How to Choose the Right Reptile for You

Reptiles are one of the least popular groups of pets. The Insurance Information Institute found that only 4.5 million households across the country have reptiles, as compared to 63.4 homes with dogs and 42.7 homes with cats. However, reptiles are intelligent, majestic creatures that deserve love as much as any other pet.

If you’ve been toying with the idea, here’s how to figure out which reptile is right for you.

Consider What You’re Looking For In a Pet

We’re all looking for different things when we set out to find a new member of our household. Sometimes we’re looking for a cuddle buddy, sometimes we’re looking for someone to talk to on occasion, other times we’re just looking for an animal to play with. The great news is there’s a reptile pet for each of these situations.

1. Safe and Low Maintenance

If you find yourself busy but looking for a pet to keep you company that doesn’t take a lot of maintenance, check out tortoises. They do require more regular feeding than other reptiles, but they’re generally happy if they have enough space to roam around. The best part is they are great with humans so you can hang out with them without any worries for your safety.

2. A Cuddle Buddy for a Home with Space

If you’re looking for a cuddle buddy, there are a few large lizards that are known for their cuddly nature. The red tegu is the most notorious. These lizards are often compared to dogs because they’re sweet and loving. They may not jump on you every time you walk through the door, but they will sit by your feet and maybe climb up your leg for a nice little cuddle.

3. Playful with Social Personalities

If cuddles aren’t essential but you want an animal that will interact with you and play a little, a snake is a great option. In particular, corn snakes and ball pythons are very sociable snakes who are okay with being handled. This means you can take your snake out and let it slither from hand to hand, up your arm, and back down again.

Consider What You Can’t Handle In a Pet

No matter what type of pet you’re getting, it’s always important to spend some time thinking about what you can’t do to care for your pet. You’ll want to consider things such as their dietary habits and expenses.

1. Feeding Concerns

If one of the things holding you back from getting a reptile as a pet is the idea of feeding a snake a mouse or a lizard a fly, that’s alright. There are vegetarian reptiles! This means all you have to do is make your new pet a fresh salad for their grub. Vegetarian reptiles include tortoises, iguanas, and the blue tongue skink.

2. Habitat Expenses

If you can’t afford the terrarium, heating lamp, and plethora of other things that a reptile needs, don’t worry. Some reptiles aren’t expensive to house! While the cute little tegu may grow far too large to cheaply house, there are much smaller lizards and low maintenance snakes you can get. The water dragon, for instance, does not grow very large so it doesn’t need an extremely expensive cage to be kept in.

Do you have a reptile as a pet? Would you consider having one? Leave a comment and let us know!