research iguanas vs dragon

[liftn]

Hello, I have in the last month started to research the Bearded Dragon. This is for a companion for me when I am at home. I have the funds and the space for either an Iguana or a bearded Dragon. I have not yet begun to research the green iguana but have several books ordered. If any of you are familiar with both lizards please I would like your opinion on which would make the best companion and why. Thank you, I can also be emailed, please I would love hearing all of your opinions. I am taking my time with this. Thank you, rob

[email protected]

 

[vickson420]

Topic moved to General Discussion
That is a good question.The answer really depends on you as both reptiles are quite an interesting species to own.I personally prefer beardies over Iggy's due to the fact that they are much more "affectionate" to their human counterparts.Their general disposition is very laid back and they seem to thrive on human interaction where Iguanas require alot more handling to achieve a bond especially as they enter their adolescent age.It also depends on exactly what type of Iguana you are looking for as they vary in disposition.I have found Rhino's to be the most laid back while Green Iguanas seem to me to be the most tempermental.
You also need to think about their feeding requirements.Beardies require a constant source of live protien and when they are babies that is an enormous amount although it does decrease significantly when they reach adulthood.Both species require vet care,UVB and large enclosures although Iggy's require a much larger environment.
How much time do you have to be with them?
How much space can you dedicate to them?
How much can you contribute to ongoing care financially?
Are you looking for an animal that will sit with you and watch TV or one that is more happily independant?
Thise are some things you might want to ask yourself as they will better help you decide in which direction you should be going.

-Vicky
PS: Did I mention I prefer beardies :wink:

 

[ziggy23]

I much prefer dragons. I only know about green iguanas, and all mine were rescues, so that might color my opinion of them.

Iguanas are great when they're tame, but it takes a lot of work to get them that way. They get much larger, up to 6 feet in length, so they will need significantly more space than a dragon. Iguanas are kind like dogs. You have to learn to become the alpha, a lot of socialization, make sure they get plenty of exercise, and read their behavioral cues in order to end with that cool lizard that will hang out with ya all day.

Iguanas are more sensitive to stress and their environment. They might react to little things like hats, the color of your clothes, etc. They might act differently during breeding season, or to women's cycles. Males are most known for this, but I had a female who became aggressive towards me during breeding season as well.

Here's a link that gets into care and the good and ugly sides of owning an iguana.
http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/index.html

Honestly I would advice against getting an iguana unless your experienced with herps. I do not consider them to be a starter pet. I wish it was illegal for pet stores to sell them. Many have no idea what they're getting themselves into, and the result is a lot of abandoned animals. many rescue centers are filled to capacity with iguanas and have to turn them away. Don't get me wrong, I love iguanas, but they they can be difficult to care for, and even harder for a rescuer to clean up the mess after improper care.

 

[Frito]

ziggy pretty much summed it up pretty well IMHO

Iguana's can be very cool pets but they are much much harder to keep than bearded dragons in more ways than one.

the link ziggy put up there will provide you with more better information on Iguana's than any book will. books on them are well known to be inaccurate with probably the exception being iguana's for dummies that Melissa Kaplan had a large part in writing (she's the person who runs the site ziggy linked)

the only thing easier about iguana's than beardies is feeding them, you don't have to deal with live feeders because they are strict vegetarians, otherwise you will need a much larger cage for one eventually (properly raised adults are 4-1/2-6-1/2 feet long typically) and when they reach adulthood even if you have them well tamed as ziggy said they can quickly turn aggressive on people due to many factors including breeding season and even if they don't like the color of the shirt your wearing (some owners have reported that bright colored shirts cause their iguana's to go ape on them!)

full grown iguana's are also capable of sending a person to the doctor with mainly their bite but can also do some serious damage with their tails as well. beardies rarely if ever bite intentionally and if they are going to they will generally warn you by black bearding and gaping their mouth/hissing at you before you get too close. for the most part beardies are very very friendly lizards and do not require much taming when they become adults

 

[Paradon]

Let me tell you from experience... Do not get a green iguana! They get huge and a lot of them are very aggressive, especially the male in breeding mode. When they get bigger, if you do not handle them when they are young and exert your dominance, it is very likely that it will try to dominate you and bite you aggressively as if trying to kill another iguana. I have a male, and when he entered his first breeding season late last year, in October, I did not notice any difference until he jumped down from his perch and bit me on the neck. I did not get rid of him... But if you are not preparing to deal with that, perhaps on a daily basis, I suggest you steer clear from them. They also need a huge cage to be able to live happily. When I say huge, I mean a cage that is a least 5 to 6 foot tall and 5 foot wide and 4 foot deep. If you have an iguana, sooner or later you will get bitten and that's a promise. And, you can only house one iguana per cage unless you want the bigger or the dominant one to kill the other one. So do yourself a favor and get a bearded dragon. They are naturally docile and a great feeder. Their diet requirement is not as nearly as complicated as the green iguana, and to some people they are much attractive looking. Hope this help! :wink:

