There is NO WAY that REPTILES make the best pets! So what is the best pet?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ส.ค. 2024
- Reptiles make great pets for sure, but do they make the best pets of all? Many people would argue that they do not. So are they right, or are they wrong? Let's let science decide! Clint puts reptiles against mammals, amphibians, fish, mammals, and arthropods to determine which animal group makes the best pets.
#bestpet #clintsreptiles #reptiles
====
Clint is a professional biologist and educator, but above all, Clint LOVES reptiles and he loves to share that love with everyone he meets. Whether you're lover or a hater of reptiles, you can't help but get excited with Clint!
We post a new video every Saturday morning! So stay tuned!
Be sure to SUBSCRIBE: www.youtube.co...
====
PATREON: / clintsreptiles
MERCHANDISE: www.clintsrepti...
SUPPORT Clint's Reptiles by shopping AMAZON here: www.amazon.com...
Schedule a virtual ONE-ON-ONE with Clint! square.site/bo...
====
FACEBOOK: / clintsreptilevideos
INSTAGRAM: / clintsreptiles
TWITTER: / clintsreptiles
WEBSITE: www.clintsrepti...
DISCORD: / discord
====
To contact us for BUSINESS purposes: clintsreptiles+business@gmail.com
====
You guys are so RAD!
====
Fan mail? Yes Please!
Clint's Reptiles
770 East Main Street # 127
Lehi, UT 84043
If you would like to send a LIVE animal - FIRST: please send us an email to make sure we can take it in. clintsreptiles+LIVE@gmail.com
I think I've found a new fav channel that's a instant subscribe from me
Same, you beat me to it, my eyes freaking watered at the intro
he's of the zucc race
His energy is wonderful 🙂
the handleability is clearly wrong, reptiles aren't over mammals when that group have a lot of outliers that are impossible to handle like venomous snakes, and not being especially social. you could put them at 2 but there is no way they should be number one
@@davidcoquelle3081 yeah, but I can think of plenty of mammals that wouldn't be safe to handle either although most of them aren't typically pets. Stuff like gorillas, elephants, hyenas, wolves, lions, buffalo, warthogs, etc.
I love how Clint calls the reptiles the "home team" as if he isn't physically a mammal lol
There his adoptive home team just like me with amphibians
New conspiracy theory: Clint is a reptile
Maybe he isnt ...shapeshifting lizard people confirmed
He isn't! We are a special breed of Reptilian...
You gotta dance with the one what brung ya.
I’ve told many folks that Clint is the “Mr Rogers of Reptiles” - this proves it!
Me too!
This was going to be my comment exactly!
Me four! :D Thank you for the beautiful day, Clint!
Yes, his voice is so calming
that intro was honestly hilarious and wholesome
I love how Clint is embracing the Mr. Rogers of reptiles label. It was a real he was born to play!
I teared up over the intro. Clint is a treasure.
I think joy of handling should include how much the animals want to be handled, my rabbit and dog actively enjoys being affectionate but my lizard clearly just (at best) tolerates
Same. My beardie clearly is fine with handling, but my cat actively seeks it out.
I dunno. I have a cat that loves getting pet when it loves it. I also have many scars and a couple of medical bills because he is a bona-fide psychopath lol he's cuddly like the best thing you could handle when he wants it but beyond that he gets a zero no question just animal control territory
My cat is mean he scratched my leg outa nowhere. He was chilling there on the floor and I was petting him with my foot. Then he jumps up on my lap and he just sits there. I pet him a little bit theN HE JUST SHREDS ME LIKE _WHERE DID I GO WRONG_
Yeah, Mammals really deserve to win that category, as for the dangers of handling there are plenty of reptiles that can deliver nasty bites and scratches.
@@-42-47 at least they'll give me morphine and antivenin for a serious snake bite my cat bit me and eight hours later I was at the doctor with my hand swollen like a catcher's mitt and it stayed that way for days
I like that Rats are the continual exception helping to pull up mammals, since they are personality wise basically smelly warm blooded emerald tree skinks.
And I would personally like to add mice to that list. For those who can't afford or keep rats, mice are a very nice compact alternative. My three female mice that I had in high school helped open my mom's heart and mind towards rodents with long skinny tails.
@@dragonwithamonocle And they also make wonderful meals for my 2 snakes :)
@@Zuriki_ you just had to ruin it
@@JeffreyJefferson not me, my snakes!
i'm quite impressed by guinea pigs, noisy creatures
When it comes to animal personalities the late, great Steve Irwin is the standard against which all others are measured as he was a man who inspired the love of creatures large and small in so many of us. That being said Clint, you bring that same joy and love of animals he once did to so many people, with the added bonus of showing folks how wonderful pets can be when properly cared for. Thank you for all that you do!
Thank you so much!
This makes me happy
In my eyes Clint is better.
Clint’s family never backed Sea World.
I'm in my twenties, and I wasn't very old when Steve passed away. Still, for my generation, he was the hero that got us into animals, especially reptiles. It can be hard to find old episodes of The Crocodile Hunter, and the film cameras and square format may not hold the attention of the new generation as well as it did mine. I think that Clint is going to fill the role of Steve Irwin for the next generation of reptile enthusiasts, inspiring in them a love for the creeping things of the earth, and a respect and love of all the dangerous ones that may not make very good pets. I think that's about one of the greatest gifts you can give to young people- a love of learning, and a respect of animals. And even if they never go on to study or keep reptiles and invertebrates, I've seen Clint turn fear of them into respect and even love.
