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Posted by IGUANA JOE on April 25, 2003 at 09:36:52:
Remember how about 10 years ago (and more) almost everyone who was into the reptile hobby owned at least one iguana? Or has owned one?
Remember how in movies like "James Bond: Liscence to Kill" or Series like "Miami Vice" the villains or the "in-crowd" had a gorgeous iguana wearing diamonds?
(by the way, for the guys here, check out Talisa Soto from that Bond movie, hehehe... ;)
And in almost every pet-store, there would be at least one young little greenster waiting to be taken home.
Today, it seems that the Kingpin of the reptile pet-trade has lost its popularity...its throne.
If you visit petstores today, there are new heirs to the velvety golden seat: the bearded dragons, leopard geckoes, and the obese blue-tongued skinks, just to name a few.
Even the savannah monitors have lost a bit of their charm. Ackies are the coolest kids in town now. And Asian Waters, once fairly popular, are almost completely absent in the pet-stores.
I remember when Asian Water Dragons were replacing for a period of time the iguana's place. But they too got booted off and replaced by the more loveable and cuddly bearded dragon.
Tokays, once sold by the pounds, are replaced by tame leaopards and colorful phelsuma's. After all, they did have that b*tchy attitude!
So it seems that the latest trend in the lizard market is "going with small" rather than "getting Godzilla in a box". Kids and even experienced hobbyists prefer smallish/medium sized lizards with tameable and "cute" personalities. Ackies, beardeds, blue tongue's, leopard's, veiled's and so on are the hottest trend in the market.
Large dinosaurs went into extinction.
Will large lizards become a "minority" in the market? Have they already?
There is a positive side to this story: people are becoming more informed and educated about size potentials, aggressiveness and care requirements. So no longer is the spoiled kid getting a "T-Rex" just because it looks cool.
An interesting observation is that the opposite seems to exist in the snake-market. Constrictors are beconming increasingly popular, and people seem to be more at ease in housing an 8 foot constrictor than a 5 foot iguana! Weird uh?
Anyways, this is just my observation and opinion.
Maybe it is better to see more small/medium lizards out there, than large ones. It might help polish the herp-hobbyists' reputation, since often we are viewed as reckelss freaks.
But isn't it funny how the Desert Iguana has never caught on in popularity?
C-ya all tonite @ the chat-room!
-IJ
