Want to buy a lizard..?

Question

I am interested in buying a lizard as a pet and i was wondering a few things.

Which type of lizard do you reccomend

with price and/or how much work it requires?

Thanks

Answer 1

i'd reccomend a leopard gecko,

they are really friendly, relatively cheap (£30 - £50) and are quite easy to look after.

they dont need too high a humidity, dont get too big (8 inches), can be kept in small groups, and eat all sorts of bugs, they come in interesting colours and are fun to watch.

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/...

if you do get one, and its a baby, dont keep it on sand - it can get impacted from swallowing it and die   =(

Answer 2

If you have space and the money I would recommend a bearded dragon-mine is one of the most amusing and interactive pets I have ever had...on the same level as my cats personality wise (which is saying a lot).  Their lifespan is 8-10 years although I know someone who has a 13 year old.  They can get 22-28" depending on breed with most 22-24".

General startup cost is about $250 for supplies and $50-300 for the beardie depending on where you get it and if it has any special bloodlines.  Also try animal shelters as a lot of people drop off their reptiles once they get bored of them.

The smallest tank you should have for a single beardie is a 40 gallon "breeder" which is 36x18x16.  Don't keep beardies together as it is not unusual for one to be missing toes or entire legs due to fighting.  Start off with the full 40gal setup, otherwise you'll just end up having to pay about twice the starting price because the cost for a 20 gallon long setup (any smaller and the beardies can overheat-even 3" hatchlings) is almost the same as for a 40breeder but the lights and heating for a 20L won't work for a 40breeder.

You'll need a 36" tube style UVB bulb like reptisun 10.0 (keep right on the screen top or it will be too far away to do any good) and a basking light.  An undertank heater is also good.  You need there to be a temperature gradient between 75 and 85 degrees in the tank with the basking spot 95-105 degrees.  Despite the popularity of heated rocks NEVER use them.  They have caused way too many dangerous burns because reptiles' nervous systems can't tell that they are too hot until irreversible damage is done.

If your beardie is over eight months old (~18" I think-my 4 month old is 15") you can use calcium sand.  DO NOT rely on the calcium sand to supply any calcium for your dragon as it is not in a usuable form for them.  Don't use playsand or other silica sands as you can't get rid of all the dust even if you wash it repeatedly.  Silica dust is very similar to asbestos and has the same effects.  If the beardie is too young and/or you don't want to use sand, use paper towels.  Most other substrates keep the humidity too high.

Beardies need some places to climb, especially in the basking area so they can control their temperature.  Hiding places are also good.  If not using sand, make sure to have a couple slabs of rough rock to keep the nails trimmed.  Fake plants are okay but make sure that they have pretty thick plastic as their teeth are very sharp.  I got an Exoterra fake plant and mine bit completely through with just a single bite (it was green and she loves salads) so make sure that the plastic is really thick.  Beardie teeth look like a mini T-rex's and are definitely as sharp as they look.  Thankfully they don't bite people unless fingers are in the way of a tasty treat.

You'll need to supplement food with calcium powder (even if you're using calcium sand) at every meal for hatchlings and jueveniles and begin to taper it off around 6-8 months to eventually only once a week with full adults (over a year old).  You'll also need to provide clean fresh water in a container preferably large enough for the beardie's body so he can drink as well as soak in it to help with comfort and shedding.

Beardies should be eating about a dozen crickets (no larger than the space between the beardie's eyes) or a little more at every meal.  Hatchlings should be fed 2-3 times a day (all dusted with calcium) as they need to be eating constantly.  Somewhere between 3 and 6 months taper it off to once a day.  Adults should be fed every other day.  Veggies and fruit should be offered whenever the beardie will eat them-especially the older adults, some become completely vegitarian in old age.  Various worms are good especially pheonix worms but make sure that they are no larger than the distance between the beardie's eyes.  Feeding food that is too small causes choking, impaction, paralysis, and death-if in doubt, go with the smaller size.  Don't feed small beardies (under 12") meal worms as they can cause choking and paralysis and they can't digest the exoskeleton.

If you are using paper towels, replace them at least twice a week.  If using sand, use a sifting scoop like for hermit crabs daily.  While cleaning the tank I put my beardie in a bucket (not one used with any chemicals) with about an inch of warm water as she loves to play in it.  A lot of people use the tub to let their beardies soak and play, just make sure that the *warm* water doesn't get high enough to cover tha back.  I have cats and mine is still too small to trust around them.

I find beardies to be pretty low maintenance and they are very freindly, even if you don't spend much time with them.

Answer 3

I don't like reptiles .They scare me

Answer 4

i would recomend an alligator lizard they dont require to much work and are around 50-80 dollars

Answer 5

I would recommend a Beardie. (Bearded Dragon)

They don't require much humidity, but they do need lots of heat. Of course, try to stay under or around 100 degrees.

Bearded Dragons are, in my opinion, the easiest type of lizard to take care of. They are around 60 dollars at a pet store, but you can get pretty, colorful (mainly red/gold) ones for much higher prices (around 200-300) with specific color breeders. (Sandfire beardies, etc.)

Answer 6

Get a bearded dragon around 50 for the lizsard and they eat crickets. They dont get too big . . . and can be very tame. Much like this girl I once I knew.