Looking for a Scaly Friend? – Hüllők a lakásban?

alapfok
Kutyákról, macskákról, papagájokról már volt szó, jöjjenek most a hüllők. Nézzük, melyek a legkedveltebb “félős” kedvencek.

Reptiles can be a wonderful choice of pet for those who are allergic to fur, dislike noise, or simply are fascinated with such an interesting class of animals. There are a few important things to take into account, though. Read on to find all you need to know about the three easiest reptile pets to own and decide if any of them might suit you!

Russian Tortoise

Tortoises are one of the easiest types of reptiles to care for, and the Russian Tortoise is one of the most resilient among them. Small and quite easy to look after, this type of tortoise is adaptive to many different temperatures, and does well outdoors, particularly in a warm climate.

Russian Tortoises have a diet that’s easy to provide – they eat leafy greens, weeds, and vegetables. They love to burrow and benefit from rocks and sand in their environment, and don’t require any fancy equipment. Another plus is that, while still a calm and quiet pet, this type of tortoise is more active than many other common species.

Something to keep in mind when considering a tortoise as a pet is the fact that they are a large commitment, though. Most of them live around 50 years, and some of them can grow to be over 100 years old. It’s also important to remember that tortoises do not like being handled, especially when they are young. Over-handling these animals can seriously deteriorate their health.

Leopard Gecko

When it comes to lizards, the Leopard Gecko is one of the easiest pets to own. It’s not so hard to prepare a comfortable environment for them, and they can drink water directly from a bowl, without the need for a misting device. They are beautiful, friendly, and usually happy to be handled.

Leopard Geckos do require an enclosure with a controlled heat mat, though – and may require a spotlight depending on what the ambient room lighting is like in the room their tank is located. They also need a diet consisting of live insects which have to be dusted with minerals and vitamins on occasion, so feeding them can be a bit more work than some aspiring pet owners may be looking for.

Corn Snake

If you want to go for a snake, a Corn Snake is likely your best bet. They are small and docile, and don’t mind being handled regularly. This type of snake is one of the easiest to care for there is. They require a heat mat along with some branches and foliage in their enclosure so they can climb around, but don’t need any special lighting.

Corn Snakes feed on rodents, usually mice. These can be bought frozen and kept in the freezer to be defrosted when it’s time to eat. While their diet might be a little too much for some people, a nice thing about these reptiles is that they only need to eat about once a week – so if you’ll be out of the house for a short while, you do not need to get someone to care for them.

Choosing Your New Pet

Reptiles can be a great companion if you’re willing to learn about them and understand how to keep them comfortable. Now that you know the three easiest choices to pick from, you should decide based on which you think you’ll be better able to accommodate, and which you’re most likely to enjoy living with. Remember there’s a lot more to know about each type, so you can always do some further research on each option if you’re still not sure!

Vocabulary

reptile hüllő
choice választás
allergic to fur allergiás a szőrre
to be fascinated with lenyűgözve lenni
to take into account figyelembe/számításba venni
to suit megfelelni, illik valamihez
tortoise teknősbéka
resilient rugalmas
to be adaptive to alkalmazkodni
to provide biztosítani
leafy greens leveles zöldségek
weed gyomnövények
to burrow beásni magát valahova
fancy puccos
to keep in mind szem előtt tartani
commitment elkötelezettség
to be handled itt: kézben tartani
to deteriorate romlani
misting device párásító  (eszköz)
to require megkövetelni, előírni
enclosure burkolat
heat mat melegítő szőnyeg
spotlight reflektor
to depend on függni valamitől
ambient környezet
tank akvárium, terrárium
to be dusted with itt: megszórni valamivel
aspiring (fel)törekvő
bet fogadás
docile szelíd
branch ág
foliage lombozat
to climb around körbemászni
rodent rágcsáló
to be defrosted kiolvasztva lenni
companion társ
to accommodate helyet biztosítani, elférni
research kutatás