 

[liftn]

Hello, I hope i'm doing this right. If not please feel free to email me. I'm pretty new to the board thing. usually I will just read the posts. I would like to thank EVERYONE who responded. I am def not taking on a Green Iguana. I have been visiting reptile shops, talking with experts from The University of Florida (go Gators!), and reading a ton. I have a really nice reptile aquarium picked out it's 49" long and can't remember how wide. I think I will buy the herp grass, the fake stuff, to start out. Then when the little guy gets older I will switch to play sand. I'd like to start with a young one but am concerned with putting him in such a large inclosure. Maybe I can find a divider. I love the looks of the Green Iguana but my nose looks nice too and I would hate to loose it! Thank you all again and please feel free to email me. Rob. [email protected]

 

[EShell]

....This is for a companion for me when I am at home....

How often are you gone and for how long? Beardies seem to require daily care, and I actually fool with mine several times daily.

If I'm going to be gone all day, I will get them up early so they can reach operating temperature and eat before I leave, then keep them up late so that they have two hours of basking time after any later meals.

If I'm going to be gone longer than a day, I have someone stop in on them for me.

 

[liftn]

Hello, I work from 2:30 till 11:00 PM. Do you think that will be a problem? I'm single.

 

[vickson420]

Hello, I work from 2:30 till 11:00 PM. Do you think that will be a problem? I'm single.

Well most of us do have fulk time jobs so it should not be an issue so long as you can work out a proper feeding and lighting schedule.Babies need to fed 2-3xper day depending on their age so you would have to create a feeding schedule to allow for that other then that it should be fine.

 

[Freeie]

I bought a baby green iguana yrs and yrs ago. I gave it away after 2 months. It was perfectly fine with me but if it seen one of my kids it would go crazy i cant tell you how many tail whips i had and it hurt welted my arms pretty dang good. My girls were very little at that time they never tapped on the viv or anything at all it just didnt like them. I found it a good home.

 

[Rob461]

I saw you post on the GIS board, I own both an Iggy and a Dragon, and thus far I would say they are both equal when it comes to care. The Iguana gets two soaks a day, but the dragon has the live food that I have to deal with (still getting used to the roaches). When it comes to their temperament I can't really talk about that yet.

I have an Iguana I rescued from an abusive owner, he is not 'cuddly' but he has not tried to bite or tail whip anyone in I would say a good 6 months! As for the bearded dragon, he is around 5 weeks old, so he is still kinda skiddish while out, but he will usually fall asleep on my chest every night :3.

Iguanas need a lot more vertical room than a bearded dragon, be warned.

 

[isdrake]

You have gotten a lot of good answers already. I think it's funny that you are thinking of a beardie or a green iguana because they are so different. Bearded dragons are good for beginners and green iguanas are more suitable for experienced hobbyists. How much experience with reptiles do you have? I agree with everyone else that a bearded dragon is a better choice. However I have no experience with the iguana myself and I have no interest in getting one neither because of their size and their temper.

Have you considered any other lizards? I mean if you are considering one of the hardest lizards to keep then I guess you can handle almost anything in the hobby. How about a monitor? Many monitors seems to have a better temper and many doesn't get too big. But there is huge and mean ones too.

My personal favorite is the Argentine black and white Tegu. They only get half the size as a green iguana but they are still a large and wonderful looking lizard with a much better temper. They easily get tamed and doesn't require as much space. 8 x 4 feet (3m²) is the minimum measures (but the bigger the better).

 

[Ronzie]

Up until this year I've only ever been around iguanas. The ones I knew were extremely friendly and very affectionate.
Both got really big and were complete sucks. The one was my neighbors and in 12 years was never aggresive or bit/whipped.
But they both got HUGE.
I think down the road if I want a bigger lizard I'm getting a B&W Argentine Tegu.

 

[liftn]

You guys are really giving me some homework! I am now going to research the Argentine Tegu. I love to research, read, so this is no problem. No I have never had a Lizard before except for when I was a small child. I'm 50. Thanks again this has been an education! Oh, by the way I have cared for 2 exotic birds for almost 20 yrs! Rob

 

[Maldesto]

Your on a bearded dragon site most people would say bearded dragon becasue we on the site.