Leapin' Into Lizards? Look First!

Something about reptiles excites some kids. You can hear it in their voices at when they look at the map and say, “Hey, there’s a reptile house!” Once inside the building come follow-up comments like, “I want an iguana!” Even a couple of grown-ups spoke that way under their breaths as they gazed in wide-eyed fascination.

I shuddered. And, for a different reason, so do zoologists and veterinarians who know that, too often, people really do go out and get an exotic reptile, then find themselves in over their heads.

“People call all the time and say, ‘I’m in over my head. It’s bigger than they told me it was going to get,’ ” says Zoo Atlanta’s herpetology curator, Joe Mendelson.

Monitor lizards, of which the Komodo dragon is the largest, come to mind first, but pythons and iguanas are the reptiles eliciting the most calls.

Spur-thighed and Salcata tortoises are among the largest turtles in the world. Mendelson holds his hand to about midway across his desk and says, “They’ll get to be half as big as my desk.”

These animals are big, require space and are complex nutritionally. They need expert and professional attention, Mendelson said, estimating that he gets about three calls a week from anxious owners.

Veterenarian Annie Price, of owner of Ormewood Animal Hospital in Ormewood Park says reptiles take specialized veterinary care.

“Potential owners do need to be aware that the veterinary needs of reptiles are a specialized field of exotic medicine. Due to the nature of their behavior and disease processes it necessitates more expensive veterinary care,” she said.

“People think that because they’re for sale, it’s okay to buy these animals,” Mendelson said. “But on the Internet, just about anything is available.”

Because Zoo Atlanta cannot take in the animals, they refer callers and readers to the Georgia Herpetological Society, which monitors several species-specific rescue groups.

Mendelson, who says he started out as a boy hunting snakes in the grass and with a fascination for reptiles, says people can have a reptile experience and not set themselves up.

He recommends the bearded dragon, ball python and leopard gecko for would-be pet owners.

Zoo staff also recommend that, before making a purchase, would-be pet owners should make sure the animals are from reputable breeders and that the species doesn't require a special permit, such as from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, which details requirements on its website.

Turtles, for example, are often wild-caught, Mendelson cautioned.