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Easy to handle geckos/lizards

Shade

Shade

Attack Iguana
I'm looking into some sort of lizard or gecko for my next herp, and was wondering if anyone can suggest something that's relatively easy to handle, in between leopard gecko and bearded dragon sized, and can be kept relatively easily by a moderately experience reptile keeper. I'm not interested in a bearded dragon or a leopard gecko.

Thanks,
Jake
 
Crested Gecko OR a blue-tongued skink. The latter may get a bit larger than your average beardie, but they are great pets.
 
^Ditto.
-Cresties are really cute (we have many at the store I work in, they curl up like puppies to sleep) and can get really tame. Did I mention they're really cute :D
-Skinks are very,very cool, they hiss and put up a fuss when you first start handling, but it's all show.
-Chinese water dragons need a bit more husbandry-wise. but they have great personality and are easy to handle.
-Tokay Geckos are my fave, really low-maintanence, absolutely gorgeous colouring (blue/gray with orange spots sometimes) BUT have a nasty attitude, will open thier mouth to nip you if you hand goes in the enclosure, and when they bite they let go *when they want to* ( They're from SE Asia and Vietnam Vets call the F*** You-Lizards lmao)

Good luck, and post pics :D
 
I'd looked into cresties, I think they're the coolest little things I've ever seen, but I read that you're not really supposed to handle them much. Any truth to that?
 
Shade said:
I'd looked into cresties, I think they're the coolest little things I've ever seen, but I read that you're not really supposed to handle them much. Any truth to that?
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Most Geckos fall under that, these are more look at pets than hold me love me pets. I keep Cresties and Leopards both and I enjoy them but I do not hold them. These animals do best when they are viewed and not held. Holding stresses the animals out and best to keep in a nice cage to be viewed.
The lizards I recommend to be held are the larger beefier guys, blue tongue skinks and Bearded Dragons.
 
I would suggest perhaps a Plated Lizard. Depending on species, they stay in the 18"-30" inch range, eat insects, as well as fruits and veggies, and are very easy to handle. I have on I purchased actually this weekend(named paladin). He's a Blacklined Plated Lizard, and is at just about gotta little growing left to go, at about, 15". Plus when they hiss its this really odd metal on metal high pitch squeal/squeak. The only problem is that they are mostly WC.
 
Right now I'm looking into Club-Tailed iguanas. I saw one at the pet store I 'work' at and I thought it was pretty cool. They're supposed to stay at around 18 inches, tops. The problem is that there are like, four care sheets on the entire internet.

Anyone have some information on these guys that they'd be willing to share?
 
Have you considered a Berber skink? They're a nice sized lizard, but in my experience are friendly and hardy. There's also plenty of information about them.

I think they may also be known as a Schneiders skink :) Good luck!
 
Shade said:
Right now I'm looking into Club-Tailed iguanas. I saw one at the pet store I 'work' at and I thought it was pretty cool. They're supposed to stay at around 18 inches, tops. The problem is that there are like, four care sheets on the entire internet.

Anyone have some information on these guys that they'd be willing to share?
Click to expand...
I would stay away from these.. If there is no information on the animal then do not buy it. It means this animal is rare in the industry. All iguanas are hard to care for animals. they require special foods and diets. There is no skimping on the food and care. And the care for them is Costly. I would wait until you have more experience under your belt with anything in the iguana family.
 
I've heard that mountain horned dragons are usually laid back when being handled. But they're often wild caught and they have some specific care requirements.

Rankin's dragons (also known as Lawson's dragons) are like a miniature bearded dragon. I saw some at a show that were extremely handleable.
 
And what about chameleons? I know that they have both uromastyx and Jackson's Chameleons at Petsmart
 
Abcat1993 said:
And what about chameleons? I know that they have both uromastyx and Jackson's Chameleons at Petsmart
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I would go to say these are more for more experienced herpers. Chameleons are very touchy and require lots of care. Uromastyx require lots of heat, special diets and no water. Yep, these guys get all of their water from fresh vegies. :)
But Abcat, these are some great choices though for a pet, just needs some experience with them.
 
try a DAY GECKO.

There amazing, bright green with red spots on the back, they do need UV, but i are fine to be handled, and are very interesting in the viv, being wall climbers.
 
I know they're big and require a large vivarium, and they need a specialized diet, but other than that do Black and White Tegus require anything more specific that you would say a moderately skilled keeper couldn't provide?

At the moment I'm looking at either a Tegu, some Crested Geckos (That I'd have to restrain myself from holding), or a collared lizard. But I've got until this summer to decide.
 
I have three Cresteds that I handle at least once a week. They are pretty hardy. Sometimes you end up with a flighty one *cough*Raptor*cough* :rolleyes: , but Nimrod just crashes on my arm while I'm on the computer. He's my mellow guy. Baby is still a little flighty because she's young. Once you've held her for a few minutes though she settles right down.

Raptor
IMG_0884.jpg


Nimrod
IMG_0903.jpg


Baby
IMG_8703.jpg
 
TWGarland said:
try a DAY GECKO.

There amazing, bright green with red spots on the back, they do need UV, but i are fine to be handled, and are very interesting in the viv, being wall climbers.
Click to expand...
Actually this is wrong information on them. They are not a hand holdy pet either, I would rather hold my leopards or Cresties all the time. The skin on the Day geckos is delicate and can rip if held wrong. You should never hold a Day gecko unless its necessary.
 
Besides which, day geckos (at least in the wild) are pretty darned fast. They're not going to hang out with you, which means you're going to really have to hang onto them, which, as has been noted, is not great for geckos.

Also, from what I've read, most Chameleons are easily stressed by handling, and their care is pretty intensive with maintaining proper temps, humidity, feeding, and fresh air.
 
ramanth said:
I have three Cresteds that I handle at least once a week. They are pretty hardy. Sometimes you end up with a flighty one *cough*Raptor*cough* :rolleyes: , but Nimrod just crashes on my arm while I'm on the computer. He's my mellow guy. Baby is still a little flighty because she's young. Once you've held her for a few minutes though she settles right down.

Raptor
IMG_0884.jpg


Nimrod
IMG_0903.jpg


Baby
IMG_8703.jpg
Click to expand...

Woah. I didn't realize they got that big. Thank you for posting that.
 
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