@dragonwithamonocle I'm in my late 30s, and it's so funny that Steve Irwin is the gold standard now, because when he was alive, and especially in his heyday, he was considered a joke, a guy who harassed wild animals for basically no reason. After he died his family turned on the PR machine and made his legacy into something he never achieved on his own.
I'm not even out of the Mr. Roger's Neighborhood spoof and I have to say it
Clint, you're the best man for the job. I completely approve of your opening in this video! You are the Mr Roger's of reptiles! Thank you for the trip back to my childhood, the fun facts and a safe place to continue to work on my fear of snakes.
YOU ARE AMAZING!
My kids think so too.
Even more heartwarming when you realize Mr. Rogers had a fishtank, and those fish were part of his most memorable moments.
I vote for the pet rock
You can interact with them forever with little to no danger to your new friend, however danger to you somewhat depends on the type of rock you have. variants such as asbestos, galena, or arsenopyrite can be quite hazardous to your health. However any harm is very very rarely intended, rocks by nature are extremely patient creatures.
Well yes, we must always consider the species of pet rock when we consider which kind of pet rock would make the best one. But the vast majority are extremely handleable, and there are thousands right outside your door just waiting to be taken in.
@@nessamillikan6247 if you're taking in a wild rock make sure to give them a good wash beforehand
@@expertoflizardcorrugation3967 if you purchase a rock from the petstore (like I did) I recommend washing them as well since they often come with several layers of dust. Especially Okho stone.
Oh, so sorry, I should have read down a little first.
Love that fish are number 1 so far but he forgot to mention in the enclosure section how hard it is to move a fish tank. Three years ago I moved with a 40 gallon breeder tank (considered a small-medium tank) and it was the biggest pain in the rear. Not to mention super stressful on the fish. Fish are low maintenance 90% of the time, but when they need maintenance, it's going to take half of your day (and possibly half a paycheck if something on the tank needs to be replaced).
My family had fish while I was little--a 100 gallon with several large cichlids, a plecostomus, and a clown knife as well as a 20 gallon for rearing feeders. We moved out of state when I was 8 and my mom just rehomed the fish with out aquarium store guy, because the prospect of moving them all was Too Much To Deal With. There were other things besides the move going on at the time but I suspect that even without them, the fish would not have come with us.
I do wish we still had the tank stand, though. It was solid wood and would have been perfect to hold my rosy boa's adult enclosure.
@@CandiceLemonSharks what the hell there’s actually a fish named clown knife
omg no kidding! moving even the smallest of beta tanks is a serious undertaking!!!
considering many pet mammals don't even need an enclosure - or more accurately, "not opening your windows anymore" is what you have to do to get an enclosure - I think mammals were robbed on this score! 😉
You're a character Clint. I love how you are always dressed tidy even if you are handling dirt. Thanks for all the info again.
The intro was everything I wanted for Christmas
Thank you so much Clint for all the entertainment you bring to us
There should be a category on the joy of playing with them. Handling doesn’t quite cover it, since it doesn’t require any physical contact. And playing is where mammals really shine!
Something nice and intangible is that emotion that mammals like cats and dogs show. If I had a snake that had bitten me nearly so often and severely as my cat I wouldn't touch the thing but the cat still loves being touched when it wants to be lol
The thing is reptiles do show emotion. I swear my tegu loves pets he closes his eyes whenever he gets cheek scratches or head rubs. If he doesn't want them he will let me know by shaking his head and walking away. My green cheek conure will close their eyes and will kind of floof out and readjust chin if they are enjoying pets. If my green cheek wants cuddles they will go right up to my shoulder and will do so. The thing about birds and reptiles is creating that solid bond foundation. My bird is flighted but doesn't fly away. My tegu gets to free roam, but will actively choose to be with me under the covers in bed and will snuggle up. My dogs and cats I would argue have equal expression, but it's all about learning that body language and I would argue that every animal big and small has its own little personality that comes with their own expression. It might not be as facial heavy, but hey body language says a lot^^. Just wanted to give my thoughts on the matter since I have the privledge of having animals on half this list 😊
I still think "danger, danger, danger" should have followed "am I going to kill this thing" and should have been "is this thing going to kill me?"
Definitely a missed opportunity, but may have been a little misleading if it seemed like the bar was set at owner fatality vs mild to medium injury.
All your points are great, but mammals should have been #1 for Joy of Handling. The vast majority of pet mammals love and demand cuddles! If you have a bird, you wish it was as unlikely to bite as a cat or dog. If you have a reptile, you wish it liked being pet and cuddled like a mammal rather than just tolerating it.
The vast majority of mammals are almost entirely unhandleable.
Have you met cats and dogs? Because cats and dogs that like being picked up are a very distinct minority. The fact that on their own terms they will also want to curl up with you isn't handling, because handling is implicitly you picking them up on your terms.
Your average mammal will object very seriously to being picked up, and usually has a very effective and hard to avoid way to hurt you while you hold them.
