What is your Favorite Reptile?

This does not have to be what you have(though if it is kudos to you), it can be what you have always wanted to own, or even just want see in the wild. Please be more specific than "I love them all and cannot decide". Please share your reasons why it is your favorite. I once spoke to Mark O'Shea, he told me his favorite was the king cobra, and then proceeded to tell me about the first time he ever saw one in the wild, his favorite place to see one. Please, if you read this, post what your favorite reptile is. We have so many members here I would like a lot to participate so this thread should be LOOONG.

For me it is the boa constrictor. I grew up with friends and family members that owned rosy boas, garter snakes, corn snakes, kingsnakes, ball pythons, iguanas, bearded dragons and some other reptiles. Though it was the boa constrictor that I loved to see the most. My aunt owned a 6 foot male boa for many of my younger years, which reached 8 feet before passing on. I remember going over to her house and holding this huge snake on my shoulders thinking of how neat the thing was and how tame it could be. Also noticing it's strength and the power it had to easily be able to squeeze my neck, yet it never did.

I can still hear her say "don't touch it's tail, it will think you're a mouse". That statement alone has helped me tremendously when I am moving by 9 foot girl. A little tickle on the tail and she moves!! Works great when she does not want to go back in her cage.

No matter what boa constrictor morph I may own, I will always have a normal boa in my collection.



Okay, Your turn!!

Ok Michael. It's the boa constrictor for me as well. Ever since I can remember I have loved snakes. As a kid I would bring them home in paper sacks. I remember when a neighbor got two boa constrictors. I had only seen them in books. I was hooked. I begged my parents daily for six months or so for one. Finally my Father relented and we were off to the pet store. There I was, in the pet store, holding my boa. I was totally captivated by it's complexity and beauty. I looked at my Dad and he is talking to the store owner, shaking his head. "He's too young", he said.
NOOOOO!!! I left empty handed, my heart broken and also totally committed to boas.
I was seven years old in 1972 and the store owner was correct. My Father should have done the research.
30 some years later I am realizing my childhood dreams. You folks reading this are the only people that I know that understand. Thanks for being here. Art

It seems Art that we are the only ones brave enough to share which reptile is our favorite. Thank you. If someone else is willing to share, you would be greatly welcomed.

I don't think I can pick a favorite. Even breaking it down into basic categories will ultimately create problems if I include fantasy animals (the ones I never got around to keeping).
Favorite lizard: water monitor.
Favorite crocodilian: American alligator
Favorite nonvenomous: Afrock (but if I could only have one nonvenomous snake, I would probably pick something different - its hard to explain)
Favorite venomous: puff adder (that was a tough call, and it goes back to MY puff adder. again, though, if I could only have one...)
Favorite turtle/tortoise: common snapper

I can only pick one??? I don't like this question, any more, lol. Ummmmmmmmmm, it is between the water monitor and the American alligator.

I can't pick just one. I love iguanas because that was my first large lizard. I like tree frogs and american toads. And if you get me started on geckos, they all are just too cute! Basilisks are gorgeous. Snakes.... eh... not so much my thing....

My Russian box turtle that I've had for 6+ years (his name is Walter). Now that they're being captive bred and more info is available for them, I'd like to find him a girlfriend one of these days. Maybe even two.

A close second would be "Merlin", a Meller's chameleon I used to have. He was huge, and the most docile and mild-mannered chameleon I've ever seen. I didn't know any better at the time and bought him as a WC, but a friend helped me to get him eating. Regretfully, I had to find him a new home when my dad died and I just wasn't going to be around enough to take care of the chams for several months. I'd like to have another some day soon, but I don't have Merlin's cage anymore so I'd have to build one, and that will probably have to wait until I finish the basement remodeling...

My favorite is the indigo snake. I saw a pair about 14 years ago and have been haunted by them since. To me, the indigo is the most fascinating, beautiful herp there is.

I know it is tough to pick one, thank you so much for sharing. Anyone else?

Michael, I would have to say a huge albino burmese python!! I used to have a couple of smaller male albino burms and a larger normal female burm, but I have seen a couple of really huge albino females. I LOVE THEM!! If I only had the space and could talk Amy into it!!

My favorite herp is the Gharial. The zoo where my husband works has some of these, and the first time I saw them in person they took my breath away. They are just awesome animals. Here is a link to a page about Gharials-

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/Re...ts/Gharial.cfm

and a couple of cool photos (not mine)-