frequently and would much rather hide than interact with you. Flying geckos are pets that are ultimately best kept for display purposes rather than for their social skills.

Interested in a flying gecko of your own? Backwater Reptiles has got you covered.

Parson’s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii)

Like many chameleon species, Parson’s chameleons can have a tough time acclimating to captivity. And because these chameleons are so rare, they come with a very steep price point, which is very risky if you don’t feel confident in your capabilities to care for the animal.

Parson’s are the heftiest chameleons both in terms of weight and physical body size. This means that they will require a very large mesh enclosure with just the precise amount of humidity, plenty of misting, and lots of invertebrates to feed such a considerable lizard.

adult parsons chameleon
Parson’s chameleons grip very hard, so we recommend protection if you wish to handle yours.

Although you can handle your Parson’s chameleon, we only recommend it for experienced herp enthusiasts. Due to their immense size, the grip of a Parson’s is actually quite strong and very tenacious. If a Parson’s grabs you and doesn’t feel like moving along, you’ll have quite a tough time getting it to relinquish its hold. In other words, many owners of Parson’s chameleons will wear gloves when handling large, mature animals.

Parson’s are not aggressive like some other smaller chameleon species, but they are rather shy. They’d prefer to hide from you. But that doesn’t mean that they’re incapable of biting. Approach your Parson’s with caution and be careful if it begins to hiss or express discomfort towards you.

If you are ready to commit to a hefty Parson’s chameleon, they can certainly make very prized pets. These are very hard to come by, but Backwater Reptiles has a few for sale.

Conclusion

While all three of the lizards listed above are not commonly kept in captivity due to tricky care requirements and/or temperaments, they can be very cherished pets.

We highly recommend that these lizards be kept only by people who have had a few years of experience keeping other reptiles.

Best Pet Vegetarian Reptiles

~ BackwaterReptiles

If you like reptiles but get squeamish feeding your pet anything living such as crickets, mice, or worms, why not choose a pet reptile that is herbivorous?

Backwater Reptiles sells many herbivores, but this blog article will list our top three favorites that we think make the best overall pets.

Green Iguana (Iguana iguana)

Possibly the most well-known lizard on this list, the green iguana is an ideal vegetarian pet, so long as you are committed to caring for an animal that will grow quite large. In fact, a mature green iguana can reach up to seven feet long and can weigh around twenty pounds! They grow into quite hefty lizards.

herbivorous pet reptiles
This is a hatchling green iguana. With proper husbandry, it can grow to be between six and seven feet long!

Many people are attracted to green iguanas because of their prehistoric appearance. The spines along their backs and tail coupled with their large throat dewlaps make them resemble dinosaurs.

Young green iguanas and adult green iguanas will have essentially the same diet of fresh veggies and fruit, however the young iguanas will need vitamin supplements more frequently and will need to be fed more often.

Green iguanas should have a diet rich in green, leafy veggies and fruit can be supplemented as well. We don’t recommend a diet that consists of more than ten percent fruit as this can give your iguana diarrhea. Offering fruit once per week is usually just about the proper amount.

Vegetables that are healthy and nutritious for a green iguana include kale, collard greens, spinach, green beans, dandelions, and squash. However, this list is by no means all inclusive.

There are also many pre-prepared iguana foods and supplements that can be purchased from breeders or pet stores. As with any reptile, the key to health is a varied diet. No one, including our pet reptiles, enjoys eating the same food every day.

Backwater Reptiles sells green iguanas of various sizes.

Blue Tongue Skink (Tiliqua sp.)

It’s not necessarily 100 percent accurate to label blue tongue skinks as vegetarians or herbivores because they do actually need meat protein in their diet. However, because this need can be met by purchasing human meat products from the store and feeding your blue tongue skink live invertebrates is not necessary, we have included it on our list.

Blue tongue skinks are known by reptile enthusiasts as “blueys” due to their thick, flat, blue tongues. They are also visually appealing as pets because they are stocky with very small limbs. They resemble lizard sausages and we find this to be a very endearing trait.

hatchling blue tongue skinks
Blueys do require some meat protein in their diet, but the majority of the food they consume should be vegetable matter.

At Backwater Reptiles, we feed our blue tongue skinks vegetables chopped into pieces small enough to comfortably fit inside the bluey’s mouth. Obviously, this size will vary from animal to animal, but just use your best judgment when cutting up leafy greens and other crisper veggies.

You can also give your bluey fruit and meat in moderation, but moderation is the key word. Like green iguanas, blue tongue skinks will get upset tummies if they eat too much fruit. Too much protein will also cause renal failure, so give canned meats and boiled meats occasionally.

If you are ready to invest in a pet blue tongue skink of your own, Backwater Reptiles has got you covered!

Sulcata Tortoise (Geochelone sulcata)

Sulcatas are very long-lived and friendly animals. They make excellent backyard pets and great classroom pets too when they are small enough to live in an indoor enclosure. Many people enjoy purchasing a hatchling and watching it mature into a tortoise that can eventually weigh approximately a hundred pounds.

