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I read a lot...I change my mind. YOUR thoughts most welcome...long post alert!

789 views 6 replies 4 participants last post by  Vague 
#1 ·
Hello all and thanking you muchly for the advice given so far.

Some of you (though I doubt many as this is one big forum!) may have read my previous thread with regards to lizards and living in Thailand. To save anybody having to look it up, I was originally thinking "native Thai dwelling lizard that could roam as free as possible"...I then thought Iguana because I feel so sorry for those big guys stuck in crates at the weekend market here in Bangkok...

I am not stupid enough to buy/acquire on any whim however and have read, read, read.

I have concluded that I don't want to go try "trap" any wild lizard.
I have concluded that though I'd LOVE to go save one of those trapped already (in crates at the market) Iguanas the sad reality is that they will be replaced by another wild caught beauty as soon as I home one and such powerful lizards are probably not the best for a beginner with children.:blush:
I THEN concluded that there was no way to keep lizards here that weren't wild caught and resulted in financing a cruel market (in my book - people are welcome to disagree but that is my personal view:whistling2: - I have a high sofa, disagree and I can go hide in a second!!!)

Any-ho!! Decided that "fair play traded lizard pets" and Thailand didn't muchly mix...and sat back to watch the fast little geckos adorning my home...

THEN I met a Thai chap (he does an after school club in Art that my children attend) with a bearded dragon. I know this lovely little lass to be a bearded dragon as I initially (having read about wild animals being caught and sold in Thailand!) pointed at said lizard and inquired: "You catch?" to which he replied "Mai, mai, mai!..." (mai=no) "...she bearded dragon. She Australia mai Thailand. She no catch. No allowed bring bearded dragon to Thailand anymore. No allowed. Allowed to breed baby no wild in Thailand only - she pregnant, she will have baby. I have shop only bearded dragon...very friendly!" (make of that what you will - I took it to mean that he deals in captive bred bearded dragons.)...He THEN proceeded to take said lizard from it's enclsure and give her to me...AHHHHH!!!!! I'm in love! HOW FRIENDLY WAS SHE??????? He then continued with (again, translate as you see fit - I'm always guessing meaning!): "She very friendly and she have baby. I sell many colour. She only brown. Dragon like Thai sun but careful in Thailand as no Australia. If you want I can show - you need special to keep good healthy. I can show how make strong happy."

Qs:

Whatever does he mean "pregnant"? - Don't reptiles lay eggs??? Does he mean that she is yet to lay eggs that he anticipates?

"Many colour"??? - anybody care to explain?

DOES THIS CHAP SOUND AS THOUGH HE KNOWS WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT OR IS HE TRYING TO TAKE THE MICKEY??? - reptile knowledgable people's opinion GREATLY trusted on that one.

THANKS!!

V.
 
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#2 ·
P.S. Sorry, ought to have included:

At the "need special" thing I said in Thai "I don't understand" to which he said (again, translate as you see fit as you will make more of it than I knowing reptiles!)...

"Need special. No Australia kap (yes?) - mai, mai. Need special hot and cold. Need special cricket - mai cockroach, no good. I show, I show - I make understand."

To which I nodded (poor ferang "wai") and went on my way confused!

I do have a mate here fluent in Thai that I could ask to go speak to him if he sounds half genuine...rather ask before bothering though.

V.
 
#3 ·
Whatever does he mean "pregnant"? - Don't reptiles lay eggs??? Does he mean that she is yet to lay eggs that he anticipates? I think he means she's about to lay eggs.

"Many colour"??? - anybody care to explain? Maybe he's on about colour morphs?

DOES THIS CHAP SOUND AS THOUGH HE KNOWS WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT OR IS HE TRYING TO TAKE THE MICKEY??? - reptile knowledgable people's opinion GREATLY trusted on that one. Sounds like he knows a bit. When he said "Hot and Cld" I think hes talking about temperature gradients, when he said "Special Crickets"-well, thats a bit obvious he was talking about having to buy crix available for lizards. But then again he could be taking the mickey, cause some of those mistakes could have been to take the mickey...
 
#4 ·
It sounds like the chap knows enough about bearded dragons from what he has said. He has mentioned that they will require additional heating and lighting in their home, as the Thai climate does not suit their natural conditions in australia.

He also mentioned that the food items they need are different from those commonly available, which also sounds promising - it would have been far easier for him just to try and sell you one without any advice. The fact that he is trying to ensure that his pets are correctly carers for is again a good sign.

The different colours he is referring to are the different genetic 'morphs' that are selectively bred in the hobby. A google search for bearded dragon morphs should show you some of the colours available.

Finally I personally would much rather buy a captive bred animal than a wild caught one. There is less chance of disease and internal and external parasites. Captive bred animals also tend to be of better temprement. Although things are different here in the Uk than in Thailand, I would also be concerned that buying wild caught animals also ensures that the trade continues... if nobody bought wc animals then wild populations would be less threatened.

Just my thoughts on the matter. :D
 
#5 · (Edited)
Thank you very much for your replies - I'm very grateful and continue to learn before deciding "lizard type" best for me here in Thailand as I don't want to make any nasty mistake on my part and then have to post here in the future wanting answers to very sick/dead lizard because I didn't do my "homework"...

Anolefan: THANK YOU!!! You made it through my (very long!) post and gave me answers.
The "mistakes" on language ought be passed as 'not mickey' - I do it all the time! I start talking Thai but my learned language is English...as a result I speak a nasty "mish-mash" of both to Thais to get myself understood. In the same breath they do the same when trying to communicate back.:blush:

rantasam: THANK YOU TOO!!! You also bothered to read my looooooong message and give answers.
As far as wanting captive bred - ME TOO (!) and would rather go without a pet lizard than have some poor "trapped" one. This chap deals only in the lizard he knows and sells only that born from eggs...

I've asked him about the cricket thing and he explained (with help from a Thai speaking friend) that "...markets around Bangkok sell cockroaches as food for lizards - this is wrong as they often catch said cockroaches in "dirty" places such as waste pipes. Lizards need "clean" food and I must not listen to anybody saying otherwise..." roughly translated by my mate.

Dunno if this is correct but sounds like sense to me...

V.

Edit to add: My mate also got answers on the colour - the one I held was a light brown but he also breeds a green variety...the latter apparently more desirable here. I am yet to go to his shop or any other to check out "green type" - if I settle on a bearded dragon then I'm already in love with the "light brown" type!!! My mate translated that he (the chap with lizard) needs show me many things to make a healthy pet. He has written "care sheets" in Thai and has asked my mate to translate them for me if I choose to buy from him. He ALSO wants to show me housing as I need "big,big, big"...I must confess that I liked that about him - his concern for space.
 
#7 ·
Nevermind iguanas. Have you seen the monitor lizards (don't know what sort they are) that swim around in the canals in Bangkok? I almost s**t my pants when i first saw them i thought they were little crocs :lol2:

article in link = Animals : Welcome to bplaek.com

YES I have! They are beautiful creatures that run free in Lumpini Park, Bangkok to my knowledge as that's where I saw them...They are about the size of a "teenage crocodile" when grown apparently and can swim FAST!:2thumb:

My girls wanted to feed them as they aren't afraid of people though they run wild...:gasp: LIKE HECK DID I LET THEM!!!

V.
 
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