Should i buy a leopard gecko or tiger salamander?

Question

I want to buy a new reptile and im stuck between a leopard gecko or a tiger salamander...what are your personal experiences and how do i heat a leopard gecko enclosure because i used to have one bt it died because the cool side of the tank was always too cold and i couldnt get it up to 80 on the cool side...i need help..thank you

Answer 1

Get a leopard gecko. Salamanders are too hard to keep. As for heating use a under tank heater and/or basking light. If it starts to get too hot then you can get a thermostat to regulate the temperature.

Answer 2

Hi!

For leopard gecko tanks, use an under tank heater (UTH) on the warm side. Get a digital thermometer to monitor the temperatures. The warm side should be 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit, and the cool side should be 75-80 degrees. To get the cool side to that temperature, use a 50 watt infrared bulb during the day and turn it off at night.

Make sure you do more research before you get any reptile so you don't have another episode like you had before!

P.S. Tiger salamanders are amphibians, not reptiles!

Answer 3

totally the lepard gecko, salamanders and most amphibians are boring and eat **** and p**p, their is nothing special or cool about them so get the gecko

Answer 4

Get a leopard gecko, salamanders are too much trouble for their worth. Use an undertank heater on one side only, and a light (normal house bulb or special reptile light) during the day. Buy an auto timer so you don't have to turn it off and on yourself.

Answer 5

Wow.  This is sort of like asking if I think you will like an apple better than a banana (I know lots of folks who love apples, and hate bananas, and visa versa)!

The care for these two animals is about 180 degress out!  One needs moisure, etc., and the other needs basicaly dry, but - they both NEED correct temps., and humidity.

I have owned both, but I would recommend the Leo.  I adore these lil guys.

So, it's homework time.  You need to google both, and learn everything you can, and THEN decide which you would rather own/care for, and which seems easiest for you.

You will want to have the right sized tank set up, and the temperatures set with a Rheostat and digital probe thermometer (sorry, strip thermometers can be inaccurate up to 20 degress, and just won't do the job for reptiles/anphibs).

You have much to learn, whichever you choose, but MANY KUDDOS for researching/asking before you bring the animal home.

First is feeding, so I'll post a basic recipe for you:

GUT LOADING CRICKETS for REPTILES:

The number one problem:

Dried up and malnourished pet store crickets and mealworms. These food items are essentially useless. A dehydrated and unfed cricket contains almost no nutrients at all; refrigerated mealworms are even worse. A lot of the variety in nutrients found in wild insects is actually in the stomach content - usually plant material. We need to duplicate this to provide the best for our reptiles; without the risk of illness/disease/parasites which can result from feeding our pets wild insects.

Please note that wax worms, while fattening, are not nutritious.  Young geckos can eat small silk and phoenix worms, as well.

Basic Dry/Staple Cricket Food:

Equal amounts of dry Iguana food, dry dog food, chick starter mash, oatmeal (you can add dry baby food wheat/rye/barley, etc. as well; even shredded wheat - no sugar).

Grind these items together.  Place in a small lid/bowl for the crickets to eat.  Store the unused portion in the refrigerator or freezer, until needed.

Supplement daily with one of the following: sweet potato, bananas, zucchini, oranges, carrots, strawberries, assorted squashes (acorn, yellow, etc.), grapefruit, green beans, apples, kale, spinach, cactus pads, and just about any other nutritious item you can think of (do not use white/yellow potatoes - these are starchy and only good if used as a moisture source during shipping, and NEVER use Avocado - it's poisonous to most animals).

Provide the dry food and kale at all times (kale is readily available during the winter months, too), rotating the other food items through in succession. The key is variety, and to provide an assortment of varying nutrients. What you are trying to do is offer your reptiles crickets with guts 'loaded' with fresh foodstuffs.

The crickets should be gut loaded for 1-2 days prior to offering them to your reptiles.

Also, provide fresh clean water in a lid/bowl, adding a sponge or folded paper towel to prevent drowning.

  

Don't offer more crickets than the reptile(s) will consume within: 1.) a few hours if it’s a lizard, salamander, frog/toad, or 2.) a few minutes, if it’s a water turtle, so you know the crickets will still be full of the good stuff when eaten.

The crickets should be dusted (shaken in a plastic bag gently to coat them) with vitamins (keep these refrigerated) and calcium D3 powder 2-4 times a week, depending on the age of the reptile.

Be sure to remove any uneaten crickets so that they do not soil your pet's environment/water or bother your pet, once it is full.  Crickets CAN turn the table - and feast upon your pet! Or aggravate them, causing stress and even cessation of eating.  If the habitat is large, you might want to move the reptile to a smaller container/tank for the feeding of its insects.

Also be sure the crickets are the correct size for the reptile.  The cricket should be the same size long as the reptile’s head is wide (about the space between the lizards’ eyes).

From there is knowing the reptile from hatching right up to becoming an adult, so you can provide the proper care as it grows/ages.

In general, you will need:

A reptile aquarium (minimum size for a baby is 10 gal., but it's VERY difficult to set up the warm and cool side in a small tank) - An adult Leo needs a minimum space of a 20 gal long reptile tank (these have more floor space than an aquarium); -A good digital proble thermometer (strips thermometers can be inaccurate by up to 20 degrees); -A UTH heat pad; -A Rheostat to adjust the heat output of the pad and lights; -A basking light; -A basking perch; -A hide for the animal; -A shallow water bowl; -Substrate if you decided on reptile carpet (make sure this has a very short nap so delicate toes aren't snagged, and you will need two pieces - one to use while the other is being washed and drying), or you can use plain brown wrapping paper; aged newspaper (at least a week), paper towels; or plain white paper (NEVER use sand or a loose substrate); -Reptile vitamins & calcium powder (Rep Cal is a good brand, and keep these refrigerated); -and A small cricket keeper mini-tank to gut load his insects in before feeding them to him.

I'll post some sites to get you started on your information quest, but please note my disclaimer.

Leos can live for 20 yr. and longer (I think the current record holder was 27 yr.), so be informed, and be ready for that kind of commitment.

I always suggest that you have any new pet checked by a vet for general health, disease, and parasites.  If there IS something wrong, this gives you time to get a refund while the guarantee is still in effect (I never recommend an exchange, as if that animal is sick, it's likely the rest could be, too).

If you don't already know of a qualified exotics/reptile vet in your area, you can contact “herpetologicalsocieties.com“ for the one closest to you.

An informed owner is a happy one with a healthy and content pet.

Enjoy your new pet!

I hope this has been helpful.

Answer 6

well do u want a pet u can handle and play with then i would say leopard gecko. if u want a pet to watch and have as a decorative pet id say tiger sal (u shouldnt pick up your tiger sal unless u really have to)

Answer 7

Salamanders are ampnibians not reptiles so if you want a reptile then for get the salamander. To heat a leo tank then get a heat mat half the size of the tank and salamanders take up your life they are just too hard to care for and then they're too dear just forget the salamander!