Because their staple food is grasses and leaves in the wild, it is acceptable to allow your sulcata to graze on the vegetation that grows naturally in your backyard, so long as you are sure you don’t propogate poisonous plants in your yard.

hatchling sulcata tortoise
Hatchling sulcatas can fit in the palm of your hand, but they grow into behemoths over time.

Indoor sulcatas enjoy eating and will usually eagerly consume whatever vegetation you throw their way. We feed ours spring salad mixes purchased from the grocery store. These pre-mixed packages tend to have a good variety of leafy greens that sulcatas enjoy.

Many people have found that sulcata tortoises thoroughly enjoy munching on cactus pads. Commercially made tortoise chow also works well to supplement their diet, although we don’t recommend sticking strictly to the pre-made food as freshly prepared meals are always better for your reptile’s health.

Captive bred sulcata tortoise hatchlings are available from Backwater Reptiles.

Conclusion – Vegetarian Reptiles

Many people don’t realize that not all reptiles eat bugs and other traditionally “yucky” food items. We hope our list has helped you see that vegetarian pet reptiles are certainly an option and make equally rewarding companion animals as their carnivorous friends.

What Reptiles Give Birth to Live Young?

~ BackwaterReptiles

Most reptiles reproduce by laying eggs, but did you know that a handful of reptiles actually give birth to live young?

Want to learn more about which species don’t lay eggs? Then this is the blog article for you!

Explanation of Terms

In order to discuss laying eggs versus giving live birth, you’ll need to know some terms that explain the three types of reptile births.

Most snakes and lizards are oviparous, which means that the animal lays eggs in order to reproduce. Once the eggs have been deposited, they need to be incubated or kept warm and safe until the hatchlings are ready to emerge.

When a reptile gives birth to a baby without the use of an egg, it is termed viviparous. This means that the animal nourishes its young internally through a placenta and yolk sac. This is the rarest reptile birthing method.

ovoviviparous jackson's chameleon live young
This is a female Jackson’s Chameleon (Chamaeleo jacksonii). Female Jackson’s are ovoviviparous and give birth to fully formed babies.

Boa constrictors and green anacondas are two examples of snakes that are viviparous.

Finally, if a reptile develops eggs inside its body but still gives birth to babies instead of laying the eggs, this is called being ovoviviparous. Essentially, the female keeps the remnants of the eggs inside her while the fully formed babies emerge, making it seem as though the babies were true “live” births.

An example of an ovoviviparous reptile is the rattlesnake. If you were to x-ray a gravid female rattlesnake, you would be able to see both the skeletons of the babies and the outlines of the eggs.

Which Snakes Give Live Birth?

As previously discussed, both ovoviviparous and viviparous reptiles birth fully formed, functional babies.

Most vipers and all rattlesnakes fall into this category. The Boidae family, which includes boa constrictors and other boa snakes, are viviparous and therefore don’t produce eggs to insulate their babies at any time. The same is true of green anacondas.

dumerils boa
Pictured is a Dumeril’s Boa (Boa dumerili). As a member of the boa family, this snake does not lay eggs to reproduce.

Most sea snakes also give birth to live young. Baby sea snakes are born directly into the ocean! The only exception to this is the genus Laticauda. The females of this sea snake species emerge from the ocean and lay eggs on land, making them oviparous.

It’s interesting to note that all species of snakes that give birth to live young offer no parenting to their babies. Viviparous and ovoviviparous infant snakes are on their own from the instant they are born. It’s said this is why baby rattlesnakes are born with a full “venom tank” and are ready to bite from day one.

Which Lizards Give Live Birth?

Interestingly enough, there is a species of lizard called the Viviparous Lizard (Zootoca vivipara) that is fully viviparous – go figure. This lizard is found in Europe and Asia and is the only species in the genus Zootoca.

Many species of skinks, including the very popular Blue Tongue Skink (Tiliqua sp.) give birth to live young. Blueys actually have a very complex placental mechanism that delivers oxygen to the developing fetus and carries carbon dioxide away. However, all reptiles, whether they are born live or hatch out of eggs are nourished through a yolk sac. This is still true of the blue tongue skink.

baby blue tongue skink
Baby blue tongue skinks (Tiliqua sp.) are born fully formed and ready to take on the world.

Gravid Jackson’s chameleons are ovoviviparous and all species of Jackson’s give live birth. A female Jackson’s chameleon will typically birth between twenty to thirty babies per brood, although the Mt. Meru Jackson’s Chameleon, which is the smallest of the Jackson’s chameleons, will typically have fewer than twenty babies at a time.

Conclusion – Reptiles and Live Birth

Most lizards and snakes are oviparous and lay eggs to reproduce. However, there are both lizards and snakes that bear live young.

The reptiles that do in fact give live birth are pretty well-known amongst reptile hobbyists and enthusiasts. And although we might not have listed every individual species on our lists above, we did mention general groupings and families that are known to give live birth. So, if your reptile in question is not described above, then it’s probably safe to assume that it reproduces by laying eggs.