@@ClintsReptiles Are sure you're comparing captive bred, well handled animals? Because if you're comparing going herping to "mammaling" (?), then, yes, catching garter snakes and toads by hand is much safer than grabbing squirrels. :)
@@sampagano205 can people just stop getting mad just because mammals didn't win it's been 7 months already and I'm still commenting on this
I think mammals are way more fun to observe than fish. Not a lot of excitement with just keep swimming, yep still swimming.
I absolutely LOVED the Mr. Rogers of reptiles intro!!!!!!!! Stinkin Rad!!!!!!
Fish just sit there, they are like a TV show. Mammals watch you and interact with you as you watch them so are rome like a video game.
@@bigsprucerabbitry6238 But interaction isn't observation. I understood the category to be passive observation - if you're cuddling and playing with your pet mammal than that's not simply observing them.
I think the biting makes more sense in danger, which was probably why handling for mamals seems so low, even at rank 2, it feels wrong.
Maybe a video on understanding when a non-mammal is enjoying the interaction? A lot of comments about joy of handling mamals seem to be about how much more enjoyable it is to handle something that is enjoying the interaction.
It depends on the species what it looks like when they're enjoying attention, though. Even among mammals.
Guinea pigs, ferrets, cats and monitor lizards seek affection in a lot more similar way than hamsters, mice, bearded dragons or rabbits, for example.
So much nostalgia within the first 10 seconds! You truly are a treasure, Clint!
Stop it team galaxy, I know you are plotting to steal all of Clint's pets. I will keep my eyes on you.
My heart melted at that intro. Clints looking dapper with the beard and red sweater combo!
Also you cant make a red chain to control space time out of lizards so begone villain
And you really think I’ll be intimidated by puny trainers such as yourselves? That’s cute, dearies.
"You can be kept in a cage too! And you don't even fly" almost sounds like a threat 😂
This channel is so wonderful I just can’t EVEN! I’m thrilled with the way content keeps getting better and that you’re such a positive influence on everyone that watches. Thank you Clint!!!!
You're so kind. Thank you.
Ikr! I love this channel and don't even own a reptile.
But the more videos I watch, the more I want one but also realize I need to do a lot more research before I actually get one.
@@jenncannon5467 that’s how I was when I started watching them about 3 years ago, and I finally settled to start with a corn snake about a year and a half ago! I’ve gotta say, I love my little slithering buddy and he’s super simple to take care of and he’s very rewarding.
I understand having a mammal category makes sense. But I think a distinction between bunnies, rats and other more exotic mammals, farm mammals and finally cat and dogs made more sense. Those three are arguably as diferent from one another as non-avian reptiles and avian ones. Of course, a lumping of farming animals with cat and dogs would have been reasonable too, but domestic mammals who have undergone milenia of coexisting with us are a very diferent thing from the ones that have been kept more recently as pets exclusively.
I think that was done for simplicity’s sake. Reptiles could have reasonably divided into lizards, snakes, crocodilians, and turtles/tortoises. Having 4-5 additional groups would have been a lot more to the video’s length while not being strict necessary.
Nothing beats a mammal in joy of handling. They einjoy the experience, they keep you warm and are so very interactive. Serious bites and scratches are often a sign of misshandling, which I think seems more common because many ppl take them without knowing how to handle or train them. Also they are mostly fluffly.
the amount of mammals you can handle is very small tho
the number of mammals that make somewhat ok pets is small, minus the number that just cant be handled or arent fun to handle makes the number of fun to handle pet mammals really small.
Plus its also really dependent on their character. Even if you are an expert cat keeper, how many of them will be great to handle? Some just dont like it that much (or at all).
@@arnoldszwarzenegger6832 Ist it really that small? Most rodents can be handled, also pigs, sheep, kamels, llamas, goats, donkeys, horses, smaller Cats (and in some cases even big cats), Dogs, some foxes, some apes, some mokeys, cows, some deers, Elefants (to a certain degree).
As long as you now what you are doing and have a proper enviroment a lot of mammals can be handled to a certain extent.
I do not know so much about either mammals or reptiles that I would be sure, but it may be the case that you need to be more specialised for a certain group of mammals, than you have to be for a certain group of reptiles when it comes to handeling.
If you ask me, the amount of mammals that you could handle exeeds by far the amount of mammals that would make a good pet.
@@Fredministrator well, most of these animals are too big to handle. You can only pet them. Sure you can handle rodents, smaller goats, pigs and sheeps, cats, dogs, monkeys, foxes. When I think about handling I think about picking up that certain animal, or at least forcing it to stay near by holding it. You cant really pick up a cow for example.
IDK it's kinda of a toss-up. I think snakes in general and certain lizards(mostly the emerald tree skink) are what pushed them over the mammals. I think most likely why Clint when for this is for one simple reason. I have 3 cats, a dog, and quite a few snakes in my house. I like the cats and the dog. When they walk up to me, I pet them, for 30 seconds, a minute, maybe 2 or 3. Then I got back to what I was doing. My snakes I'll pick up and hold sometimes for hours. They are(in general) more enjoyable for YOU to handle, not necessarily for the animal, and as has been said many times in this and many other channels, we keep animals in captivity solely for OUR enjoyment, not for the animals(aside from some conservation places). So I think that's probably why reptiles got the top spot, because they're most enjoyable for US to handle, and that's why we keep animals in captivity as a hobby at all.
@@davidjager23 well thats the thing about mammals tho, they became our pets only because they found benefits in coexisting with us. A dog or a cat will try to find a new owner if the environment outside will be to unforgiving for them. Any other group of animals we keep as pets is only because we want to keep them as pets.
