Mammal's Vs Reptiles

[Geckomaster743]

Any one else think it's easier to take care of Mammal's then reptiles? It's honestly my personal opinon but I just wanted to see if I'm the only one here who thinks that. I'm not putting Lizards down or any thing ( I LOVE MY LIZARDS ), But of the Pet's I have it seems that I have more rough days with the lizards then with the Mammals. It honestly Varies but all of them have there Pro's and I love my pets equally.

My reasons for why I think Mammal's are easier to deal with on those days:

Mammals:

Pros: Eat on there own majority of the time, More playful, Can be more social with own species,

Cons: Sharper Teeth depending on most species, More Poop even if the animal is really small or really big, Can Hibernate if it gets too cold, Generally make more noise or emit louder sounds. Contract's Mites, Ticks, Flea's, and other Parasites that are harder to get rid of, Messy when eating,

Good things about: Lizards/Reptiles/Snakes/Etc

Pros: Fun to play with, Easy to take care of depending on species, Less Poop with smaller Lizards, and Snakes unless you have some thing as big as an Iguana, Higher life span then other Mammal's if taken care of through out entire life. Many have life span's of 15 - 30 +

Cons: Prone to infection, and sickness with Stomach viruses, Have to Dust food because their Diet does not contain enough Vitamin's/Calcium on it's own due to limited food choice ( Insects ), Often fight or less social towards own species, Hissing or spitting, Normally requires exotic Vets which can end up with expensive vet trips or making vets hard to find,

This is just the list I can pull off of my head. Add to this guys :3

 

[Caleb C]

I think that your list is only based off of the limited species you have experience with. There are many different animals of different classes with different personalities. There are iguanas that will scratch you up and tail whip you, while there are iguanas that will let you hug them like babies. There are dogs that will snuggle with you while there are dogs that will bite people to death. It is true that mammals can be more playful, but that also means you need to take them out on walks. ALL animals are prone to infection. There are countless stories of dogs and cats contracting sicknesses, as well as reptiles. One of the reasons I like reptiles so much is that there is minimal care, and in turn, you get to view them whenever you want, and it seems to me like you learn something new everyday when you take your time to care for them. You need to feed almost all animals daily, they will all eat on their own unless in critical condition. Mammals normally won't hibernate if kept indoors, as reptiles wont brumate (might still act weird) if kept indoors. You may be surprised, but some reptiles are strictly herbivorous. One of the reasons that we need more supplementing is that the reptile industry is only a fraction of the size of the mammal industry. They have a whole load of companies constantly formulating diets for them, while we only have a handful of companies formulating powders and food for reptiles. The herp industry has a whole lot of different species, while the mammal industry only has a couple to focus on. This means that we can't focus too much on one species. Dog's aren't necessarily as social to their own species. They will pretty much do to each other what reptiles will do if they don't like each other. They will fight, they might get bloody, or they might get along fine. If you think about it differently, vets are basically just well versed in mammals, and exotic vets are well versed in herps and other exotics.
All animals and individuals have their pros and cons, it basically comes down to which ones you find cuter which has a better personality, and which you have the time and ability to care for.

 

[Geckomaster743]

I think that your list is only based off of the limited species you have experience with. There are many different animals of different classes with different personalities. There are iguanas that will scratch you up and tail whip you, while there are iguanas that will let you hug them like babies. There are dogs that will snuggle with you while there are dogs that will bite people to death. It is true that mammals can be more playful, but that also means you need to take them out on walks. ALL animals are prone to infection. There are countless stories of dogs and cats contracting sicknesses, as well as reptiles. One of the reasons I like reptiles so much is that there is minimal care, and in turn, you get to view them whenever you want, and it seems to me like you learn something new everyday when you take your time to care for them. You need to feed almost all animals daily, they will all eat on their own unless in critical condition. Mammals normally won't hibernate if kept indoors, as reptiles wont brumate (might still act weird) if kept indoors. You may be surprised, but some reptiles are strictly herbivorous. One of the reasons that we need more supplementing is that the reptile industry is only a fraction of the size of the mammal industry. They have a whole load of companies constantly formulating diets for them, while we only have a handful of companies formulating powders and food for reptiles. The herp industry has a whole lot of different species, while the mammal industry only has a couple to focus on. This means that we can't focus too much on one species. Dog's aren't necessarily as social to their own species. They will pretty much do to each other what reptiles will do if they don't like each other. They will fight, they might get bloody, or they might get along fine. If you think about it differently, vets are basically just well versed in mammals, and exotic vets are well versed in herps and other exotics.
All animals and individuals have their pros and cons, it basically comes down to which ones you find cuter which has a better personality, and which you have the time and ability to care for.

