Saying goodbye to insects for good

Batch · 04-12-15, 11:06 AM

I grew up with all lizards as my mom very much disliked snakes. However I always hated the bugs that came along with them. Now I'm down to just my BTS who's doing awesome on my raw turkey, egg, veggies, banana and calcium diet. I'd like to put together a list of all the options I have for the insect free lizards.

So what are my new options for lizards that don't need insects?

What I've got so far...
Disliked-Iguana, Desert Iguana, Cresties, chukwalla,

Liked- Pink Tongue Skink, Tegu (any), Caiman Lizard, On the fence about Uros as I've been tail whipped a few times, Leachies, Larger monitors

Batch · 04-12-15, 11:13 AM

I should be clear before angry people try to rip me apart. Yes I am aware that some of the animals listed may require some insects. However, it is either a small part of the diet or only for a juvenile portion of their life.
EG- Tegus and monitors are perfectly fine with a diet of 70% San Diego monitor diet and only need insects as a small portion of the diet while young. As adults the other 30% would rodents.

TL;DR Can need some insects, but not large portion of diet.

trailblazer295 · 04-12-15, 11:34 AM

Insects were a part of what steered my away from them in the first place and towards snakes. Other factors were also part of the equation but I'm more comfortable with feeding rodents then insects.

Batch · 04-12-15, 04:58 PM

Yeah, and it's not that I dislike the insects themselves. Crickets die if you look at them wrong, roaches take the same amount of work as my pets if I wanted them to breed, and the rest I have to remember to reorder every couple weeks. Call me lazy, but buying a huge bag of frozen rodents and sticking it in the freezer, or making raw turkey with egg shells is preferable.

Any Ideas???

**Minkness** · 04-12-15, 05:04 PM

Lol Batch. So true about roaches being a secondary pet XD

I kinda like that though.

Since I'm a bit of a gecko freak I may be biased, but Leachies are awesome, but make sure you do get a babie as they have a SERIOUS bite as a juvie on up. Seen one rake a chunk of flesh from the top of someone's finger before. He was otherwise unhandled though.

**millertime89** · 04-12-15, 05:15 PM

Leachies are indeed awesome as Minkness said. I love my brother's and I've considered getting one of my own.

eminart · 04-12-15, 06:42 PM

You'll be back.

I got out of bug eaters a few years ago. I've recently started a new dubia colony and am starting to ramp back up. Dubia are a breeze, in my opinion. Throw them in a tub with some heat, toss food in once in a while, and they'll be overrunning the tub in a few months.

But, snakes ARE easier than insect eaters.

Batch · 04-12-15, 07:39 PM

I'm so glad you said that eminart. You're in huntsville (I was on redstone arsenal for two years) where the humidity is perfect for them. In these drier limits they won't breed unless you mist them at least daily.

The only benefit is that if something terrible were to happen here and they all got out they would probably die, and if I were back in the south I'd probably just move.

eminart · 04-12-15, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Batch

I'm so glad you said that eminart. You're in huntsville (I was on redstone arsenal for two years) where the humidity is perfect for them. In these drier limits they won't breed unless you mist them at least daily.

The only benefit is that if something terrible were to happen here and they all got out they would probably die, and if I were back in the south I'd probably just move.

Ah, I suppose humidity could be an issue. You might just cut down the ventilation though.

Also, I think, in my mind, I was combining your post with a post by someone else. You aren't getting a snake (yet

) so disregard my last statement. But, I'm sure vegetarian lizards are also easier than bug eaters.

pet_snake_78 · 04-12-15, 10:09 PM

I actually find crickets really easy to breed. Right now I am breeding silkworms, crickets, and earthworms. Hard to argue with frozen rodents, though, effortless! I also like that larger snakes don't need to be fed as often. I find breeding insects kind of interesting though and I enjoy growing my own produce to eat myself and gutload with. The crickets from the store are very hit and miss but the ones I breed myself are nearly indestructable, I rarely, if ever, find dead ones in the tubs. An adult egg eating snake should be a good choice, too. One only needs to go to the store and buy quail or chicken eggs.

jarich · 04-13-15, 12:04 AM

If you think crickets and roaches are difficult, please do not get a monitor

Batch · 04-13-15, 06:32 AM

Haha this has gotten out of hand. I have kept many snakes, but am currently only down to one. I took care of a full grown Salvator when the owner couldn't.

Everybody's all gung ho on the "these things are SO EASY, if you can't raise them then don't go anywhere near herps" bandwagon that the question isn't being answered. Maybe I don't want to spend time feeding, misting, and watering bugs or hear the constant scurrying every time I go in my reptile room.

Thanks to those who actually gave suggestions.

prairiepanda · 04-13-15, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jarich

If you think crickets and roaches are difficult, please do not get a monitor

I don't think the OP has any misconceptions about the difficulty of raising large lizards vs. crickets. The complaint here is that the amount of care required by crickets and roaches is too much, in the OP's opinion, to be worth it just for feeders. I'm sure they'd be happy to provide much greater levels of care to a lizard, as the reward is much greater in that case.

I know I hated trying to raise and breed crickets back when I had anoles because of all the escapes and deaths, and I can't legally breed roaches here but if I could I know their production would far exceed my needs(I know people who do this, despite our laws, but their tarantula collections are in the hundreds and they have other insectivores as well) So I go to the pet store down the street twice a month to get just enough feeders to feed all the spiders. But insectivorous lizards need to be fed every day or every 2 days, so that strategy wouldn't be practical.

Out of your options, I would vote tegu, skink, or leachie, but I haven't had any direct experience with the others on your list. But even just looking at these three, they all have completely different care requirements and really fill different roles as pets. They're all great, but they'd all have something different to offer. The cheapest to care for would be leachies, but the most personality(in my opinion) would be tegus. Have you interacted with these in person at all?

Batch · 04-13-15, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prairiepanda

I don't think the OP has any misconceptions about the difficulty of raising large lizards vs. crickets. The complaint here is that the amount of care required by crickets and roaches is too much, in the OP's opinion, to be worth it just for feeders. I'm sure they'd be happy to provide much greater levels of care to a lizard, as the reward is much greater in that case.

Yes, thank you I give my animals the care and attention they need because I enjoy having them. I don't like having bugs at all so if I can get away from them I'm going to.

As far as interaction. Tegus, yes. PTS, no although I'm told they're just a slimmer and faster BTS. Also have never seen Leaches in the flesh, but really really want to.

jarich · 04-13-15, 12:18 PM

Actually Prariepanda, I think the OP has many misconceptions about the difficulty of raising a large monitor. However, my concern was with the overall idea of feeding and care inherent in the posts. The OP seems to be trying to shape the animal to their needs rather than the other way around. With monitors especially, and most lizards in general, that is a recipe for disaster. That you have cared for snakes has little to do with it Batch. Most people keep snakes in the most bare bones, simple set up, and with a snake you can often get away with it. Monitors are extremely intelligent animals with very specific parameters needed, including diet and enrichment of their environments. Its not about what you want to do or not, its about what is best for the animal. The OP has shown in the preceding statements that they seem more interested in doing what is easier for the keeper rather than what is known to be the best for the animal.

If you are unwilling to provide what is best for the animal, dont get the animal. My advice is stick to snakes.