New to the World of Lizards!

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I have 2 Leo's, 2 Bearded Dragons, and 1 Crested. I would say of all 3 the Crested is the easiest to keep. No external heat source needed, just regular misting. And the crested will eat some insects, but mostly I feed him the Crested Gecko Diet, which is just a powder you mix with water - very easy.

Next easiest to keep are the Leo's. They don't require as much food as dragons and you feed them mealworms which are easy to keep in the fridge. The Leos will defecate in the same area every time, so I have a mini litter box in their cage which works great, very easy to clean.

The Dragons are the hardest to keep for many reasons, however, they are also the most rewarding. As stated above they need UVB light which requires an investment in bulbs they also need a source as well (unless you use a mercury bulb which does both). When dragons are young they eat a ton of insects, and then transition to veggies. Making them a veggie salad can take up some time. And keep all those insects alive for feeding can be a pain. Basically it is just all around more work. And the dragons need a bigger cage and when they go poo you need to clean that up right away, cause it will smell up the room.

With all that said, the dragons have more personality. One of our dragons is really good with handling and like to hang out. The other one, is skittish, so it can be hit or miss I guess. But the dragons are better for interaction than cresteds or leos.

One of my leos is very calm and seems to tolerate handling quite will, but being smaller and having a tail that will drop with pressure, you just can't handle them the same way you can a dragon.

It the pet is going to be a "display" animal with occasional handling, I'd say go with the Crested or Leo.

If your grandson wants an animal he can hold go with the dragon. However, I will say, if you get a baby dragon, be very careful. As babies they are very delicate. And they can be jumpy too. Some people see others with dragon on their shoulders and they think they can do that with a young dragon. Not recommended. A fall off a shoulder for a young dragon can lead to broken backs and arms. Just handle with more care when they are little.

Good luck - your grandson is lucky to have you supporting his interests.