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Easy to care for lizard?

redneck

redneck

Mmmm BEER.
I was just wondering what any of you might suggest as a first time lizard.
are there any that dont require every day care?
 
Leopard geckos are a good beginners lizard, if your looking for something a little bigger, blue tongue skinks are also quite easy to look after.
 
A few pictures for you. 1st, leo. 2nd BTS.
 

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well i you want a holdy type of beginner lizard I recommend.
Bearded Dragons
Blue Tongue Skinks

Non hand holdy
Leopard Geckos, some do not like to be held, while a few do.
Fat Tail Geckos
Crested Geckos
Anoles (need a large cage though, a 20 gallon for 2, male and female)
House gecko


For the more advanced
I recommend a Mali Uromastix or Even an Egyptian Uro. Now Egyptians get big but are so cool.
 
tricksterpup said:
well i you want a holdy type of beginner lizard I recommend.
Bearded Dragons
Blue Tongue Skinks

Non hand holdy
Leopard Geckos, some do not like to be held, while a few do.
Fat Tail Geckos
Crested Geckos
Anoles (need a large cage though, a 20 gallon for 2, male and female)
House gecko


For the more advanced
I recommend a Mali Uromastix or Even an Egyptian Uro. Now Egyptians get big but are so cool.
Click to expand...

Yep, what he said...
Just remeber that anything is daily care initially.
Also decide if you want to provide the UVA/UVB lighting needed for the diurnal guys or you'd rather have a nocturnal critter.
Also evaluate the space size you have to offer and the longevity of the lizard you want to have.

Our fat tailed girls ate 10 crix a day for the first 2 months and loved to poo in her water when it was freshly changed.

We got our Rankin Beardie at 2 years old and he only needed to eat every other day and was much neater about his poos.

I must say too that our beardie kind of draws you in for attention...he will run over to the enclosure and scratch until you pick him up etc However, he sheds in bits and pieces and flakes.

Our fat tail kind of surveys the scene and delicately goes under to avoid you. Although she is very sweet when held. She sheds and eats it, no cleanup for me.

I love our lizards...Let us know what you get.
 
its going to be a little while before i get one. im just trying to figure out which one is best for me since i go out of town during the summer every month on 3 to 4 day weekends and dont know if could get any friends to take care of em.
 
redneck said:
its going to be a little while before i get one. im just trying to figure out which one is best for me since i go out of town during the summer every month on 3 to 4 day weekends and dont know if could get any friends to take care of em.
Click to expand...

I personally would wait until your life is more stable. If you are doing a lot of traveling then hold off getting any animal.
 
Just keep in mind, young bearded dragons need different care than adults as far as size of insect and temps. and should be fed veggies as well throughout their life.
I see far too many young bearded dragons that people don't care for properly due to using petco/petsmart style(overly generic) care sheets.

It is great that you are doing your research well in advance. I commend you for that!
 
Don't forget plated lizards. Care is very similar to a blue tongue skink. Although its hard to get a captive bred animal.

Snakes might be best for you though. 3 to 4 days alone would actually be beneficial to any snake. :)
 
I wouldn't call bearded dragons or uromastyxes "beginner" lizards. Both have moderately involved lighting/heating requirements, and the dragons have a semi-complex diet involving calcium-rich greens and calcium and vitamin supplementation on a several times weekly basis, not to mention the incredible quantity of live food a hatchling/juvenile consumes, daily, until it switches to an adult veg diet, if it does! A uro needs, optimally, five temperature zones. Both need two separate types of lighting, one of which, the UVB, degrades, causing replacement of expensive bulbs every six months.
 
Nanci said:
I wouldn't call bearded dragons or uromastyxes "beginner" lizards. Both have moderately involved lighting/heating requirements, and the dragons have a semi-complex diet involving calcium-rich greens and calcium and vitamin supplementation on a several times weekly basis, not to mention the incredible quantity of live food a hatchling/juvenile consumes, daily, until it switches to an adult veg diet, if it does! A uro needs, optimally, five temperature zones. Both need two separate types of lighting, one of which, the UVB, degrades, causing replacement of expensive bulbs every six months.
Click to expand...

This is correct, to also add on, the Uro has a more complex diet as well. They are vegetarians as well and require no water. They get their moisture from the fresh greens they eat.
 
Nanci said:
I wouldn't call bearded dragons or uromastyxes "beginner" lizards. Both have moderately involved lighting/heating requirements, and the dragons have a semi-complex diet involving calcium-rich greens and calcium and vitamin supplementation on a several times weekly basis, not to mention the incredible quantity of live food a hatchling/juvenile consumes, daily, until it switches to an adult veg diet, if it does! A uro needs, optimally, five temperature zones. Both need two separate types of lighting, one of which, the UVB, degrades, causing replacement of expensive bulbs every six months.
Click to expand...


