Bearded dragons can make ideal classroom pets. Flickr/andedam
Which animals make the best classroom pets? Here are some suggestions you may not have considered.
Bearded Dragon
A reptile may not be your first thought for a classroom pet, but perhaps it should be. PetSmart owner Chad Beverly recommends bearded dragons for the classroom because these lizards are docile and don't bite. As reptiles, they also lack the fur that aggravates allergies in some students. Additionally, Beverly says that since bearded dragons are desert reptiles, they require less care than tropical lizards. Fill an aquarium with sand, keep it warm, and your "beardie" will be happy. Plus, Beardies love attention, so a classroom bearded dragon can be an ideal pet choice.
Degu
The success of Disney's film "Ratatouille" has led to a growing interest in rodents. How about choosing a degu as a classroom pet? You'd be forgiven for never having heard of this little creature; he is less known than other rodents such as mice and rats. Degus are furry and relatively small (about six inches, plus another five inches of tail). They are highly social creatures, and children will enjoy watching a pair of them interact. (Indeed, if you do choose a degu, you should buy at least two, as they do better with companions.)
Rabbit
Who doesn't love rabbits? Chosen carefully, a rabbit can be a wonderful classroom pet. Select a smaller breed that is known for its gentle, curious nature, such as a mini rex, Dutch, or Polish rabbit. The rabbit can live in a cage inside the classroom, and it can be litter trained for easy cleaning up. Teacher Susan Barnett raves about her classroom bunny: "At the end of the day, our class would sit in a large circle and I would let the bunny out to hop around in the middle. The kids looked forward to this all day!"
African Dwarf Frog
If you'd like an aquatic pet but don't want the work than larger aquariums require, an African dwarf frog may be the classroom pet for you. These tiny frogs (only 1.5 inches long) are voracious feeders, and your students will enjoy watching them eat and cavort about their tank. Dwarf frogs set the stage for a study of Africa or of an aquatic region.
You can't beat pet ownership for learning, improving social skills, and building responsibility. These classroom pets will enhance your classroom and enrich your students' lives as well.
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GREAT ideas!!! I want to get a Uromastyx lizard for my highschool class - it's a little more grown up but I think my student would LOVE it.
I have had turtles, bearded dragons, fire bellied toads, fish of all types, crabs, newts, anoles, zebra finches and gerbils in my classroom. Kids love them! The easiest to take care of are the fish and turtles. The bearded dragons, fire bellied toads, anoles need live food, such as mealworms and crickets. Gerbils need to be cleaned a lot, or they get stinky, and birds are super messy! But whatever trouble any of these animals are, they are worth it for the students to learn about responsibility and a love for animals at a young age. BTW, bearded dragons have to be kept very warm, so they are not as easy to keep as the article would have you believe.
A note on the bearded dragons being warm...my problem is that they turn the heat off at night, and on weekends, and if there is a chance that your electricity might fail, you might not want to invest in the bearded dragons (at least $50 per dragon). Also, they need a certain amount of light per day. But, they are one of the few lizards that are active during the day (for instance, you don't want leopard geckos, because they sleep all day...kids can't observe them!). Depends on the reliability of your electricity and heat at your school!
The easiest to take care of are the fish and turtles. The bearded dragons, fire bellied toads, anoles need live food, such as mealworms and crickets. I like them too.
Bearded Dragon Care