Bearded Dragon vs. Uromastyx as a good handlable pet

[weirdbuglady]

I work at a pet store and fell for the charms of a male mali uromastyx and so did my brother, so we took him home. He was a bit wiggly but calmed down within a few minutes. We realized he needed much more heat and once we got the right set up with the correct temps and food, he has perked up, a bit too much. He's nearly impossible to hold, he has no depth perception so will just step off a hand/arm/table/bed, luckily he hasnt fallen yet and we've managed to catch him in time!

We love this lizard but I'm now not sure if its the right pet for my brother (he's 15) who wants something he can handle for more than a few minutes at a time. It's interesting to watch him eat and feed him by hand, but since my brother has some sight problems, that's not really a lot of fun for him.

Would a bearded dragon be a better choice as far as being able to calm down and be tame? People have come into the pet store with bearded dragons simply clinging to their shirts. The cage would only need minor alteration to house the bearded. Or do you think with more time (we've had the uromastyx about a month and a half) the uro will calm down with more handling? He is super fast and we're afraid he'll hurt himself by suddenly sprinting out of reach.

I might be able to trade the uromastyx for a bearded dragon, but I don't know for sure if my boss will say it's ok. And I wanted to get some opinions. I'm really attached to this guy even though he isnt mine, however if we want to get a bearded, we dont have enough room for two lizards.

[Sasquatch Art]

I got my Uro at the age of 12. And my Bearded Dragon I got when I was 14.

With only having had one Uro and one Bearded....I don't have much widely known experience.

However I find my bearded dragon with more of a friendly personality and more of a holdable behavior.

With the Uro he was holdable but not as "loving" as my bearded.....I actually no longer have my Uro. He was very squirmy in the beginning when I got him but he later calmed down a bit. As for interesting Uros are definitely cool.

But I hope everything works out and you find the right lizard for you and your brother.

[weirdbuglady]

Yeah my brother thinks he's an awesome lizard, and I just love the personality, but, I'm just not sure how likely it is that it'll end up calming down. I'm the one with all the reptile pets, this is my brother's only pet, and he wants something he can handle.

[Sasquatch Art]

Yeah my brother thinks he's an awesome lizard, and I just love the personality, but, I'm just not sure how likely it is that it'll end up calming down. I'm the one with all the reptile pets, this is my brother's only pet, and he wants something he can handle.

He could calm down..All reptiles are different

However with the little experience I had with the two I have/had. I would choose a bearded dragon any day. He will just hang out on my shoulder for hours at a time.
But I did get my dragon as little itty baby and he was calm for the beginning.

I could never do that with my Uro.

[firehop]

Hey,


We have both and I find that the beardie is much more calm when handling. The Uro's (we have 2) do calm down and we can handle but their tails are wicked fast. I would suggest a Beardie over a uro for handling. Good luck with them all.

[West Coast Jungle]

I have had beardies for 10 years plus and they are probably the best handling reptile pet there is in my opinion. They are very hearty, many seemed bored in their enclosure and really enjoy coming out and hanging out. Most reptiles tolerate it at best. As babies they can be very nervous but mellow tremendously. One of my first was very defensive when smaller and eventually became one of the tamest I ever had. When it comes to handling and beginner reptiles, Beardies are one of the best choices.

[weirdbuglady]

Yeah that seems to be what I've heard and read... I want to keep working with the Uro a bit more but when I took him out today I only lasted 15 minutes before I got sick of his quick random bursts of energy trying to fly off the couch. Sigh.

[Nicole N]

We have a beardie that we call our miracle baby.

The conditions she was in were so deplorable that the tankmate we bought her with died within a week. They were skinny and emaciated. We suspect they were fed only once every three days. I felt bad and didn't want to leave them there behind to die. But did turn around but its left her seriously stunted.

They have so much personality. Our girl waves at us when we pass by, and runs from end to end to watch us when we are in the kitchen or going into the living room. They're pretty quick but they do like to cling to shirts and 'chill' out with you kind of the way your BP does. Usually when they get bigger though, when still small and under the 8 inch mark they are still a lil worrisome and need to be closely watched.

If you get one for your bro make sure the legs are plump and the stomach isn't flat. The dragon will sit with you.. ours has for up to an hour. But warning, it will poo on you!

[weirdbuglady]

Yeah we've pretty much made up our minds that we'll switch to a beardie. Might be able to get one that's already a decent size, so its at least not a tiny baby. We have beardies at work and sometimes I take them out just to chill on my shirt. My brother needs something that can sit on his shoulder while he plays his computer games, haha.