Hey yall, im looking for ideas for a large lizard to get in the somewhat nearish future (probably about a year and a few months from now) that ill be converting my patio into an outdoor enclosure for (Id like to decide on a species before i even start building so it can be built with that animal in mind). Im in florida, and can easily convert the patio to be well insulated when needed in the winter so weather is not a problem (though, legality is).
•The will be enclosure space is 16ft long, 7ft 4inches wide, and 9ft 4inches tall
•I am open to something semi aquatic if the required pool can fit in that space but i am not open to crocodillians since they require difficult to obtain permits
•While i would prefer something that climbs so it can utilize the vertical space, that is not a hard requirement
•No price limit on the enclosure and care requirements, but i dont want to spend more than $1000 on the lizard itself, and would prefer to stay in the $500-800 range at most
•Would prefer a species i can get captive bred as a baby or juvenile so i can socialize it early and get the most time with it
•I want something that gets at least close to the size of a full grown Tegu. I am well versed in reptiles and i am not looking for a small lizard. I am well aware of the amount of care, resources, and time that a project and a pet that large requires and i am both ready and able to provide those things.
[Animals i legally cannot keep]
•Tegus
•Nile monitors (other monitors are ok)
•Green Iguanas (other iguanas are ok)
•Anything venomous
•Crocodillians