ive been thinking about getting a gecko or bearded dragon as a pet for awhile, i live up in the hills and there are tons of western fence lizards (blue bellies) i caught one yesterday and gave it a nice home in a 15g terrarium, with a heat, uvb light crickets boulders and sticks very natural environment.
it looks a little sad to me, im thinking if after a week he doesn't seem better i will just release him. my coworker is giving me some crap, and i have to agree to some extent... it seems that a captive bread hobbiest lizard is alot easier to justify than a wild caught specimen even if it will live longer and not be a source of predation.
its not so much an ethical argument over the practices of wild catching, but that the wild animal is used to a free albeit more dangerous life. while a captive bred/raised animal does not.
your thoughts?
it looks a little sad to me, im thinking if after a week he doesn't seem better i will just release him. my coworker is giving me some crap, and i have to agree to some extent... it seems that a captive bread hobbiest lizard is alot easier to justify than a wild caught specimen even if it will live longer and not be a source of predation.
its not so much an ethical argument over the practices of wild catching, but that the wild animal is used to a free albeit more dangerous life. while a captive bred/raised animal does not.
your thoughts?