We lost a bit of pure goodness when we lost Fred Rodgers and seeing you portray a version of him warmed my heart. Ty sir 😔😌
ADORED THAT INTRO! You were so committed to the bit! Also love the rating system, very concise, easy to understand, well-informed. Awesome footage. Always love your videos, but this one was pretty special!
my #1 concern is "will it cuddle tho?"
I love snakes and I look forward to having one in the future soon-ish, but I HAVE to have at least one warm cuddly fuzzball. I need cat(s) for the seratonins to get made. :(
Have you ever got bit by a rodent?
@@nicolesreptilezoo7525 I have actually! I've had gerbils, guinea pigs, and chinchillas. Granted it wasn't defensive biting just the exploratory nibble, but they've gotten their teeth on me. Goods little lads and lasses, the lot of them.
yes part 2 please!!
the easiest pets to care for are: the microbes in my dish sponge/cloth!
Ooh, also the mites in my eyebrows (demodex folliculorum)
@@loquinbritton3186 Good one! They are cuddly little beasts too~☆
While I get that observing is kinda the only reason to keep fish aside from easiness, I very much disagree that they're the most fun to observe. Most of the ones I've had just swim in circles all day. There's just no way they beat out mammals and birds. Just ask the internet. Also arthropods should be way higher. Feeding something like a mantis or a centipede is a huge thrill to watch. Ants building a nest in your ant farm is incredibly cool. Orb spiders building webs might be my all time favorite thing to observe. I'd say:
Birds
Mammals
Arthropods
Fish
Reptiles
Amphibians
I recognize this may be the most subjective category though. The other factor I suppose is that unless you live in an area where you can snorkel, your home fish tank or the public aquarium may be the only places you can see a cool fish. Meanwhile birds and in some cases also arthropods may actually be better to observe in the wild than at home. Why lock a parrot in a tiny cage when you can get some binoculars and watch warblers dart around, put up a hummingbird feeder or befriend your neighborhood flock of crows with some healthy food gifts.
Something that a lot of the mammal cheerleaders seem to be forgetting is that Clint isn’t just scoring domesticated mammals. He’s scoring *mammals, period.* There are far more things like bison and wolverines in the world than there are dogs or cows. And any points that cats or dogs would win the mammals, the cetaceans (and most other carnivores) will open-palm smash through the floor.
Edit: As a frog keeper, I think my team is gonna pull up in the end, BUT I’m happy that amphibians are trailing behind. Frogs are a wonderful and relaxing pet, but they are emphatically not for everyone. A lot of the big bufonidae (my favorite pets) are a lot more tolerant and resilient to handle… but they’re not for everyone. My aquatic frogs are as nice as fish to watch, and are even trained to do simple tasks… but not everyone should have them.
I mean, same could be said for all categories, I'm not gonna house an aligator, lion, great white, harpy eagle, Chinese gaint salamander or Palestine yellow scorpion.
He also made a big deal about outliers, the most significant mammalian outliers skew the field tremendously.
He said the scoring would be affected more by the big members of each group. If the scores where based around every animal possible then all of them suck because most animals are terrible pets. You wouldn’t rank it around a lion and a crocodile. You rank it around a cat and a bearded dragon.
I didn't see him showing any WILD mammals, only pets. Dogs are so superior that a well trained puppy becomes family. So everything else is a far second.
And don't forget how low human child scored. Terrible pets, those.
Best animal education content of all time. Every video gives me so much nostalgia. I remember being excited about coming home from school to watch Animal Planet. Now, I get excited to come home from work to watch Clint’s Reptiles!
"Birds are busy"
Tell that to my cockatiel who's napping on a painting he isn't supposed to be on
That intro music video 😂 clint needs to drop an Christmas with Clint album
"You can be kept alive in a tiny cage too, and you don't even fly." Damn that puts some perspective on it
Fantastic opening! Can't wait for the second part
Okay, this is officially the most wholesome channel on TH-cam, full stop.
The “best” pet is the one you enjoy keeping and caring for!
All y'all saying mammals should've been #1 in handling because they like to be handled. Clint points out the reason they score lower is the potential for danger. I have 9 ball pythons, 2 rabbits, 2 cats, a dog and around 300 rats. I can tell you from experience. When a reptile bites it's a surprise. When a rat bites it is incredibly painful. And I'm more likely to catch a disease from a mammal since we're more closely related. I think he got it right.
and you cant really handle something like a cow. Sure you can pat them or hug them maybe but can it be called handling?
Clint is a better Mr Rogers than Tom Hanks ever could’ve been. Try to change my mind! 😊
Nah it'd be a waste of time and not much effort because you're right.
I LOVE THE OPENING SO MUCH!!! Clint you make me smile even on my worst days x
Intro: I feel like I'm watching someone's fanfic of Clint's Reptiles'
As a fishkeeper, I love that fish are in the lead lol.
i think fish win
I find it funny how a 100+ pound dog is a good boi while a 100+ pound fish reptile or arthropod would be something that would try to eat us
This is everything I've ever wanted in an intro. 🥺 Thank you for this.
You have officially won the internet with this intro!!! Mr Rogers and Steve Irwin all in one. You are awesome!!!
