[Tax-chick]

We’ve never had a pet give birth, except for a couple of lizards who laid an egg, having conceived before we bought them. Anoreth and Bill tried to raise the babies, but it’s very hard when they’re out of their natural habitat, poor little things.

We haven’t bred any of our other lizards, partly because we’d have a hard time dealing with the natural “wastage.” A mother chameleon or dragon might not care if 15 out of 30 babies die, but I’d have a tizzy over each one. And then, if you sell the survivors, owners can’t keep half of them alive.

I suspect that mother lizards don’t name their babies after heavy metal guitarists. Once you give the stupid reptile a name, you’re emotionally involved until the end.

[AnAmericanMother]

I just can't get across the gap between the warm bloods and the cold bloods. Don't feel the slightest sympathy for any reptile . . . although I certainly haven't had the chance to develop it because we have never had any around.

It's bad enough having to deal with the fact that you occasionally lose a kitten and you almost always lose a puppy out of any given litter. Arguably the best Lab breeder in the U.S. lost two pups out of my Ruby-dog's litter of 8.

Feeling sorry for lizards and snakes would have me a basket case!! :-D