Good places to buy?

[Julum]

I'm sorry if this isn't the right place to put this. I want to get a lizard as pet (I'm thinking about getting a bearded dragon), but I don't know what sites to go to. All sites I've found are for snakes (my mother will NEVER let me have a snake in the house) or are bad. (Backwater Reptiles is one I looked at, and I've seen quite a few people say they're scammers.) Also, where should I get the tank and UV lights and stuff? Could I find that at a local pet store? Thank you. EDIT: Also, I've seen many "Bearded Dragon Food Pellets" as an alternative to feeding them insects. Are these actually good for them, or should I feed them insects instead?

[JaredJEstes]

From everything I have heard Backwater Reptiles is a terrible choice. Though, I have never ordered live animals online, nor do I plan to. I get all of my supplies from local stores or second hand on Craigslist.

As for the bearded dragon, I think there is a post in the bearded dragon forum where it has been decided the dragon died from poor diet and reliance on pellets. You can get dried mealworms and feed them vegetables! I think if anything can eat vegetables its always best to have it as a main part of its diet (including us).

[jclaiborne]

I would encourage you to do a lot more research before jumping in a buying an animal, pellets are a poor substitue, so are dried worms. A young beardie needs a staple of feeder insects for growing, after they pass the year mark they start to eat their greens quite a bit more. For caging I would look into a plastic enclosure with front sliding doors, if there are any reptile expos near you I would check them out. For UVB I am a fan of the T5 HO lamps, the little spiral CFLs are junk, but like I said the questions you are asking are important ones don't get me wrong but they are incredibly basic, read read read, gather info and decide if a Beardie is right for you.