One factor that helps the fish is that a beautiful planted aquarium is as big a reason to have a fish as the fish
2:35 This really makes sense in this situation, yes birds are definitely reptiles, but what humans keep as pets doesn't follow phylogenetics, so the way we categorize pets shouldn't either. Same as with fish.
Ok with this intro, this officially became my grown up version of Saturday cartoons. Although to be honest, I would've watched this as a kid. Thank you so much for bringing so much joy to learn about my favorite type of animals, a big hug from Mexico!
Clint really is the modern-day Mr. Rodgers! Clint is just a genuine guy, and his honest enthusiasm for reptiles and pets in general is so awesome 👍:)
🤯😍🥇That was PERFECTION!! How many takes did you do for the song? Impressed with your coordination and the way every word was sung with the same pause and emphasis that Mr. Rogers did! Wow. Please give my compliments to your camera operator and editors, too! I was a film student and I know how hard that is! (Oh, and whoever wrote the new lyrics... genius! 😄)
Clint is known in our house as "Mr Rogers of reptiles". This made my day.
“Of course, YOU can be kept alive in a tiny cage too!” 😭😂
Clint, I love what you do l, and where this channel is going so much. There’s a ton of potential with your incredible knowledge of these animals, your deadpan sense of humor, and the positivity you bring for people of all ages. We must protect you at all costs!
Love the Mr Rogers thing! Also, my cat really did show up from the street one day, so I couldn't help but smile at that. Excellent content, 10/10
Also I bet reptiles win, even though I'm a synapsid fan
it depends on what you want in a pet , i have a dog because i like a fully interactive pet that can accompany me everywhere, no one animal is a better pet.
I have one too. He's amazing!
Fish should be lower on enclosures. The lack of enclosure needed for the most common pet mammals removes a lot of the enclosure related problems (space, up front and on going cost for the specific needs of the enclosure ). Not to mention the weight issue for an aquarium. I can place a hamster cage on top of a dresser in a bedroom. I cannot do that with a similarly sized fish tank.
Yeah even my 0.5 gallon tank is heavy and annoying to move
Agreed. You don't have to control the air chemistry for anyone else (barring humidity). I gotta watch like 8 different chemicals to make sure they don't go belly up
My love for that intro is absolutely unreal. Thank you for blessing us all ❤️
Great to see fish ranking first in so many categories! Usually, they get weighed down by that pesky handleability score.
Amazing video. Brought a big smile to my face. And as much as I LOVE keeping reptiles, I wíll be rooting for team Fish.
Also serious question: why aren't rodents their own category? I feel like the keeping of rodents vs keeping of big mammals is quite different.
Perfect opening! You ARE the Mr Rogers of reptiles! Just wholesome goodness all around! ❤️
I'm watching my two parakeet take baths and hang upside down as I'm watching this.🙂
Amazing video! I agreed with the entire list so far, only thing I’d have changed is when it comes to food, where I would’ve switched fish and arthropods around… although I do think that is personal bias, as quite a lot the fish I keep are higher maintenance requiring frozen thawed or live feeders, where my arthropods are basically a fancy cleanup crew.
So I can totally see how that might skewer my perception of the average haha!
I'd put fish a bit lower on the feeding list - mostly because of the frequency you should be feeding them to keep them happy
Not sure I agree. Feeding once a day is still a very minimal effort as it only takes a few seconds out of your day. I have a leopard gecko too, and actually find it much more effort to feed the gecko: not because the gecko needs a lot of food, but because its actually a lot more work to keep the feeder insects (I think its mealworms) alive than the gecko itself. They can suddenly start dying in large numbers if you aren't careful. I found they need to be misted multiple times a day (3 at an absolute minimum) + have something over them like a newspaper because they cant handle any amount of dehydration and you cant even rely on them to find their "water bowl" in time (I use water crystals). You of course have to feed them, but also regularly take out spoiled food as they dont handle mold well and thoroughly clean their enlcosure and sort out dead bugs at least every few weeks. Anything that eats insects on a remotely regular basis is mor effort than feeding a fish
@@zakosist u can literally feed a snake 1 time a month. So yeah. Easier than fish
@@Dc-kk9bd I never said snakes arent easier than fish. I was talking of insect-eaters. And very few snakes are
@@zakosist you disagreed that fish aren't the easiest to feed
What an intro! Just discovered this channel through the phylo videos and it's awesome!
The tournament conceit of this video is fun, and the category scorings, if not the final score totals, are really relevant to prospective pet owners.
There are some personal scores I'd do differently, but also that's an opinion thing. I would personally give mammals the highest handling score, as the most available mammals will often not only tolerate but seek out and positively react to handling (tail wagging, purring), and cats and dogs will also especially seek to comfort their humans through interaction when upset or feeling unwell. The majority of available mammals have evolved to be social, and the most commonly available mammals have been selected to specifically be social with humans. The animal is also handling you. This also dovetails into the 'enclosure' scoring-- for cats and dogs, the most common mammals, your home IS their enclosure. Cons: you may have to pet-proof (does your cat eat plants? no pothos!), but pros: you don't have to buy an additional enclosure and, relevantly to the handling score, you can THEORETICALLY handle at any time, and you will get quite the reaction out of it. For someone looking for handling/interaction above all, a dog can be a companion in basically everything you do.
