There are times that my female beardie wants out- whether to be handled, or just to escape the boredom of everyday life, I do not know....... ha....... I think that sometime we forget that animals are as varied as humans, and there are odd cases that they are the exception to the rule. I do believe that we should always state what we believe to be best, but we should be nice about it and respect the opinions of others!! Have your opinion, but do not hurt others in the process is what I teach...
Anoles do not have the mental capacity to "enjoy" being handled, and they just can't be as varies as humans because of this. Stating your opinion is fine, yes, but we have to draw the line somewhere in regards of what to listen to... If everyone stated their opinion and there wasn't a rough set of guidelines, people wouldn't have a clue who to actually listen to.
We jsst got a Green Anole today Dec 27 and I have been reading about them. And things they need and what to do and not to do. Soes anyone have anything to say about them to help me out. Or any suggestion for me?!?
well i do have a leo that will walk on my had and up my arm just to sit on me, but she may be trianed to do that because when she was younger i always used to give her a waxworm right after being held
I know this is an old thread, but I'd like to share my two cents. I agree that most reptiles don't enjoy handling. Anoles in particular (just take it from a wildlife standoff): 1. They're little and fast. They were made that way (or whatever you believe) to not be picked up by bigger creatures. 2. The thing about them climbing my arm, they won't get down, they want out. Little and green, and if I had a chance to go away from bigger creatures (you) by God I am taking it or if I am to scared, I am gonna stick on you because at the moment I am safe, after that moment passes and I realize I am safe enough to continue getting away from what I am scare of, I am going to run. Via off the bed onto the floor or even back into the viv. if it is the closest thing. 3. Reptiles aren't domesticated. They're not like our dogs, cats, and other attention seeking creatures that seek out companionship. As said, they mostly stick to themselves, which is why when "The Reptile Hunter" goes looking for a herp, they don't find a family or friends around it. True a group of herps can live in an area, but then you have to consider territories and other "survival of the fittest" (dominance and submission) methods. Things are very complex out there and heck even look at a hotel. You have your room and everyone else has theirs, I most certainly wouldn't want the guy down the hall in my room and the neighbor next to me in his, but because we are in our territories, we feel safe. Breeding is the contradiction. Some reptiles come together to breed, after that the couple doesn't stick around. 4. It is human way to want things to like us, for companionship, be it human or animals, but the level of intelligence isn't the same in most animals. They work off of instinct and how their body reactions to each situation. Humans have evolved (or whatever you believe) to the point to realize that companionship can be a good thing. Now please note I did say intelligence and not feelings. I think all live things have the ability to feel something. Pain or fear is / can be shown by attacking, even if what was there to help, they'd still react this way. Think about your animal shelters/vet offices. Dogs and cats don't realize we are there help, which is why bite wounds and animal related accidents happen. So yea, my 2 cents.
Great site, I have hundreds of anoles all around my yard. Living in the Mississippi Delta they are everywhere but so are gators. The anoles are cool to watch. We handled them as kids but didn't really know any better. Now I only handle them when rescuing them from the cat who likes to bring them in the house but they usually get away and then I have to catch them to take back outside so they don't dry up. They don't usually come inside on their own though. I try to handle them gently. I thought about using a aquarium net as I have a couple but I am afraid I may squash them with the edge. I can catch them much better with my hands. They aren't quite that fast to me. What would you recommend as the best way to transfer them back outside.
That is cool Ron. I live in central florida and see anoles all the time. I have a friend who actually has bred the green anoles and would build these big outdoor screen cages that you could practically stand in. I too believe anoles should not be handled. What he does with his anoles is he brings in a box of crickets and lets the feeding frenzy begin. They jump all over the place and the anoles go nuts. Its really cool.
