# Hedehog or Bearded Dragon



## Andrew140932 (Nov 10, 2011)

Which should i get hedgehog or bearded dragon


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## Grin (Nov 10, 2011)

hedgehog!
i hear a lot of great things about them.


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## DrJ (Nov 11, 2011)

Say no to the hedgehog!  They make terrible pets. Do your homework and make sure you research them before you even consider any further. 

Now, as far as other pets go, Beardues are cool. They are one of the only reptiles you can physically tell develops an actual bond. Similar to a dog. Still, I'd rather go with snakes, but that is me.


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## DannyH (Nov 11, 2011)

Other than cuteness, Hedgehogs suck.


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## pitbulllady (Nov 11, 2011)

My personal experience with Hedgehogs is, admittedly, rather limited(just not "into" small mammals), but I've never seen one that seemed to like being in contact with humans.  They are nervous little critters that roll into a spiky defensive ball at the least little thing.  They can also give a painful bite if "Plan A" doesn't work.  Bearded Dragons, on the other hand, DO not only tolerate contact with people, but crave it and will often do whatever they can to draw attention to themselves.  The comparison between them and dogs is not too far off.  They are also a lot more "cuddly", since their spines are soft, and there are varieties bred without the spikes.  They do have specialized care requirements like most lizards, and they are messy compared to a snake, but no worse than a small mammal would be.  If you just want an animal to look at, a Hedgie might work better for you, but if you want an animal to hold, to ride around on your shoulder, then get a Beardie!

pitbulllady


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## Torrid (Nov 14, 2011)

Hedgehogs honestly don't make very good pets. They have very short lifespans as well  (3-6 years average). And, contrary to popular belief, they need VERY large enclosers to live happily. When hedgies were monitered at night on their running wheel, it showed that they would literally run a mile or more..most just don't get the excersize and stimulation they need in cages. And as you probably guessed, they're nocturnal. And imo, cute and fuzzy + nocturnal doesn't go together. They make terrible rackets at night.

Bearded dragons, on the other hand, make wonderful pets. I have four of them (Molly, Steve, Marmalade, Fluffy) and it's not uncommon for them to live over 15 years. They're very hardy, probably the best possible beginner reptile, and as others have said they love attention--Molly and Steve in particular get very grumpy when I don't take them out and around the house.  They do have their faults though, they need fresh food and live food every day, and baths weekly to help them get all of their liquids. And as they mature into adults, their little tiny poops they had as hatchlings turn into..well, you'll see if you get one. They also need a large space, the absolute minimum would be a 40 gallon breeder. UVB lights are also 100% mandatory with them and can get quite pricey. They need to be replaced every 6 months and can run anywhere from 30-150$. Aside from their couple "flaws" though, I love them to death. While I love my snake and other lizards too, beardies are honestly just amazing pets. Every single one of them has a different personality and they really do show you affection unlike..almost everything else.


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## High_Rolling_T (Nov 15, 2011)

Bearded Dragons are pretty cool!  I've never owned one personally but would like to get one.

As far as hedgehogs, as others have said, they aren't that good of pets.  I came thiiiis close to getting one years ago, even started building an enclosure for it(multiple 40 gal totes connected by pvc piping... they need a lot of space!), but in the end, I got a corn snake instead.  The reasons for my change were the reasons others listed here.  They aren't the friendliest and need a lot of work to be decent with people.  They need baths regularly to keep their pricklies(technical term) soft. Etc, etc.  However I will note though, the only experience I've had with a hedgehog in person, the little guy was actually great.  He was at a Police Department near by who had a pet bearded dragon for the longest time.  Well the beardie passed away so they got a hedgehog from someone one of the officers knew.  He was real nice and calm.  They would put him in one of the big balls and he would roll all over the barrack.  However, he had also grown up with two autistic boy(their mother had got him for them to care for under her supervision), so its hard to say what his past conditions were(amount/type of treatment, amount of interaction, etc).  Otherwise though, I've never really heard much good about hedgehogs.


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