#lizard keeping

Case in point, about keeping large reptiles, the right way.

Kenan is reorganizing his property to allow for construction of an alligator pond. Yes, a pond, outdoors, with enough room for them to walk, bask, swim, and all the other things gators do. Which, by the way, doesn’t include visits to a local pet store.

Kenan’s got a Patreon, and I donate a bit each month. I kind of keep all the large reptiles I wish I could keep, vicariously through him.

And don’t give me any of the “but I don’t have resources to build an 8x8x8ft enclosure for my ig!” bullshit. This just means you shouldn’t keep an ig. It’s that simple. If you can’t provide an animal with everything it needs to have a healthy, enriched life in captivity, you just don’t get that animal. This is not a knock on poor ppl, it’s all about the animal’s best interests. They didn’t ask to be a pet, and keeping them in an environment that will make them sick and stressed isn’t fair to them. Capitalism sucks, but we’re talking real living, breathing, sentient beings here.

I want a tegu and an iguana so bad, you’ve no idea! But I don’t have room and resources and time to create the enclosures for them to stay healthy and have room to explore and bask, etc. -- so I don’t heckin’ get them anyway, just ‘cause I wanna. Because pet keeping is about pets first and foremost.

I’ve been looking into them and I’m 100% going to study before I buy them or anything for them.

I would like to attract feral lizards into my home so that they can eat the damn bugs and also so I can tell them I love them

Is there a particular kind of lizzy-snack, good-smelling-thing, or other such lizard attractant you would recommend I use?

Also any common sense advice besides “leave them be” I should know about?