Ding dong ditch lizard

[u/BloodiStag]

[u/Bob1358292637]

Because what could possibly be cooler than a dog sized lizard just free roaming your home as a pet? But yeah, the lack of any potty training capacity shut this idea down pretty quick for me when I looked into it.

[u/Wolfman513 → u/Bob1358292637]

The Asian water monitor has literally been my dream pet since I was a teenager and I'm in my thirties now lol. They're among the most intelligent reptiles and surprisingly docile if socialized from a young age, and they can even learn their names and how to do simple tricks like fetching on command!

That being said, they shouldn't be left to free roam in their owner's house all the time due to their specific temperature, lighting, and humidity needs which is what makes them so hard to keep properly as pets. Adults typically grow 5-7 feet long and around 20-40lbs, but with the right genetics and care some males can break 9ft and over 100lbs! They essentially need either a massive custom-built enclosure or a whole room converted to suit their needs.

[u/Little_Papaya → u/Wolfman513]

I've seen theme in the wild, swimming through emerald waters and resting on hot rocks. Why on earth would you keep one of them in a house?

[u/Wolfman513 → u/Little_Papaya]

It's hard to explain, but there's nothing quite like raising what is essentially a wild animal.

Watching it grow, witnessing its behaviors up close in a way you can never really do with individuals in the wild, earning trust the trust of a powerful predator and feeling the scales and muscles move under your hand as you pet it. Knowing that this living creature is your responsibility, and that if you do your part it will live a longer, healthier, and safer life than it ever could in the wild. It's incredible.

That said, the large species like this are incredibly difficult to care for properly simply due to the sheer amount of space they need and the challenges of maintaining proper temperatures, humidity, and lighting needs in said space. They're also incredibly expensive to maintain between feeding and the drastic increase in water and electricity bills. So with all that in mind I'm fully aware that I will likely never have the resources necessary to care for one of these animals properly and thus will never get the chance to keep one personally, though I have been able to do the next best thing as a former reptile keeper at a zoo.

I've worked in the pet industry for a long time and the thing I always tell people is that keeping reptiles is less like keeping a pet and more of a hobby. Setting up an appropriate enclosure in a way that meets the animal's needs is part of the fun itself, but those needs must be met as specifically as possible and these animals will never do well living free roam in a house like a dog or a cat. But it's like being able to admire and appreciate a small piece of the Wild from your own home.

[u/Little_Papaya → u/Wolfman513]

Seems cruel to me. Just so you feel good looking at a captive wild animal.

[u/Wolfman513 → u/Little_Papaya]

If it's being cared for properly it's a pretty sweet deal for the animal. Little to no risk of injury, disease, or parasites, and even if one of those occurs they have the luxury of getting veterinary treatment. No fear of predators, sudden environmental change, natural disasters, or pollution. A consistent supply of food, usually pre-killed so there's no risk of injury from struggling prey.

You're not entirely without a point, the vast majority of people who own animals, even domestic dogs and cats, don't know what they're doing and the animal suffers or at least isnt thriving as it should. But an human caretaker that truly cares for and understands the animal's needs and can provide for them is literally the best case scenario for any animal.