lizard for a kid

My little sister wants a lizard for her birthday.What type of lizard would be good for a younger person?Im going to have 2 glass vivs available in a few weeks 1 20l and a 55 so something that wouldnt outgrow a 55 would be ideal.any ideas would be great.

Oh and if she desides she doesnt want to take care of it I guess it will be my present:)

I would say Beardies are a good start. Cool little lizards and very hardy.

i'd say a leopard gecko. they are easier to care for and eat much less than a beardie.

i would get a crested or leopard gecko

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by reptile-girl

i would get a crested or leopard gecko

---

how big do they get?

the adult size for leos is 6"-9" but 12" is the maximum they can get

crested geckos can get around 7"-10"

I would have to agree with a Leopard Gecko. I keep both bearded dragons and Leos and Leos are 10x easier IMO ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by krackerJack

how big do they get?

---

Here is a good caresheet:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/modules....ewarticle&id=8

Out of curiousity, how are they easier?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jglass38

Out of curiousity, how are they easier?

---

I would consider beardies high maintenance pets. Every day they need to be misted for water, fed fresh greens, pellets, and bugs. Beardies require UVB light, so you have to spend extra money on special bulbs. Leos just need a UTH.

For my leos, I only really have to make sure they have bugs in the dish and water in the bowl....which basically means with a good supply of mealies and water, I could let them sit for two or three days without having to worry about feeding them or watering them. I have them 'trained' to use the 'bathroom' in one corner of their enclosure, so an extra folded paper towel in that corner allows for extreamely easy cleaning.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by daniel1983

I would consider beardies high maintenance pets. Every day they need to be misted for water, fed fresh greens, pellets, and bugs.

For my leos, I only really have to make sure they have bugs in the dish and water in the bowl....which basically means with a good supply of mealies and water, I could let them sit for two or three days without having to worry about feeding them or watering them. I have them 'trained' to use the 'bathroom' in one corner of their enclosure, so an extra folded paper towel in that corner allows extreamely easy cleaning.

---

Good info Daniel! I like them all but no more insect eaters for me. They are a pain to find around here. Of course I am used to feeding my Uro greens every day so for me, not a big deal.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jglass38

Good info Daniel! I like them all but no more insect eaters for me. They are a pain to find around here. Of course I am used to feeding my Uro greens every day so for me, not a big deal.

---

Ha....so the reptiles in your house either eat rodents or they are vegetarians....LOL

LMAO....when I first got my beardies, it was a big shock from keeping snakes. Lizards in general are high maintenance when compared to snakes. Don't you wish you only needed to feed them all once a week?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by daniel1983

Lizards in general are high maintenance when compared to snakes. Don't you wish you only needed to feed them all once a week?

---

amen to that! i spend 100x more time on my geckos than my snakes. i love 'em, but dang they are a lot more work!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by daniel1983

Ha....so the reptiles in your house either eat rodents or they are vegetarians....LOL

LMAO....when I first got my beardies, it was a big shock from keeping snakes. Lizards in general are high maintenance when compared to snakes. Don't you wish you only needed to feed them all once a week?

---

Thats how I roll...The Uro would eat bugs every day if I let him. They are just not a food item that should be offered more frequently than a couple times a week at most.

The Uro is a bit high maintenance. Some days he won't even wake up the whole day and grace us with his prescence.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mlededee

amen to that! i spend 100x more time on my geckos than my snakes. i love 'em, but dang they are a lot more work!

---

I had a bad experience with Geckos so I am not sure I would take that plunge anytime soon. That and I the whole insect thing...

jamie, you just need to get a crested gecko. :P you don't even have to feed them insects. :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mlededee

jamie, you just need to get a crested gecko. :P you don't even have to feed them insects. :D

---

Really!? They are so cute! Dont tempt me...What do you feed them?

crested gecko diet (it does come in a smaller bottle than the huge tub on that page). it is a powder that you mix with water (i also add a little plain, fat free yogurt for a nice consistency) and put it in a dish for them to lap up. you can feed that alone or supplement with insects if you want, but it's not necessary.

you know you want one! :D :gj:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mlededee

crested gecko diet (it does come in a smaller bottle than the huge tub on that page). it is a powder that you mix with water (i also add a little plain, fat free yogurt for a nice consistency) and put it in a dish for them to lap up. you can feed that alone or supplement with insects if you want, but it's not necessary.

you know you want one! :D :gj:

---

Wow..Is that an accepted method of feeding? Are there any downsides?

I want one of everything!

yup, the cgd is a total meal replacement. i still feed crickets once or sometimes twice a week because they do love them. for hatchlings i feed pinhead crickets a little more often because it helps them to grow faster but it isn't a requirement.

what other lizards dont eat insects?

Iguanas don't
Uros don't need to but can tolerate some

Other than that I am stumped..

gargoyles, chahouas and leachies (all members of the rhacodactylus family like cresteds) came be feed exclusively on the meal replacement diets but gargoyles are the only one that i would recommend for a kid or a beginner as well as the only on that is most likely in the beginner price range.

on another note, while iguanas don't require insects i definitely WOULD NOT recommend them for a beginner. (you couldn't keep one in the size cage you have as an adult anyway). :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mlededee

gargoyles, chahouas and leachies (all members of the rhacodactylus family like cresteds) came be feed exclusively on the meal replacement diets but gargoyles are the only one that i would recommend for a kid or a beginner as well as the only on that is most likely in the beginner price range.

on another note, while iguanas don't require insects i definitely WOULD NOT recommend them for a beginner. (you couldn't keep one in the size cage you have as an adult anyway). :)

---

Awesome info Em...By the way, I wasn't at all saying that an Iguana makes a good pet for a beginner..I was just answering his question on other lizards that don't eat insects. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by krackerJack

what other lizards dont eat insects?

---

Prehensile-tailed Skinks are also herbivorous, however I'm not sure I would recommend them for a beginner. Also, since they became endangered they have become harder to find and more expensive. They are a very cool lizard though! :D

I was talking to my sister and she was saying that she wants a gecko like the one in the geico commercials.What type of gecko is this and are they good for beginers?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by krackerJack

I was talking to my sister and she was saying that she wants a gecko like the one in the geico commercials.What type of gecko is this and are they good for beginers?

---

It is a Giant Madagascar Day Gecko. Here is a link to a care sheet.

http://www.whozoo.org/Intro98/chriskel/chrikelt23.htm

The Geico commercial also had a Leopard Gecko not too long ago. Then there is the one with the British accent. But I am not sure what kind he is... :)

He's a Day Gecko. I wouldn't recommend day geckos though, as there is only one handlable species. The skin is too fragile for handling, and most of them are just too nervous.

that's very true. i had a lined day gecko and he was beautiful but totally unhandleable. the giant day geckos are awesome and a little more hardy, but mostly just the type of pet you look at and observe in its setup.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jglass38

The Geico commercial also had a Leopard Gecko not too long ago. Then there is the one with the British accent. But I am not sure what kind he is... :)

---

lol i saw that one with the leo

i know geckos are great. but i would give her a single sub adult male beardie. not that hard to take care for. beardies almost seem to enjoy being held. can be fed bearded dragon cubes. for live food you can feed meal worms that can be kept in the fridge.( keeps them dormit) all you have to do is take em out and drop about 10 in a day with cubes one day then the next just feed greens. i have some hatchlings about to hatch out, but i wouldent go with a babby as they are a little more hard to keep alive. go with a sub adult that is about 6 to8inches. in reality a bearded dragon needs less than 5 mins a day to take care of.

fish