Does This Exist?

[FJrocks003]

So... I love reptiles, but my family hates tanks. They say that all the tanks are taking up to much room in the house (We have a fairly large house so I don't the problem, they're just all crazy people). I know that this is a long shot, but are there any kinds of reptiles that don't need tanks? I don't mean ones that are kept in wire cages outside, I mean the reptile equivalent of a cat or dog. I haven't been able to find anything on the internet and I think the biggest problem with this ide is that reptiles are cold blooded so the usually need lots of heat as well as most of them being so small that they would get lost in the house. I would like to find the perfect pet but I'm not sure that this even exists. (Also I would be okay with setting up a part of house to have a basking light just shining on some sort of surface if needed.

Edit: Lol Reading through this I most sound like a crazy person trying way to hard to find something that doesn't exist. But if you do happen to come across this "merical animal" be sure to let me know.

[wodesorel]

Reptiles aren't the smartest in captivity, so in order to get enough UVB and heat to stay healthy, they often do need confined to at the very least one room. Humidity is another factor, as many are tropical, and normal houses are too dry. Think about the mess as well, there is no potty training them! They go where they are, and big reptiles make big stinky messes.

That said, there are species that do better when given entire rooms. Igauna, tortoises, monitors, tegus. However, these are big and heavy animals that can bite and scratch and cause major injuries and also household destruction. They also cost a lot to feed and maintain with proper UVB. They also live for an extremely long time when properly cared for, and adult animals are extremely hard to rehome because people don't want giant animals that require giant enclosures.

[JoeHermits]

To my knowledge, no. Even the reptiles people sometimes show off to the internet as “house-trained” such as iguanas and alligators still require heat and humidity for optimum health.

And no, you should not try to keep an iguana or alligator like a domestic cat. That is generally a bad idea.


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[FJrocks003]

I'll just take that as a no. If my family freaks out at the thought of adding another tank to the house I can only imagine what would happen if I told them that I was dedicating an entire room to a new reptile. Lol Thanks anyway. Also, how in the world do you people literally respond seconds after I post things?! Are you magic?!

[JoeHermits]

I'll just take that as a no. If my family freaks out at the thought of adding another tank to the house I can only imagine what would happen if I told them that I was dedicating an entire room to a new reptile. Lol Thanks anyway. Also, how in the world do you people literally respond seconds after I post things?! Are you magic?!

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[wodesorel]

Hypnotoad tells me the future.

[Crabby7Crabber]

Fj I can so relate because my family hates having tanks in the house!

[aussieJJDude]

I've seen posts on the web of people creating open enclosures for their chameleons, such as a 'Chameleon climbing wall' or 'Chameleon tree'.

Dunno the practicality, but they do look cool.

Could also set up a nice pond in a corner qnd have a good turtle setup? Something like a smaller turtle like musk, which (correct if I'm wrong) a small tote 40g with a beach area would keep one happy for life?

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[Crabby7Crabber]

I've seen posts on the web of people creating open enclosures for their chameleons, such as a 'Chameleon climbing wall' or 'Chameleon tree'.

Dunno the practicality, but they do look cool.

Could also set up a nice pond in a corner qnd have a good turtle setup? Something like a smaller turtle like musk, which (correct if I'm wrong) a small tote 40g with a beach area would keep one happy for life?

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The chameleon thing sounds cool, thanks for the reccomendation! Might look into it

[wodesorel]

Chameleons are extremely difficult pets, think strawberry crabs to the extreme. They need high humidity and scheduled misting or they develop kidney problems early on. They require diverse live-insect diet daily which costs a lot. UVB is crucial because they develop MBD so quickly if something is wrong with the set-up, replacing bulbs every 6 months is recommended for safety. Free-roam chameleons especially are at risk if they wander too far away from their equipment because it doesn't take much to cause problems, and the speciality vets are expensive and few and far between. The cham forum owners often have to drive hours for the ones who know what they are doing. They are also strictly diurnal (awake in the daytime) so need all their feeding and care in the mornings. Most chameleons that are sold will live drastically shortened lifespans due to poor and improper care.

[Crabby7Crabber]

Chameleons are extremely difficult pets, think strawberry crabs to the extreme. They need high humidity and scheduled misting or they develop kidney problems early on. They require diverse live-insect diet daily which costs a lot. UVB is crucial because they develop MBD so quickly if something is wrong with the set-up, replacing bulbs every 6 months is recommended for safety. Free-roam chameleons especially are at risk if they wander too far away from their equipment because it doesn't take much to cause problems, and the speciality vets are expensive and few and far between. The cham forum owners often have to drive hours for the ones who know what they are doing. They are also strictly diurnal (awake in the daytime) so need all their feeding and care in the mornings. Most chameleons that are sold will live drastically shortened lifespans due to poor and improper care.

Thanks for the information! That's definitely something I will consider. I may not be able to have pets that are extremely hard to care for right now for my fam's sake, but when I'm older I plan to have a full room of reptiles and such and to care for them accordingly. In addition, I'm thinking of becoming a Marine Biologist because I love learning about sea creatures!
Edit: Caring for animals and pets is one of my favorite things to do. My father is also a reptile wizard so if I do decide to get one I'm sure he can guide me