(04-22-2012, 04:05 PM)Ram8349 Wrote: I just checked around for the photos. Leopard gecko looks cool. As the name suggests, their pattern looks like leopard.
Bearded dragon is something I have heard quite a few times when people talk about lizards. It seems to be very common.
It is quite a surprise to hear that pet lizard can be wanting attention. Must be fun to have one.
What do they do in order to get attention?
Now you talk about a lot of more complex needs. Variety of diet, that applies to most pet species, not just reptiles.
Light cycle, uvb, umm those are something new.
It seems to be quite a lot for a beginner to handle without extensive research on the detailed care.
Bearded dragons are very, very personable. My oldest will actually give me the "cold shoulder", turn away and ignore me, when I walk up to his tank if I haven't taken him out for a while. Or he'll poop in his food dish, which he knows irritates me. And makes me come clean the tank faster. Most of them really like to be out and with people. There are exceptions, if a dragon isn't used to any attention for example.
Every species of reptile has specific needs, mostly for it's environment. If it has evolved in a tropical climate, it may need constant warm temperatures, high humidity, etc... And without these, they can develop a range of problems, poor shedding, respiratory infections, etc... UVB for some species of lizards is very critical, for vitamin d production and calcium usage. Once you understand what the specific animal needs most of the time it is not to complicated. It is the research and understanding part where many people fail. Light cycles are just generally a good idea. Most reptiles are very sensitive to their environment, and have a natural tendency to be either diurnal, nocturnal, or somewhere in between, and trying to give a natural light cycle just promotes better health. It is the same with many species of fish and coral. Something that lives near the equator naturally, will do better with a 12 hour light/12 hour dark cycle.