That said, I feel like reptiles have a different TYPE of interaction that can be preferable for many people. If you're feeling like it and the reptile's feeling tolerant, you can take it out and handle it mostly on your own terms, then put it back. For mammals whose enclosure is your home, handling and interaction is far less on your terms. They're gonna beg for things they want (food! toys! play! i spilled my water all over the floor and now i have nothing to drink!) and try to interact with the things you're interacting with.
I'm not subtracting from handling score for danger, as that is listed as a separate score here. But haha, yeah, danger. Mammal mouths are a cesspit of disease and you WILL get scratched and bit. You just will.
Thanks, Clint and Co., for fun and informative videos!
I love that Clint double knots his laces. So endearing.
I'd argue mammal and fish should be flipped for ease of acquiring: fish still require your active participation to go and acquire them where as mammals will come to you.
I thought the mammals should have take the top spot in the "yeah but can I get one" and then I remembered that I'm an outlier and not everyone just finds dogs as well as cats
The "hey neighbor" did it for me!
Wow, I’m stunned and so pleased. This video made me smile, laugh, cry, and clap with joy!!!
Great video Clint!
You are delightful! Having said that, I question your judgement. Fish more enjoyable to observe than mammals? I've had multiple species of both and I'm not sure I agree. But you are 100% right on the reptiles. Go home team!
Very true. How often do you get the urge to snap a picture of your adorable fuzzball doing adorable fuzzball things versus fish doing fish things?
Loved your opening musical number! :-)
Thank you!
As a 41 year old man, I'm smack dab in the middle of your target demographic with the Mr. Rogers intro, lol. Now that I think about it, you ABSOLUTELY are the Mr. Rogers of reptiles. 😂
Your intro made me tear up. ❤️
Also Arthropoda for the win.
Re: arthropods do very little most of the time?
Ants do something almost all of the time. A pet civilization is definitely gonna rank high on the observation side of things.
This is a bit off topic, but I want to thank you for "drip feeding" me images of spiders, I'm an arachnophobe and I'm trying to get a bit better, so the un-intimidating images for short periods of time are very helpful
Okay, it's official... BEST intro on the internet!
Your homage to Mr. Rogers was beautiful. I think he would have enjoyed it and all the great things you're doing. You're definitely a helper.
Buuuut this is so subjective! How can "does it enjoy being handled" not be part of the joy of handling, and also cats and dogs share our space, so you might just as well say, they don't need an enclosure at all! I would devide mammals in domesticated and undomesticated, in order to get a somewhat accurate result.
These would probably be considered an outlier in the rankings, but I just wanted to mention them because I love them: I have these frogs called African Dwarf Frogs (“Hymenochirus Boulenger”) that are kept basically the same way as fish (fully aquatic, pellet fed), are really funny to watch in my opinion, and are typically available to purchase at pet stores (they aren’t expensive, either)!
This is PRECIOUS and so nostalgic despite the fun and games. Love you Clint!
The Mr. Rodgers homage is a bold move that not many people could have pulled off but you did it! I've made that comparison before with the infectious wholesomeness and enthusiasm. If the internet wasn't a thing I could totally see Clint with a public access TV show.
A lot of comments, one thing everyone should keep in mind though is also how much work can go into finding a cat or dog. No, not the general availability of a cat or dog, but finding THE cat or dog. You basically HAVE TO meet them before you decide, and find out the personality and behavior of the individual. If you're buying let's say a ball python, what questions would you ask? Price, age, morphs(maybe) and is it eating fine and what food? Ok cool, throw it in a box and ship it over! You don't even have to meet it. For let's say a dog, You will need a PLETHORA of information, including medical history from a vet, registration papers, bite history paperwork in some cases. Oh yeah and you're going to have to call your insurance agent to let them know you have a dog, and what breed, and its bite history. In general, a ball python is a ball python, a bullfrog is a bullfrog, a tarantula is a tarantula. Yes they will vary some but not in the same way as, say, a dog. You can't even say "a golden retriever is a golden retriever" because there's so much variability from one individual to another. Just something to keep in mind. Also, the reptiles have their own "dog" in their group too(who's a good Gus-Gus?)
Dogs and cats are at the extreme end with mammals, rabbits and guniea pigs have a bit more personality to consider than a ball python, but if you know the care price, age, and color is generally all that is needed. When you eat grass for a living you don't really need lots of brains.
@@bigsprucerabbitry6238 that is true. I had a rabbit when I was younger and it was really fluffy but it would nice around the cage ALL NIGHT haha we could never sleep. He was nice to pet though.
I absolutely have to meet my snakes before I get them--they each come with their own personalities. Also, having crepuscular and active breeds makes for fun observation. Throw it in a box and ship it over may be the case with ball pythons since they have been overbred and are about as smart as a box of rocks, but I would never buy a snake sight unseen.
@@minniemat well different species of snakes are definitely different. Some you would buy without meeting, some you would want to meet first, and some are so hard to find that you may not have a choice as there may not be one available within a thousand miles of where you live. It all depends. I have 13 ball pythons and of the 2 that I bought as breeding size adults, one is the sweetest 3,000g ball python you could imagine, the other would be anything that came even remotely near her. But for me I love all of them, the varying personalities make them more fun. As a breeder, if I only bought whatever morphs I could find locally, I wouldn't be able to get into making what I want to. It's different for every person and for every species.
