I Need a Recommendation...

[pedrosis]

OK im from the UK so wouldnt know of the shop or about a vet

The corn snakes are very passive & easily handlable so I would go with that. They are also the least expensive with food I find.

Sorry I cant be of more help

Pete

 

[VEGASLIZARD]

Some pet stores take good care of their animals and some don't. It is a hard call to say weather or not to buy from a bad store. You don't want the animals to have to live there, but you also don't want to make them think the way they operate is ok by rewarding them with your business either.
I would agree that snakes make great pets and are much easier and cheaper to take care of than a beardie. I will admit that lizards are my favorite, but they do need and want more attention so it requires more of a commitment from you. If you are not ready for that I would go with the snake. They are not as rewarding a pet as beardies who just seem to have so much personality and ability to just melt your heart :love10: , but I still love my snake too.
As for the vet, there is a website that recommends herp vets, Can't remember the address just do a google or make a post in the health section asking if anyone from your area has a good vet they would recommend.

 

[ColoradoRafter29]

I am pretty sure that I am not gonna get a snake, but maybe a beardie or leopard gecko. Please, anyone that can THOROUGHLY :study: explain how to take care of a beardie and anyone that can THOROUGHLY :book: explain how to care for 2 leopard geckos please do. Thank you for all the help!!!!

 

[Ruby2uesday]

Well, actually I was agreeing with you that you just can't help but want more in your life. It is just in my nature to want to help out strays because that is what I did growing up. People still bring my mother every injured bird or baby that falls out of a nest. I have taken care of orphaned farel kittens that needed a bottle, a dog hit by a car and left for dead, a runt dog that the vet was sure wouldn't make it and of course tons of baby birds and strays of every sort. Just prefer the scaly sort now.

Oh i meant it in a kind hearted way! lol i tell myself whatever i have to when i pick up a stray too. "ooooh, i'll only keep it until i can find a good home...." 5 years later! LOL whatever i gotta tell myself! LOL

 

[VEGASLIZARD]

With a beardie you need to make sure you have a basking area that is between 95-105* F and a cool side that is between 80-85*F. It is also very important for them to have proper UV light. The only lights people recommend on here are a T-Rex or Mega Ray MVB (they produce heat and uv) or a Flourescent tube that only gives light, then you have to use a CHE or house bulb to provide heat. I believe the floro bulb recommended is a Reptisun 10.0, but you can double check that on the enclosure forum. You should provide them with a hide and use a substraight like tile or paper towel so they do not eat it like they can with sand and become impacted.
There are some great care sheets on here that you can read and for proper bugs and salads refer to the beautiful dragons website on their nutrition page.
Here is my daily schedule with Scorch keep in mind she is spoiled:
1. Morning bath. She poos in there so I don't have to clean it out of her viv.
2. Morning feeding of bugs.
3. Make salad and put it in viv
4. Back in viv for at least an hour of uv.
5. Take her out for some play time
6. Afternoon feeding of bugs
7. Back in Viv for more uv
8. Out for more playtime. Maybe out of the house to run errands.
9. Dinner feeding.
10. More uv.
11. Out to snuggle and sleep on someone till they go to bed and put her back in viv for the night.

 

[pedrosis]

I will follow that with the things & schedule for 2 leopard geckos

OK you would need a 3-4 ft viv for them with a similar substrate as the dragon as they will also suffer from impaction.
They dont need the UVB light but they do need the heat so just getting a heat lamp is best so you can warm them up & give them the light so they know when its day or night.
They would need 2 hides in the viv. 1 at the warm end with some sphagnum moss in kept nice & damp (they like to go in there to shed or just hide) & then another one on the cooler side. The food would also need dusting in calcium powder like the dragon.

OK leopard gecko daily schedule.

1. Turn on the light (and watch them scuttle off into one of the hides)
2. Clean out any poop from the night
3. (about 6-7pm) feed some crickets & try to handle them VERY carefuly as they will try to escape
4. Turn the light off & squint for a while trying to watch them do things in the dark

Hope that helps

Pete

 

[ColoradoRafter29]

Okay thanks Vegas Lizard. I am not very into leopard geckos now, but more crested geckos and beardies. Can you tell me what kind of vitamins, furniture, food, salad, etc... you use? I don't really need a list of what to do, but more of a list on specific things. Sorry if I have not made it very clear. Thanks for everything!

 

[VEGASLIZARD]

Here is my set up. I have a mercury vapor bulb that you can see sits over the basing platform. She basks there and on the stairs. She can go under the platform and staircase to sleep. I also have a log in there for her to crawly on and into. That is about all you need. Some people have reptile hammocks. Then you need a food and water bowl. (I have currently changed her decor from this to a couch on the inside and it has padding and couch fabric on the inside because she doesn't poo in viv anymore)

I give Scorch this brand of calcium and vitamins but there are several others that are just as good.

Scorch likes dandelion greens, kale, strawberries, grapes, cantalope, cherries, apple, and squash. Right now she eats supper worms, crickets and dubia roaches. Her main staple after she was big enough was supper worms, but we have started introducing dubias and she seems to like those allot, so we are going to feed both now, the crickets are fed only occasionally because I don't like the noise and the smell from them. It is also ok for them to eat butter worms, horn worms and silk worms. The occasional wax worm is ok too those are like beardie candy bars though because they are high in fat.
There is a great list of food on beautiful dragon that tells you the nutritional content and is color coded for how often it is ok to feed the particular food items. Some things are only occasional snacks like spinach and some things are great for everyday dietary staples like dandelion greens. Here is the link http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html Many people on here use it like the beardie diet bible. Hope all this is helpful to you.