Mansfield: Celebrate Your Reptile Today!

By Wendy Ann Mitchell (Patch Staff)

Have a pet snake, iguana or bearded dragon at home? Then this article is for you! Today is National Reptile Day, a day to celebrate your scaly reptilian creature.

The day was created to encourage learning about all different types of reptiles, their natural habitats and ecological challenges. Habitat loss and the threat of extinction are some concerns for the species and this day promotes awareness of all things reptilian.

For example, did you know that iguanas are vegetarians and can detach their long, scaly tail to fend off predators? They have strong jaws with razor-sharp teeth and are excellent swimmers. But be careful if you’re thinking of bringing one home.National Geographic says most that are taken home as pets die within the first year unless their environment is ideal.

Bearded Dragons also make nice pets and are omnivores. They dine on insects, small lizards, mammals, fruit, flowers, and other plants. According to Animal Planet, they are called “bearded” because of the their ability to flare out the skin in the throat area when threatened.

What about snakes? Life Science says: “There are more than 3,000 species of snakes in the world and there is at least one type of snake on every continent except Antarctica. While the snake has a bad rap as a pest, snakes can often be quite helpful and even a fun pet.”

A snake as a pet? I’ll keep my cute black lab puppy, thank you very much.

Thinking of taking home a reptile as a pet? In Mansfield, there’s a Petco store at 86 Hale Rd. Not too far away, there’s Exotic Fin and Feather, an East Hartford store that sells reptiles.

Photo: An iguana lounges on a rock in Coco Cay, Bahamas

Photo Credit: Wendy Mitchell