I feel like for Clint's assessment of mammals (especially with regard to interaction) to make any kind of sense you have to just ignore that dogs exist. None of this is the "fault" of the other animals, but tens of thousands of years of selective breeding has conferred to dogs an utterly insurmountable set of advantages in this domain (not to mention the preexisting social commonality of both of us being pack hunters).
In terms of housing, dogs and cats both are pretty distinctive because they can be trained not to leave their little messes in the house. Can you let emerald tree skinks just live loose in your house, with no enclosure? A monitor lizard? How about a parrot?
And then there's all the social aspects. The vast, vast majority of all other animals often touted as being good for handling will merely tolerate interaction. From what I can tell, only emerald tree skinks and tegus among the nonavian reptiles can at least tie with cats in this regard. But then you get to what kinds of things you can do with them and it all falls apart.
There's such a huge range of activities that you can't even conceive of doing with anything other than a dog. You can't run around and play outside with *any* nonavian reptile; nor can you go on hikes with them. First of all none of them would be interested in going, and beyond that none of them would be physically capable of keeping up (you know, being ectotherms and all).
There's a bunch of activities that are cognitively off limits for other animals as well. Some monitor lizards (and the tegu) can be trained to do a few tricks (by which I mean an action paired with some verbal or gestural signal) and some birds can do a few more, but none of them even distantly approach any kind of working dog - let alone a boarder collie. Dogs can learn to play several distinct games (fetch, hide and seek, find the [name of item here], etc.), and calling back to earlier they seem to genuinely have fun doing it!
This also hints at another category where mammals pull ahead: utility. To be fair, I can certainly understand the rational for not considering utility when evaluating a pet. Most people don't give a crap if their dog can help them hunt or guard the house, or if their cat will help keep pest rodents off the farm that they probably don't even have. But at the same time it does help illustrate the very different capabilities of domestic animals, and it also paints a very different picture of the mammals. Working dogs are in a league all their own, but second place is also a mammal: the horse. Several other farm animals will surely take up the next few spaces - and when you finally do get to a nonmammal, that nonmammal is likely a bird.
Anyway - I could go on, but this is already getting a bit long for a youtube comment. Thanks for the great herpetology content, and merry Christmas!
I’d like to contest the housing aspect - for one, if I wanted a dog any larger than a toy breed, I’d have to move out of my apartment to provide a good quality of life for the dog. It’s okay for a cat or small dog, but even for a large rodent I’d need to dedicate a lot more floor space for an adequate cage and since they’re more active they need more enrichment in their enclosure. And although my cat uses a litter box, I have to clean my whole apartment more often due her tracking litter, cat food, fur and whatever else she leaves around (and this is assuming she doesn’t throw up or knock a plant over). My leopard gecko doesn’t leave his enclosure unless I’m watching him and only for a few minutes, and to clean the whole thing takes maybe an hour. Cleaning up my apartment after my cat takes way longer. And dogs and cats both sometimes chew and tear up furniture. I have to agree with Clint on this one but your other points are interesting and dogs should really be judged in their own category to be sure.
I suppose it's because you're far more likely to be killed by a dog than by a (nonvenomous) snake, but that would seem to go into the "danger" category. A little tricky between those two. But there's probably a reason dogs and cats are the most common pets.
Mammals would win utility, followed by avian reptiles. I think arthropods would be next because there are some utility arthropods you can purchase, such as carnivorous mites to eat destructive mites, or ladybugs to prey on pests, and so on, although this is stretching the definition of pet at that point. You can also use them to... feed other animals, I suppose, again stretching the definition of pet. The aquatic ones are also quite tasty. Fish might be next as there are many tasty ones, and they are quite good for you, though as pets you're not doing much with a fish. Then the herps predictably come last, with the non-avian reptiles followed by amphibians. Theoretically you could use snakes for rodent control by letting them get their scent around the house and using that to scare off rodents, but they can't stay out and about (unless you keep the heat and humidity in your house way up) and they probably shouldn't eat the wild rodents either as they'll get parasites, so not very good vs cats, although they don't shed so that's a plus. A tegu could sort of be a bit of an excess food disposal system, but dogs are probably better at that. Reptiles and amphibians are both eaten at probably similar rare rates vs any of the others (all the other categories have commonly eaten members). But reptiles pull ahead of amphibians for the sole fact of a very useful function specific reptiles provide: venom milking. That's used not only to save lives with antivenin but also for various medicines.
I think utility is a very interesting category because it demonstrates the relationship between humans and animals for the vast majority of human history, and is also the primary view of animals to this day outside the west. I don't know if reptiles or amphibians were ever utilized in any significant way compared to the others. And fish have generally been valued more dead than alive. Utility animals could also be a whole different video or channel even, but of course each animal has a unique purpose so it's hard to give them all a score with the same rubric.
@@RaptorLlama I think what you’ve done, for me at least, is explain exactly why utility was not considered as a category. I think at that point you’re defining relationships with animals that are not pets (with service animals to individuals being basically the only exception).
@@RaptorLlama I agree on basically all points. The bite risk should clearly go under danger because dogs are - as a consequence of the fact that they aren't kept behind bars in most cases - almost as dangerous when you're not directly "handling" them as when you are. This is part of why the number of dog bites is so much higher than the number of lizard bites (aside from the fact that there are way more dog owners than lizard owners): dog owners are in a position where a dog has the _opportunity_ to bite them at almost all hours of the day.
