Which would be a less costly pet, a parakeet or a type of reptile?

Question

My friend wants to get me a pet for my birthday but id hate to make her spend alot of money on the nessecitys. Id like to have something reptlilian or a parakeet but which one do you think would be more cost friendly? I dont want a frog or anything like that perhaps a snake or a iguana so if you cna compare and contrast that would be great since I have no clue.

Answer 1

either way your gonna have to spend money for food tank/cage toys etc and that all adds up there's no such thing as a cheap pet! you also have to spend time with it please think about it before you bring this animal home

Answer 2

i would say a type of reptile would be cheaper.

you should get a lizard!

Answer 3

Reptiles, especially iguanas, can vary but are usually more expensive than parakeets. Parakeets are only $15 at my store.

Answer 4

I would have to say a reptile, most of them only have to eat 3 times a week sometimes less, not to mention most of them don't make noise. Snakes only grow as large as their environment will let them.

Answer 5

get iguana, i hate the bird  p**p smell

Answer 6

Straight off, reptiles can differ in so many ways, so it really depends on the reptile. But in comparison to a budgie, most reptiles would have a lot higher start up costs.

But please remember that the starting costs are not the only costs! Most reptiles are a lot more expensive for you to maintain, mainly having pricey food. Budgies' food and cage liners are realy common and cheaper. So also think about how much -you- can afford to spend on the pet.

Now maybe I am wrong, but to me, you sound like youare diving into something you don't know much about. Iguanas happen to be one of the highest reptile pets tossed away into shelters. They are NOT begginer pets! They have extremely strict needs and high maintenence requirements. Unfortunately, they are all too available, and so many people get them without realizing the commitment. So for this reason, avoid iguanas, and please do the research of the pet you decide to get.

Snakes are a better choice. I suggest a corn snake. They are perfect for begginers. Nice and hardy, and very tame. For a corn, you will need preferbly a 20 gallon or more tank, a heat source (lamp or heat pad only), some substrate, a water dish, and a couple hiding boxes and climbing accessories. They eat once a week, and the mice are rather cheap. Only feed frozen/thawed mice!

Budgies aren't as easy as many people believe. It's true that they are low maintenence in comparison to other parrots, but still some work is involved. First, it is preferbly to have at least two because there is no way you will spend all day with it, and it will suffer due to their social nature. Aside from that, you will need a large cage, and a lot of toys. They need fresh veggies regularily. And you must take them out regularily to socialize.

So anyway, please make sure you knwo what you are getting before you get it!

Budgies: http://www.budgieworld.net/budgie_advice...

Corns: http://www.anapsid.org/corn.html

Also have a look at leopard geckos, they are a good begginer lizard: http://www.anapsid.org/leopardgek.html

Edit: Iguanas will be VERY expensive in the long run. They also require a lot more attention than either of the two. Budgies and snakes will probably cost a similar amount, depending on which one has the pricier food since thta is mostly all you will be paying for (unless you decide to buy the substrate/liners, you can just use newspaper for either). The larger snakes will have more expensive and harder to find food, but a smaller snake muight be cheaper than budgies.

Answer 7

parakeets would cost less.  a parakeet and cage and everything would probably cost around 60.00 or so.  a snake with its enclosure and all its needs would be around 150.00 or so.

Answer 8

Ok just remember, the smallest snake you can get will grow to about 5 feet and will need a forty gallon long tank. Iguanas get huge and need a floor to ceiling cage at least 6 feet wide by the time they are full grown.

You could get a leopard gecko, they can spend there entire lives in a ten gallon, and they don't climb so all they really need is floor space.