Archives of The Cold Blooded News

The Newsletter of the Colorado Herpetological Society

Volume 32, Number 4;   April, 2005

The Disposable Lizard

by Rene Lohnes, CHS Member

I was admiring the reptiles in a local pet shop (while trying not to criticize the shopkeeper about their proper care) when a very disturbing conversation took place. "We got this bearded dragon so big by feeding him cat food," said the employee.

"But that can't be good for them all the time" was my reply.

"Sure it's fine, you can power feed iguanas the same way, and they'll get big fast too."

"Aren't iguanas strict vegetarians?" Thinking how my own little green baby would turn up her nose, and probably shred the first thing she came in contact with in retaliation, if I even told her I wanted to feed her some cat chow.

"Oh it doesn't matter, iguanas are just cheap disposable lizards anyway, kind of like a five cent goldfish."

I felt my stomach churn, and steamed silently as I left the store, wanting to rescue them all. Do people really feel this way? Unfortunately we can't just buy them all, it would only encourage the offenders to try and sell more unhappy, unhealthy lizards anyway.

How did this state of mind come to be? I know of the many reptiles out there that are waiting for homes. The ones purchased as disposable pets, or by people who just didn't realize what they were getting into. So how do we, as individuals help with this problem? Here are some of the solutions that have worked for us. READ!! Probably the most important step of all. Be informed on your subjects. There is always one more thing to learn. I've had iguanas for several years now, and did you know they have a forked tongue? And just when you think there couldn't possibly be another book out there on the proper care for Leopard Geckos, guess what, there is. My own personal "herper heroine" is Melissa Kaplan.

I think the next step we need to take, is finding a way to stop the deplorable conditions many reptiles are forced to live in in pet stores. Of course the first thing, is to not spend your money there!! Tell all your friends and family of the poor treatment the stores' animals are receiving; ask them not to spend their money there either. The mighty dollar can be one of the loudest voices out there. It's worth it to drive that extra couple of miles out of the way to support local high quality shops. But that alone may not be enough, not with today's population. Talk to managers, or bug the attendants. I know that most of them don't care; they just work there, but every once in a while you find one who does care at least a little. And this time, the poor little boa will have a clean dish of water to soak in. And maybe, the little baby dragon will have crickets for dinner, instead of his brother's tail.

Another wonderful audience I have found that will listen to everything you have to say is school children. My daughter's elementary class has watched our reptilian family grow in both size and number. If your reptiles just aren't up to being poked by twenty little third graders on show-and-tell day, then encourage your child, or niece, nephew, neighbor boy etc. to take in pictures, or shoot a home movie. Most younger children don't have the phobias and misconceptions that many adults have developed. They really want to know how much is involved with having a pet reptile. Once you have told them just how many thousands of wiggly little crickets they can eat, or how much of their bedroom it would take for a proper cage, they are very willing to reconsider having them as an "easy pet". It has stopped a few lizards from ending up in the local shelter. Unfortunately, I'm sure those few spots saved, were soon filled by others.

These are just a few ideas to start helping with the problem. The possibilities are endless. So next time, instead of biting your tongue and walking away, speak up! You're expected to do something about it for cats, and dogs. Isn't Lizzy just as important as Fido? Many reptiles live just as long as, and sometimes even longer than, your average pet mammal. They require and deserve at least the same amount of dedication and care as our furry friends do. So share what you have learned with others, you just might save a reptile's life.