And yeah - I can definitely understand the argument against judging a potential pet by its utility (outside of as a companion or fascination), and I stated as much before - but there are some definite reasons to consider it as well. In fact, our boy Clint himself used utility based arguments in his video on chickens!
"If what you want is a dinosaur that excretes food (eggs) and might need to be turned into food if it's the wrong sex (roosters are illegal outside of farms in some states) then the chicken may be the perfect pet dinosaur for you." - "Chicken, The Best Pet Dinosaur?" at 9:20.
P.S. I'm pretty sure the utility animal niche on youtube is filled by farming and homesteading channels :-)
@@rambunctiousraptor Space is definitely a consideration for dogs; I didn't mean to imply that it wasn't - what I was aiming at was that an 80lb dog is not going to subtract a room from your house the same way an 80lb lizard will. When considering housing for a large reptile, you're operating under the implicit assumption that the reptile's space is going to be the reptile's space *exclusively.* Whether that ends up being a pen in the corner of a room or the entire room, that space is now _absolutely single purpose._
A dog (or a cat for that matter) is a very different consideration because the space the dog uses isn't exclusively the dog's. You're not debating if your apartment can afford to lose the amount of space a dog would require; you're debating if your apartment has enough room in total for a dog (and you) to be happy. My dog required more space than a lace monitor would have, _but he didn't effectively delete all that space from my house._ My dog's "enclosure" so to speak was the entire first floor of the house, but if you took a quick glance in the living room when he was out on a walk it wouldn't have been immediately obvious that he lived there at all, aside from _maybe_ a stray chew toy on the floor (it helps that he was a non shedding breed).
Best part was the skeleton hanging out on the chameleon behind Clint while he was doing his intro.
OMG! Your intro was exactly what I wished you would do!!!That was STINKIN RAD!!!😁😁
Not only are you interesting, brillant,informative but you are also very talented!!
Can you maybe put a danger category on care guides?
Steve Irwin and Mr. Rogers aren't actually gone. They just hang out together by possessing Clint.
I didn’t even get through the first two minutes… why am I almost crying? Clint- you were made for this role! Sincerely, a reptile loving lady that misses Mr. Rogers.
Love the video Clint always so jolly and it makes me jolly too thanks and keep it up mate. ☺️
I have four dogs, a parakeet and a bearded dragon. I can't keep fish alive so they're out for this household. I love all of my animals, but there is one thing dogs do that the others (for household) really can't and that's protection. They serve a purpose as well as the love. So they are my top pick. However, no animal is less or more - I've had chickens and ferets and cats and a parrot and guinea pigs. I just love animals and being able to interact with them - but reptiles are pretty damn cool.
I think some reptiles do make easier pets than mammals, birds, fish, and amphibians. Arthropods are easiest, but probably least interactive. I would consider snakes the easiest reptile to care for that still maintains a great deal of interactivity. Easiest diet, easiest housing requirements, and least likely to injure (mouth is the only dangerous part) as long as they’re under 6 feet and non venomous.
Jeez your energy is bloody contagious!! I mean that in the highest of compliments. Watching your videos has totally changed how I interact with people and my pets now.
Thank you so much for leaving such a wonderful comment! I shared it with Leisha too. That makes me so happy to hear!
Clint, you are so wholesome and so wonderful at what you do. Watching you is so relaxing and informative. Thank you so much for all you do!
I hope human children don't cost mammals the game...
Ok. Reptiles are great for pets if you have the proper materials. But cats are very cost effective if you are into the mammal market, especially since they don't need your eternal attention, they also really do love you if you've raised them. (That's a key thing tho, raising a cat from a kitten usually encourages them to like you, where adopting one as an adult can make it harder for them to get used to you) the best part about cats is that you can just give them free reign in your house no need for any crates or cages for night time.
Oh and don't think I exclusively like cats I basically run a zoo at my house. I have 2 dogs 4 cats, 2 garter snakes and a small herd of fish
That opening warms my heart.
the mr rogers opening made me cry, i missed him as he was my childhood as i lived near him.
I can't say I agree with the order for a lot of those lists this time. I think fish are being held up as a lot easier than they really should be, but I'm still interested in the results. Fish are abused and have their lives cut short as a result in captivity because very few people can put in the massive amount of work needed to actually give them what they really need, so sure, easy if you give them common care I guess, but if you give them proper care, not so much. Just keeping the volume of conditioned cleaned water needed on hand is a pita. I don't think encouraging improper status quo care by making fish out to be easy is a good idea, but maybe it is a matter of perspective... I mean, I have done surgery on pet fish and I won't keep aquatic anything anymore because it is just too much work, so I may be a bit jaded. I'm also kind of surprised you didn't account for things which share an enclosure with their people in the discussions, but maybe that is too controversial. If it is of an interest, I did an evaluation a while ago and snakes won... not reptiles a whole, snakes specifically. Some arthropods might have won if they didn't have such short lives and simple minds.
You really need another criteria = reciprocity. It's all good and well to have something which you find awesome, but if they just spend their lives wishing they could not be with you, it's hard to feel good about having them around.
The intro was just comedic enough to not me cringe! That was very well pulled off!
Man that opening brings back some real good childhood memories of all the people kids emulate Clint obviously chose right one