What do you think about taking in an adult beardie as a first lizard?:confused:
We brought our Rankin home at about 2&1/2 years old...
and I am certain a new hatched little one would have been a far bigger challenge as far as feeding etc as you mentioned.

Our little fat tailed gecko ate like she was never full but had no UVA/B needs which helped.

If I would have read through at least some of the threads in the bearded dragon forum BEFORE bringing him home it would have made ours and his life much easier. Especially the medical and husbandry posts.
But being that he was full grown helped him weather those first couple weeks of tweeking (that should have been done BEFORE we brought him home).

The fact that we brought home our beardie and fat tail from a local reptile specialty store made a HUGE difference! The owner is very helpful and open to questions from those of us who grew up in the land of dogs and cats and do not even know the right questions to ask. Also the fact she stocks really only the necessities made a huge difference in the success as well.
 
Cam5 said:
The fact that we brought home our beardie and fat tail from a local reptile specialty store made a HUGE difference! The owner is very helpful and open to questions from those of us who grew up in the land of dogs and cats and do not even know the right questions to ask. Also the fact she stocks really only the necessities made a huge difference in the success as well.
Click to expand...

Did you get this guy from leaping lizards???
 
tricksterpup said:
Did you get this guy from leaping lizards???
Click to expand...

Hehehe, yep!
Were you the guy who brought him in with his brother?:)

We got Ickthy and Miss Mario from Jill...and quizzed her quite a bit about our Petco corn snake as well.
Here is Ickthy enjoying is 'hot tub' during a shed:)

June2007029.jpg
 
Cam5 said:
Hehehe, yep!
Were you the guy who brought him in with his brother?:)

We got Ickthy and Miss Mario from Jill...and quizzed her quite a bit about our Petco corn snake as well.
Here is Ickthy enjoying is 'hot tub' during a shed:)
Click to expand...

Sadly no, but I remember the guy at the shop, he was there for a wee bit.

off topic here, she is by far one of best shops to go to due to the fact she doesn't sell you stuff you do not need and she knows her animals.
 
Cam5 said:
What do you think about taking in an adult beardie as a first lizard?:confused:
Click to expand...

Well, you have no guarantee that the adult is going to actually eat greens. Mine didn't. She still only takes in a microscopic amount, at a whim, even though they are offered every day.

An adult is likely to have a big parasite load of worms and coccidia. The vet can correct that, but it's going to add $100-$200 to the initial cost.

An adult (or baby for that matter) is nearly guaranteed to carry adenovirus- although with an otherwise healthy adult, at least you know it made it through childhood.

But it's going to be a big sturdy lizard with a definable personality. If you handle an adult at a show and it is calm and quiet, chances are you aren't going to end up with a "mean" one when you get it home.

I knew about the basic set up and diet I would need to provide for Isabel when I bought her, but I had no idea about the health issues. Still- I don't for a moment regret buying that particular lizard, now that I have her. Starting from scratch, I might just go with an adult or sub adult uro- I think despite the hot temps and bigger space requirements, they just have fewer potential complications. People who have both claim they are just as cool, personality-wise, as dragons.
 
Nanci said:
Well, you have no guarantee that the adult is going to actually eat greens. Mine didn't. She still only takes in a microscopic amount, at a whim, even though they are offered every day.

An adult is likely to have a big parasite load of worms and coccidia. The vet can correct that, but it's going to add $100-$200 to the initial cost.

An adult (or baby for that matter) is nearly guaranteed to carry adenovirus- although with an otherwise healthy adult, at least you know it made it through childhood.

But it's going to be a big sturdy lizard with a definable personality. If you handle an adult at a show and it is calm and quiet, chances are you aren't going to end up with a "mean" one when you get it home.

I knew about the basic set up and diet I would need to provide for Isabel when I bought her, but I had no idea about the health issues. Still- I don't for a moment regret buying that particular lizard, now that I have her. Starting from scratch, I might just go with an adult or sub adult uro- I think despite the hot temps and bigger space requirements, they just have fewer potential complications. People who have both claim they are just as cool, personality-wise, as dragons.
Click to expand...

If obtained as an adult is the parasite load from just housing under stress at the pet store that inhibits their systems allowing the load to increase?
Our guy eats nothing but moving worms...apparently the Rankins are not as veggie centered though anyway:shrugs:But they are always offered on the chance he goes for it one of these days...I would never have thought the Uro to be as good a choice...good to know...for future reference:)

Yeah, the vet we go to is $60- to walk in the door. But the vet we went to before was an houir away and not as available etc.
 
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