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what makes the best pet

Lucille said:
beardies are nice with great personalities.
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But they need UV light, lots of baths, bugs and salads. We have a leopard gecko and were considering a bearded dragon. I decided it was way more daily interaction than I was up for. We researched cresties, too but kept coming back to a snake. It was still over a year before we finally got one.

Hey, I better go dish out some crickets!

Theresa in Indy
 
I just don't like the way cresties look, honestly... Too much head and too little body, and their tails always look like twigs to me.
 
tress29 said:
But they need UV light, lots of baths, bugs and salads. We have a leopard gecko and were considering a bearded dragon. I decided it was way more daily interaction than I was up for. We researched cresties, too but kept coming back to a snake. It was still over a year before we finally got one.

Hey, I better go dish out some crickets!

Theresa in Indy
Click to expand...

I think the original post specified best pet, not necessarily one with the least care. I enjoy taking care of my critters. But for you, that may not be so. So, maybe the 'best' pet is different for different people.
 
I agree. I love Beardies and their characters. One of the the things I like best is the idea of interaction. However, I'm realistic enough to know that I couldn't provide it. Corns are a much better fit to my lifestyle. Beardies seem to be a great pet as long as you have the same amount of time to give them as you would something like a cat.

What's "best" depends on the animal's needs, the owner's ability to meet them and what the owner is looking for in a pet.
 
Im seeing a lot of *you have to* here, and i disagree with a lot of it. But this is one of those *i do things different* situations.

Firstly, to answer your Q, i think snakes are better. BUT i do keep both snakes and leos, and i do like my leos almost as much.

All of my animals receive the same care. The exact same care. The leos are in the snake room. The leos eat once a week on the same day that the snakes do. The leos are kept at room temp just like the snakes are. Even when i had baby baby leos, they still only fed once, maybe twice a week. Its just how i roll. And no one cage is easier or harder to clean than any other.

If i travel for a week, i arrange for someone to check on them, but under no circumstances are the cages to be opened. Death is the only exception to the rule. And ive done up to 2 weeks out without having fed my geckos with no ill effects at all.

Of course all this depends on the species you would be considering. Cresteds would probably hate how i do things. Well, they can kiss my shiny metal *ss.

Now, the reason i prefer snakes is because geckos can be more fragile. Some species have easily torn skin and most of them will drop tail and run for the hills when given the chance. I dont like this at all. Snakes are more durable. However they are masters of escape.

Obviously both types of animals have their ups and downs. In the end, its your call. Please do let us know what you decide.
 
I offer my leos 12 appropriately sized crickets every 7 days. When i had hatchlings, which i hatchlinged bymyownself, i fed them 12 appropriately sized crickets twice a week. I feed 10 waxworms once or twice a month for bulk. I supply a constantly full dish of calcium powder without d3 all the time. I water them when i remember to.....

Its had been ingrained in people that these animals need to be fed often.... but they dont. The every day or every day feeders make them grow very fast. Its almost like power feeding... Oh snap... I said it.

My female ASHTCT is 17 months old right now. She weighs 50 grams. Shes healthy, active, alert, well muscled, and her tail isnt HUGE. In other words, shes perfect. And, like with all cases of not power feeding an animal, ive ensured that she will live longer and produce healthier babies than her 50 gram, 6 month old counter parts.

Stupid Borg! Ill never assimilate!
 
Hrm... I think nearly everyone else who has and cares for leos would disagree with you, especially regarding hatchling care and changing water "when [you] remember to". These animals have fast metabolisms and high nutritional needs that crickets alone barely provide when shaken calcium and fed daily, let alone weekly.
 
Well, you know, we'll just agree to disagree. Ive always done what i think works best and its been cool runnings for the past couple years now.
 
Depends on what you like. I have African Fat-tail geckos which are amazing! They are engaging and docile (except for one of my females!) I have 2.3 of them and love it. But its work. They poop alot, they eat alot, and they have to have moist bedding. But snakes are just not as engaging (Unless you want a old world rat!). But easier to care for.
 
