For human beings, getting bored is as easy as spending an entire afternoon with nothing to do. Just like humans, some pets need human or animal interaction to keep them busy. When you leave home for work or school, you might wonder if your lizard gets bored in its tank.
So, do lizards get bored? Lizards do not get bored. Reptiles have different brains compared to mammals; it is impossible for them to get bored. As long as your lizard has food and water in its tank, you can stay away for a few days, and it will not get bored. Most lizards prefer to spend their time alone and be aggressive or scared if you try to interact with them.
Some pets require constant or regular human interaction to avoid getting bored. Lizards usually get stressed, which some people confuse with being bored and it’s important to understand this, along with why they sit still, if they can get lonely, and if they have feelings.
Most people who own pet lizards have observed their pet tends to stay in one position for hours without moving. You might think that your lizard is lazy or lacks something to do, but there are several reasons why your lizard prefers to stay motionless for hours.
The first reason why your lizard is just sitting there is to regulate its body temperature. Lizards are cold-blooded animals and require external elements to control their body heat. If it starts to get cold, a lizard will move to a warmer spot in its tank. If it gets too hot, your lizard will move to a cooler place.
If you have a heating lamp, your lizard will stay under the heat lamp to raise its temperature. If you have not installed any heat source in the tank, your lizard will reduce its movements to save heat.
Sometimes, your lizard will stop moving if it is unwell. Impaction will make your lizards stop moving, and, if it is not treated, it could lead to paralysis of the hind legs. If your lizard has not moved for a while and you cannot see any poop in its cage, take it to a vet immediately to unblock its digestive system. Some parasites can also cause your lizards to stop moving.
The cold weather could also be the reason why your lizard has not moved for a while. Most lizards undergo brumation during the winter. Your lizard will sleep for days or even weeks during brumation. You can wake up your lizard two or three times a week for food and a warm bath. Monitor your lizard’s health to ensure it does not starve or get dehydrated.
Another reason why your lizard is sitting still for long periods is dehydration. Your lizard is saving the little water in its body by reducing its movements. Some people keep a bowl of water in the lizard’s tank, but It can be difficult to make it drink the water. To check if your lizard is dehydrated, pinch it is skin, and if it forms a tent, it means your lizards need water. You can use other methods to hydrate your lizard, such as misting, bath, and use a syringe.
Sometimes, your lizard could have just found a comfortable spot, and it is enjoying itself by just sitting there. It could either climb on a branch or hide in its tank and stay there for some time. In such a case, your lizard is just hanging out in its favorite spot, and there is no need to disturb it.
Do Lizards Get Lonely?
Some household pets do enjoy the company of their owners, other pets, and toys. Without enough interaction from their owners or other animals, some pets will get stressed, which can cause underlying health complications. Therefore, do lizards also get lonely?
Lizards do not get lonely. As reptiles, they do not see the need for social interaction with other lizards or human beings. In the wild, it is rare to find lizards living in pairs or groups. The only time lizards get together is during mating. It is easy for humans to get lonely after spending some time without the company of other humans. Therefore, it is normal to think that your lizard will get lonely living alone in its cage.
Most lizards prefer to stay alone. If you provide it with food, water, heat, and UV light, your lizard will be comfortable in its tank. Some lizards are also territorial and will fight to keep their territory.
It is best only to keep one lizard in a tank, two or more lizards can bring out their competitive nature, and the weakest one might lack enough food and water. If you want to keep more than one lizard, get each of them their own tank.
Just because lizards cannot get lonely does not mean you do not have to spend time with them. Lizards have different personalities, and some of them will tolerate getting handled by their owner. You can take your lizard out of its cage for a few hours and bask in the sunlight. You can also use feeding time as a bonding opportunity. The next time your lizards see you approaching the tank, it will associate your presence with positive things.
If you want to keep many lizards in your home, you should provide separate housing. You can also buy a big tank large enough to host several lizards. Each lizard will take a spot in the tank and claim it as their territory.
Ensure there is enough food for all the lizards in the tank, and the basking area or heating pad is big enough to cater to all the lizards. You can also keep monkey-tailed skinks. These lizards are nocturnal herbivores and usually live in small groups, reducing bullying and fighting incidents.
When you see your lizard sitting alone in its hide or basking rock, do not feel sorry. Your lizard is probably enjoying its territory and thinking about crickets and mealworms. If you want to spend time with your lizard, you can do it. However, you should watch out for stress signs. If your lizard is aggressive or tries to hide, it wants to spend some time alone.
Do Lizards Have Feelings?
Many people have asked themselves if their pets have feelings. When choosing pets, you might wonder if that lizard will show you affection or endearment.
Lizards, like most replies, do not have feelings on the same levels as most mammals. One good example of lizards having fewer feelings is the abandonment of their young. Most animals, especially the mothers, will care for their young and protect them from danger. Most lizards will lay eggs and disappear, not caring whether the babies survived or not. Only a few will stay to guard the eggs, but their parental duty ends once they hatch.
Lizards respond with fear or aggression when approached by other animals or human beings. In captivity, lizards can lose this trait and allow you to gain their trust. Once your lizard knows you will not harm it, it will stop getting scared or being aggressive every time you approach its tank. You can gain a lizard’s trust by providing it with positive items such as food, heat, shelter, and water.
However, a lizard will show fear. Most pet lizards are small and have predators in the wild. Therefore, whenever a lizard encounters an animal bigger than them, they will respond with fear. A few weeks after getting your lizard from the store, it will fear you.
Most of them will try to hide in their tank and start to come out once they figure out you will not harm them. If you do anything to harm your lizard, that fear will come back, and you have to start all over again to gain its trust.
Aggression usually comes after the lizard has done everything to show its fear. Lizards like bearded dragons will flatten their stomach, hiss, and flare their beards to show aggression. If you get your hands near it, they will bite it. Lizards can also get irritated when they are exposed to things they do not like. Sometimes, lizards get irritated when their owners handle them.
Finally
One reason why most people prefer lizards as pets is their lack of neediness. As long as you take good care of your lizard, your presence or another lizard’s presence might not be important. Lizards do not require regular company, but you can still spend some time with your pet to improve and keep the social bond intact.
Lizards might not display feelings on the same level as human beings or other household pets, but they still experience a few emotions. Their natural instincts make them appear emotionless, but they can display other emotions such as fear and aggression. Lizards can also bond with human beings and be aggressive towards other people they are not familiar with.
