Why You Should Buy and LOVE Reptiles

Reptiles seem to be the thing of nightmares for a lot of people. Especially after watching "Snakes on a Plane", although a lot of these movies, stories just are not true of representing our scaly friends. Reptiles including birds are the oldest land dwelling animals to ever live on Earth, but being beat by our fish friends sharks. So why should you get over your fear of reptiles and especially snakes? Quite a few reasons actually. Very seldom do they actually hurt people and that goes for crocodilians too! Reptiles will very rarely attack unless provoked which goes for any animal. They're fascinating to watch! On the surface they might be boring but it's neat to see how they interact with they're surroundings and their owners especially bearded dragons (beardies). The bearded dragon is the most commonly kept reptile in the pet trade. They're calm, affectionate, and fun to watch. They are super friendly and docile too. They're personalities are just amusing too. Although the downside is some if these reptiles can be quite expensive. Including their food and enclosures. Upfront expect to pay almost $900 on their pen, food, décor, care items, lights, and even the animal. Sales and specials will be your best friend if you're looking to buy from a pet store (although I wouldn't recommend it). Reason being is that pet stores don't really care about the safety of the animal and will often house them together (which you NEVER do)! I'd buy my supplies from a pet store and the animal from a breeder. If you do buy from a pet store, make sure you ask the following questions:

- Who sent it?

- Any medical history?

- Have there been any sick animals in the same cage?

- Any signs of aggression?

Also ask to handle the animal. Observe to see if it has all it's toes and if it is alert.

Snakes

Snakes are the most commonly feared reptile because of their reputation. Let's take a step back. First we need to recognize the many different species. Copper heads, rattlesnakes, garter snakes, corn snakes, milk snakes, pythons, boas, tree snakes, and the list goes on. You may recall a story of a snake eating it's owner, and if I recall correctly, it was a python. This is completely false. A snake has basic reasoning that if you're the one giving it food it's not going to eat you and snakes, ALL snakes are opportunistic hunters. Meaning that it'll wait for it's prey to come close to attack. It's not going to size up it's prey like our python in the man eating story. This is more seen in spiders and even sharks. Spiders are opportunistic hunters as well but sharks are active hunters. Snakes are really easy to care for and are really hardy compared to geckos, beardies, and the many reptiles kept. The require very little, a habitat, a light (if your house gets below 75, and an optional UVB light. UVB is very important to reptiles as it replicates the radiation from the sun. I'll explain in care guides that I'll make in the future.

Bearded Dragons

These loveable little derps are also a source of fear for some odd reason. The Australian bearded dragon can get up to two feet long! They come from the Agama family as well, and they're the largest in the family. These guys are the most popular kept reptile because of their cost and availability. You can find an average one at a pet store for about $60 and almost any pet store has them. Although I got my little Merle for $30 because I did the above, waited for a sale and got the most active and alert one. He'll be one in December and almost full grown. These little guys can have such personality too. Just google funny bearded dragon and you'll see what I mean. They're also really calm once you get past the baby stage and mating season. I currently have my bearded dragon snuggled up to me as I write this. They're extremely docile and somewhat easy to care for. Merle has only been aggressive to me a few times. All because I spooked him which you need to be careful. People fear these friendly guys just because they're reptiles or eat bugs. When it's funny to watch them munch down on a roach and then hang out with you.

I hope I was able to sway you a little and possibly look into buying one and learning more about the fascinating world of reptiles!