My oldest female is 3 or 4 years old. Shes a proven breeder, though i didnt pair her with anyone this year.

I didnt really mean to get way off topic. Sorry, OP. If anyone wants to continue this via PM, id be all about it.
 
For an interactive and generally (usually) more interesting pet, I recommend lizards. (Though I haven't kept geckos.. So I may be wrong in assuming they're as friendly and interactive as my beardie.)

For an easy to care for animal that doesn't need to be fussed about, snakes win hands down.

It's all in what you prefer. I've come to prefer some interaction from my pet... It's the same reason I'm a dog person rather than a cat person. The legged reptiles tend to be more interactive ("engaging," as David put it), so they appeal to me more. As people have said, though, they ARE more work. Much more work.

Even with Leopard geckos.. If almost everyone who's posted is right, you're talking about feeding every day or two, and cleaning poo just as often. Even if Nate is right, and the care is as easy as that of a corn snake, you're still looking at maintaining a supply of live insect feeders (compared to simply stashing a bag of mice in the freezer like you would for a snake). Those insects can be a deal-breaker for many people.

The right snake can be an interesting, interactive pet, too. They just aren't usually as "aware" of you as a lizard is. Though a gecko or bearded dragon will interact with you, and register that you are a large, living creature, the average snake will either fear you or view as nothing more than a warm tree that supplies it with food on a regular basis.

The ultimate decision of which one is the best pet ultimately falls on YOU. What is the best pet for myself, or for any other poster here, may not necessarily be the best pet for you. We have given you the pros, the cons, our opinions, and our reasons for what we prefer; now it's up to you to decide which animal most appeals to your own preferences.
 
Geckos and lizards have more daily requirements, and tend to need more things for their terrariums. Snakes are also generally more accepting of being handled. Snakes are by far easier pets to keep in my opinion.
 
Well i will say i subscribe to the feed the leos every other day mentality. And my oldest male is nearing 12 years of age.. So its worked nicely for me at least. But often everyone has their own method of care so yeah.

I like beardies alot as well. I have two and there amazingly fun pets but they do require a significant more care than the geckos but they are very interactive and alot of fun.
 
On the subject of what kind of snake: Corns, obviously, are good, easy to care for snakes with generally a good temperament. They are kind of a medium activity snake. Then there are a number of boa/python species that are good choices too, Sand boa, Rosy boa & Ball python. They are very low level activity snakes, as close to a pet rock as you can get. People either love them or hate them for that. Garters are another easy to care for species. They do have a faster metabolism & unless they are being fed mice, should be fed every 4 to 5 days but they can go longer if you go on vacation. They are very fast & active snakes, again people either love them or hate them for that. But they are one of the most interactive species. They are very curious about everything. They also can be fed a diet of fish, depending on your sources that is usually cheaper than mice. And some people would have a way easier time with whole dead fish in the freezer instead of mice. Those are just a few easy to care for species in a range of temperaments, there are quite a few others I didn't list.
 
Snakes would win hands down! Specifically corn snakes. My corns are by far the easiest pet to care for that I've ever had! (Other than a pet rock:)) Alot of good points have already been mentioned: weekly feedings, weekly poop scoopings, no need for a babysitter, and less specific humidity needs, you can order mass quantities of frozen mice that keep for almost forever, frozen feeders don't smell or escape, they don't have nationwide shortages due to disease :) (like crickets). A con would be that you should house corns individually, but geckos can be housed in multiples, saving space, but allowing more animals. While all my snakes have different personalities, and interact with me, my lizards are much more interactive, so to some that would be a major bonus. I know there are a bunch of morphs of geckos, but there are an amazing variety of corn morphs to behold, and if you get a baby, it is so cool to watch them as they grow and change to their adult colors! :)
 
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