I had one for years
Hi all,
Snakes and lizards/dragons are different in enough ways to say that to own a snake and share it's space is quite different to owning a lizard and I have dragons as well as snakes.
Dragons are a great pet but a snake is like a cat, it either accepts you as a part of it's life or not. A dragon is more like a dog and tends to be a bit sooky if raised as a pet rather than as a reptile with occasional handling, little socialisation etc.
I take my dragon to the local cafe and people ask "if it's alive" when it decides to turn and look at them. I also take a male juvenile bredlii around 15 months old, and there is absolutely no question if it's alive. People either hate it or love the idea of it being there. If they hate it, I point to the dogs sitting around the outskirts of the cafe.
I had a green tree snake well into it's 9th year (blue). He was friendly, curious and pretty and folk coming to my office got quite attached to him. When he passed at the age of 9 last year, it was likely an inadvertent dietary addition (a gecko that got into his tank unseen, which caused the problem. He lived on an uncoloured goldfish per day for his entire life. He was offered rats on several occasions, and was not in the slightest bit interested in them, so I didn't push the issue.
I found him easy to handle but you need to be very aware of his speed. If they get away you will have God's own job to get him back. They are difficult to sex and I didn't really try. He was blue enough to be considered to be a boy. If he had been a pink green tree snake I would have called him Greenhilda, but he wasn't so I didn't. He was blue, so he was called Herbie.
Hope it helps and please let me know how you get on.
Remember he needs lots of climbing, I suggest a small bird breeder box as cover over or beside a 10 watt heat mat. Mine was beside the hide, and he spent all day out in the open, watching every move of every person he saw. His nights were spent sleeping. He liked being handled a little, and got a lot of enjoyment from frightening the bejesus out of sub-continental Optus sales chaps, who would sit on the chair beside his tank (all glass), and he would suddenly pop up 6" from them, and took an obvious pleasure in doing so.
I also enjoyed him doing that.
He needs to be in an area with lots of light, around folks who appreciate him, and who will coo like geese saying ooh he's so cuuuute. This particular sound made him smile beautifully and endear him to folk who don't like snakes but found a bright blue on quite interesting. Lounge rooms and areas with managed temperature are best locations. Make sure he has a fish bowl to curl up in, and for added joy, feed the fish to him at the same time each day. That way he will actually be expecting them, and will sometimes ask you what is wrong with you when you are late.
He can go without food for a week and not suffer.
Mothers can be trained to like them also, but that can be quite difficult.
Good luck and please PM me when you get him so we can discuss differences.