I agree. It's true my experince is very limmited. I have a few pets that not too many have but I have never had any thing as big as an Iguana. As I said it was just my personal opinon but you're 100% right, It's just every one's preferences really. All my pet's have pro's and Con's as well as every one else's but I just always find my self just having an easier time with the Mammal's then the Reptiles though I love them just as much. Thanks for you're input caleb c: I really hope the Reptile Industry continues to increase in size. I don't have very many Vitamin/Supplementing resources at my Pets mart. Mainly just Rep - Cal - Herpative. Thats it.

 

[Caleb C]

I agree. It's true my experince is very limmited. I have a few pets that not too many have but I have never had any thing as big as an Iguana. As I said it was just my personal opinon but you're 100% right, It's just every one's preferences really. All my pet's have pro's and Con's as well as every one else's but I just always find my self just having an easier time with the Mammal's then the Reptiles though I love them just as much. Thanks for you're input caleb c: I really hope the Reptile Industry continues to increase in size. I don't have very many Vitamin/Supplementing resources at my Pets mart. Mainly just Rep - Cal - Herpative. Thats it.

I find repashy calcium plus to be the best, as it's all in one. Buy it online, it shouldn't go over $15. for 5 oz. $15 a year is a small price to pay for your gecko's health.

 

[Geckomaster743]

I will definitely look in to that. I have had a lot of Vitamin/Calcium related sickness's recently though I have been supplementing stuff with Rep - Cal, and Herpative. I think it's time to switch to a better Brand.

 

[Star1]

All animals have pros and cons. I love my dog just as much as my reptiles and could never choose between only having a dog or only having reptiles. My comparison is to dogs because that's the only mammal I have. You have to do extra things for dogs too- reptiles need extra vitamins, dogs need heartworm preventative, flea and tick preventative, regular shots, need to be groomed and their teeth sometimes need brushed.
Reptile Pros

• They can be left for a few days and be fine- I'm gone just about every weekend and I've never had a problem with my geckos.
• They don't need to be trained to not do bad things
• They can't make a mess in the whole house, just their enclosure
• They don't need to be potty trained
• They don't need to be walked
• You can breed food for them and not have to buy it

Reptile Cons

• They can't be trained to do awesome things (usually)
• If they aren't tame they can be aggressive (but so can any other animal)
• They aren't cuddly
• Vets can be harder to find
• You can't keep males together, or males and females if you don't want to breed (to me this isn't a problem but just putting it out there because I see a lot of people asking about getting a second reptile to live with the male they already have)

Everyone has their own opinions on which animals they like and which they think are easier to take care of and it just depends on their experiences. I used to think dogs were gross and was a little afraid of them but now I love dogs and can't imagine life without one. I still don't really like dogs that misbehave a lot (like my mom's untrained dog who's always hurting me).

 

[Geckomaster743]

Haha I get ya with the dog. I forgot how much trouble my dog gives me. I was just thinking about the Hedgehogs, and Rat. My dog Pee's, Barks, Spills, Attacks every one. Lolololol. You also mentioned some important Points about Reptiles DDD

 

[Amanda1]

I really prefer reptiles that don't eat live food to those that do, which is why I have cresties and no leos. They don't need supplements (CGD has everything in it already) or heat, and I haven't had any problems with either of mine. I've seen mites a couple times, but a good cage cleaning will get rid of those. Sure, exotic vets are harder to find, but that's also going to be a problem for any mammal that's not a dog or cat. And honestly I've spent WAY more money at the vet for my 2 cats than with all of my reptiles put together.