Easiest Lizard to care for?

[sirhissball]

I have been toying with the idea of being a lizard owner, and have been checking out care sheets. I do not want something that is super intensive to care for. I don't like the idea of 130 degree basking spots...and some of the feeding requirements that I have read about would not be appealing (fresh fruit...)

You guys tell me...is there a lizard out there that is 1. easy to care for 2. fun to look at 3. friendly enough to have around kids

Thank you

[tigerlily]

I would think Leopard geckos or Crested geckos would be a good choice.

[lars5277]

I have bearded dragons, green anoles and had an iguana. Of the three I would suggest the bearded dragons. They are more expensive than the other two, but well worth the investment. They eat a wide variety of insects, fruits and vegatables. Sassfrass sent me a very extensive food list for them. They are docile and great with my kids (9, 8 and 5 yrs old). They even seem to thrive on human contact. They seem to be pretty easy to care for. Green anoles are fun to watch but do not like being held, both of mine bit the guy at the pet store. Iguanas are the cutest little green monsters you will ever see, and not what you need at all. They are very antosocial and hard to care for. I really like the bearded dragons, just keep in mind they will require something larger than a 10 or even 20 Gallon tank.

[ballpythonandragon]

I would have to say with haveing 3 dragons and a crested gecko i would pick a crested gecko cheap and easy to keep, not much work at all plus ive kept leos but i gave them to a friend, it's all about how often and how much time your willing to have them out. Cresties are very pretty and run about the same price as beardies. Aaron

[TekWarren]

Don't take this personally, but I really don't think it right to choose to keep an animal based on how "easy" it is to care for. Any animal in captivity should be given the utmost effort in keeping them. If an animal is "hardy" it doesn't mean that its easy...it means it won't become unealthy as fast or it may live longer in such conditions, but that doesn't make it right. I think "easy" is in the eye of the beholder and how much care you translate into "work" when keeping animals.

As I'm sure you will do your research and apply it to what you have to offer the animal what your willing to do to not just maintain it...but help it thrive.


again nothing personal alot of people come off looking for easy animals and it just seems like such poor reasoning.

[mlededee]

i think that if it is your first lizard or animal of a certain species than it is fair to look for one that is easier to maintain, or if you know you don't have a lot of time to devote to a high maintenance animal but you do have enough for an animal with lesser requirements than it is wise to choose one with the lesser needs. i think the ease of taking care of an animal is certainly something to be considered before making your purchase.

cresteds, gargoyles or leopard geckos are all good choices. cresteds and gargoyles are easiest in respect to temperature needs--room temp is fine for them. leo need a little heat--a uth keeping one side at about 86-88 is good. leos are easy to feed--crickets, mealworm, superworms, etc. cresteds and gargoyles can be fed an insect free diet if you wish, if you feed them crested or gargoyle diet. i still like to give mine crickets at least once a week. leos are terrestrial so their enclosure needs to be wider rather than taller, cresteds/gargoyles are arboreal so they need a taller enclosure with perches and places to jump. those are just a few differences, to possibly help you decide.

[sirhissball]

Don't take this personally, but I really don't think it right to choose to keep an animal based on how "easy" it is to care for. Any animal in captivity should be given the utmost effort in keeping them.

While I'm not taking it personally, I think it important that you don't confuse one's wanting something "easy" to care for with someone being incompitent, or delivering a lack of effort.

IE. when I wanted my first snake, I went with a Ball Python, not an Anaconda. I'm interested in my first lizard, it probably shouldn't be an Iguana.

[Jeanne]

OK, I pulled qoutes from another thread on igs, but it went into talking about bearded dragons.

PLease do NOT buy a bearded dragon for a first lizard. They require ALOT more than most realize that do not keep them. I keep beardeds, and let me tell you, they can eat alot and require special lighting and such.
However, leopard geckos are great beginner reptiles because they are more forgiving of mistakes in husbandry. Some of our members have mentioned a few others that are also ok.

I would have to disagree about getting a bearded as a first lizzard, Yes they eat alot but are extremly easy to keep and care for, and thier tempermate is great for the beginner, I have always recomended them, I have been keeping them for 5 or 6 years now and can't think of any negatives on getting one, (other than they eats like pigs) but feeding 1 dragon is only going to run $5 a week on the high side and the lighting an housing are very simple.

$5 a week huh? How is that? A baby can eat 30- 60 (60 is on the high side I think, but not impossible) crix in one sitting 3 times a day (and even more at times), and if 12 crix are lets say like they are here locally, .90 then it would definately cost more than $5 a week, more like close to around $94 a week in crix alone while it still is eating mostly bugs. Now, you may be able to feed an adult dragon on $5 a week if it only eats greens and has little variety.

Buying crix at petshop:
5 doz crix @ .90 per doz. = $4.50
3 feedings a day @ $4.50 each = $13.50
daily feedings @ $13.50 each x 7 = $94.50
1260 crix a week max

Buying crix through supplier:
Approx. $14 for 1000 crix. plus shipping
* And even then, it would still not be enough to feed the hungriest of babies

Caging may or may not be cheap, depends on what one chooses, however, lighting initially can be expensive, and some lighting must be changed out every 6 months to maintain effectiveness of uv properties.

These are the reasons I do not recommend dragons as a first lizard.

I must agree with you Jeanne, while BDs are really docile and easy to handle and not hard to provide care needs to. They still do cost alot to feed, as babies and as adults. my adults eat around 20-30 in greens per week and around 200 crickets per week, plus BD pellet food. I spend about 35 a week on the 3 of them.

[Gecko Den]

I have been toying with the idea of being a lizard owner, and have been checking out care sheets. I do not want something that is super intensive to care for. I don't like the idea of 130 degree basking spots...and some of the feeding requirements that I have read about would not be appealing (fresh fruit...)

You guys tell me...is there a lizard out there that is 1. easy to care for 2. fun to look at 3. friendly enough to have around kids

Thank you

Normally I would say Bearded Dragon or Leopard gecko as a starter lizard. However, you mentioned you weren't interested in high temp basking spots of fresh fruits or veg. so that kind of takes a bearded dragon out of the equation. The only drawback to the leopard gecko is you mentioned having them around kids. It really would depend on the age of the children and if they understood that when handling them they couldn't grab it by the tail, even then I would suggest an adult leopard gecko as they aren't quite as skittish as a baby or juvenile.

Someone else mentioned Crested geckos, another good choice except for the kid thing again, as in my opinion they will drop a tail sooner than a leopard gecko. Also, every crested I ever owned had a tendency to jump at the most inopportune times, and when they jump they go balls to the wall in their jump, regardless of there being anything nearby for them to jump to or not.....

[TekWarren]

While I'm not taking it personally, I think it important that you don't confuse one's wanting something "easy" to care for with someone being incompitent, or delivering a lack of effort.

IE. when I wanted my first snake, I went with a Ball Python, not an Anaconda. I'm interested in my first lizard, it probably shouldn't be an Iguana.

That's fair, but many times people's "wants" overpower their knowledge and effort. Again nothing personal but starting right out with similiar statements about wanting something easy...what is the definition of easy in the reptile world?? Nothing that thrives in captivity is "easy" while it may not be considered "work" to some of us I just want to stress the fact that no matter what the animal no less care should be put into its keeping.

I have no doubt you that you are already above this stage of "want" as you are here and already looking for information...but we both know there are plenty of others who completely miss that step.