I would have to kind of disagree. I'm an avid rep keeper and have a few different species of lizards, and I have 2 anole's. and yes do not go in the viv chasing them down and moving stuff around then grab at them, Yes that would stress the hell out of them, But if you just go slow at it, dont even touch them the first few times just present your hand. and just slowly work at it, ya you can handle any herp. My frog's dont mind now, I only will hold them if they are in the mood. If you have frogs you know they will piss all over you when stressed. My water dragon is like a dog, if you walk by her viv and she wants out she scratches at the glass till I take her out, soon as the glass opens she jumps right on my hand and climbs up my arm. that kind of species is deffinatly a people lizard. My anoles are more calm with me then my basilisk, hes been the hardest to tame. My fish even when i put my hand in the tank to clean my huge pearl scale and moore gold fish swim in to my palm. Animals I believe have a sense of moods from people and can sense love and care. Thats my opinion. I have had the same results from my dogs, rabbits, fish, lizards and cats. They all get jealous because they are all treated the same. Especially my dragon. When I'm doing stuff with the other reps she watches me with the ugly eye. lol.
I understand this is an older post, but the topic is quite important and I see many misobservations by a few people in it, which are still common today. The question of any reptile, period, enjoying handling. False. Beardies are simply more tolerant of it by nature as they're simply more docile, but are more that you are warm and they like to explore. If you aren't readily trying to eat them or small enough for them to overpower and eat, they simply don't care, other than just wanting out of their tank or associating you with providing food. Boas and pythons are arboreal and like warmth; you're something to climb AND warm. Makes you the perfect combo if it decides you're not threat or prey and therefore becomes tolerant. I found a baby Nile at an expo that wanted to climb all over me and actually seemed friendly; I shuddered when a kid bought it under that pretense because I raised a female and kept it for a good portion of her life, and in no way can those be tamed. Thankfully the kid's parents listened when I told them about its nature as an adult and of its curiosity and intelligence, let alone the chechups needed for proper calcium levels and such. My little sister had a pair of green iguanas, one 4ft and the other 4.5ft before a tree fell on her house and she needed to pass them on, and they simply tolerated human contact for convenience- warmth, food or a perch. My friend had a tegu, same thing. Moral to the story- they're lizards, they don't feel emotions any more then any other reptile, your handling just happens to be convenient for them in some way and they've come to associate you as neither threat nor prey. Please do not confuse the matter. As a gentleman earlier posted, get a mouse if you want a small, social pet; I've bred them in the past for feeders, and they are incredibly social animals. As for the terror that some lizards feel, my observations definitely line up with the moderator's in the case of anoles; I've owned a few over the years, both wild caught and captive bred, and though CB babies turn out to be less skittish, the result has always been the same. Just please stop associating reptiles with emotion, everyone, they are not capable of it and any handling of any reptile puts at least some level of stress on them.
Hello, my name is Jamie. I'm 16 . I have two green anoles. I found that they DON'T enjoy being handled. When I try to handle them they get scared and breath heavily, I've had them for about a week and realized it's best to just not handle them. I had a green anole who SEEMED to to not mind handling & that was only being when I got him he was sick, he died a few days later.
I agree that anoles don't do well with handleing but that does not mean that all lizard species don't like it my leopard gecko Jasper loves to be held he craves attention even begs to come out when he feels lonely so though green anoles don't like handleing that is not safe to say that all lizzards are that way because they are like many other animals they all have different personalities one anole may love being held while another may not it all depends on said lizzards personality I know geckos and anoles are very different but my gecko is definitely more happy in his enclosure than outside if he is on me when I go to the mailbox he starts to freak out and get scared but once were back inside he relaxes and kisses my color bone because he reads on the necks of my shirt hiding in my hair
You idiot reptiles do have emotions it may not be as complex as dogs or cats but I can assure you that mice are a lot more stupid than a reptile a mouse does not have feelings it's soul purpose is to be fed to larger animals a reptile may have a smaller brain but don't be so stupid as to think they don't have emotions because they do and anyone who agrees with this idiot has never owned a leopard gecko and to the person who is scared to hold her gecko your putting it in way more stress than being left alone leopard geckos thrive off human contact ask any reptile vet and they will tell you if you never handle a gecko it's going to turn vicious. Don't give people advice if you have no idea what you're talking about its for that reason that people give their pets bad husbandry because of idiots like you giving them bad advice I believe all animals have emotions even the crickets I feed my gecko have emotions I can see it you think God would create a living creature without emotions well that's just plain stupid every living thing has a purpose and emotions in the animal kingdom so don't go spreading crap on the internet about reptiles not having emotions because every animal on planet earth has some form of emotions
