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Lizards? Opinions? explanations?

Vicic17

Vicic17

New member
Hey guys, Today I inherited a 30 gallon tank (designed for a lizard of sorts) with a cork board and some minor 'viv' for decoration, so i've decided i'd like a lizard. The local place i deal with has some very nice lizards/geckos and i narrowed it down to 3, my top 3 choices are, Chameleon, Crested Gecko and tokay lizard. I was just wondering, your opinion and why, as well as why you think your choice is superior to the other 2. Just a little information, i am not buying a lizard to have a lovey dovey companion or anything like that, i will very rarely be handling it, (that's what my lovely snakes are for) so a lizard that may be more aggressive would not scare me off, (any suggestions other than the 3 welcome) my lizard would be simply to fill this tank as well as make the reptile room more complete :)

thanks all!
 
I'd get a crestie if I were you. If you've never had a lizard before, they are one of the easier ones. I would also recommend an agama (search my threads for pictures), however they are harder to find sometimes. Leopard geckos are easier than cresteds but aren't much on climbing. I think tokays are more difficult and not for beginners.

Iguanas, water dragons, and beardies will be too large for a 30 gallon. Monitors are a no-no as they are for more advanced. Anoles are pretty easy. Blue Tongued Skinks probably won't fit either. Some websites say that chameleons are easy, but I think they're too fragile for beginners and it's the reason I don't personally have one.

These are my thoughts. Others should be able to give more advice. I've only owned beardies, chinese water dragons, agamas, and leopard geckos, so can only give advice on these (and very little at that).
 
Do you by chance know how a tokay is more difficult? I know they are nasty little buggers sometimes, but it's not something that i'd be handling a lot it's more for looks and to complete a room and fill an empty tank, or does the difficulty go beyond the behaviour of the reptile and more into the housing etc??
 
I'd agree with Halley, in that if it is your first lizard I'd probably go for the crested gecko out of the 3. From what I understand with chameleons (I don't really know that much about them) they need a fairly large enclosure with lots of ventilation, and are pretty sensitive and stress easily. I don't know much at all about tokays except that (from what I hear) they tend to be more aggressive.

Either way, I'd just be sure to research whatever you plan on looking at possibly getting.
 
First lizard? Don't be trying to shove something in a 30 gallon tank just because you've got it. Put one of your active and healthy snakes in it instead. Still want a lizard? Start small and easy, then work up to something good that you can take care of that will love the 30 gal tank.
 
oh i guess i should have mentioned, in the past i had 3 leopard geckos (sold them to my friend when i moved) as well as looked after a beardie for almost a year
 
Well, according to my all-powerful Lizards book by Russ Case, the basics I listed before are "beginner" lizards. I was doing it from memory while eating dinner. Also according to the book, Tokays can climb walls and can grow up to 30 cm in length (12 inches). They are touchy and often ready to bite. They bite hard. It also says to "leave them to the gecko experts, the ones who wear gloves (page 99)".

Day geckos are also on the "not for beginners" list. As are Uromastyx.

What do you think about anoles? I used to catch them when I lived in North Carolina. They are flighty and may bite, but it usually doesn't hurt to much. The only down side is that they are quick!
 
A chameleon should ideally be in a screen tank, and a tokay will outgrow the 30. A crestie will stay a perfect size and be great for handling(should you want to) as well as a nice display animal. That would be my first pick.

Plus, my tokay gecko was NOISY. He barked all night long. That was definitely part of why I returned him. I could not sleep a full night with him in the house, LoL.
 
Anoles make great starting lizards, if you don't care about handling. I really enjoyed the pair I had and they became relatively hand tame because I handled them all the time... but they were flighty and the male dropped his tail at me once which was creepy.
 
Out of the three originally listed, I'm going to agree with the consensus of Crested gecko, for reasons already listed. Also, from what I understand, Tokays are MEAN little suckers. Not just "will bite," but "wear leather gloves, grab fast, and transfer to a tub as quick as possible on cleaning day because it will attack!" Don't forget you have to handle it/them on cleaning day, even if you don't handle them otherwise.

Anyway, if you go for the anoles as recently suggested, keep in mind that they have many more requirements than the nocturnal geckos (leopards) you're used to and are otherwise considering (cresteds). They need UVB light, just like any bearded dragon or other diurnal lizard. This is vital to their health, and can cost upwards of $30 or so for a bulb. It should be a strong consideration in what lizard you get, as it's a "life or death" enclosure accessory for many lizard species.

Good luck with whichever you choose!
 
A cham is NOT a beginner pet. They need special enclosures and stress very easily, as well as having relatively short lives. I would go with a crested because they don't usually need supplemental heat and can be fed on a pre-packaged diet, no insects necessary if they squick you (like they can me... I like inverts but fruit flys and mealworms are NASTY things).
 
Kokopelli said:
Leopard geckos are wonderful and easy to care for.
Click to expand...
+1 but they aren't big climbers so maybe a 30g tall isn't the best setup for them. It could work, but it'd waste a lot of that tank's potential. Have you considered another snake? I know I'm always pushing the rosy boas but it's because they're just the greatest snakes I've ever personally met, and they would definitely enjoy a little room to climb. You could even get fancy and make a very naturalistic desertscape viv for them.
 
Pfft, empty tank syndrome is a serious illness, and the fastest treatment is a new friend to occupy said tank. :)
 
Although I have only had a leopard gecko and a blue tongue skink and have never had any of those 3 species I would still say go for the crested.
And not from a pet store either, I don't like pet stores....
If it were me it would be a crested from Becky! (she is a member here and breeds them, knows much more than any pet shop would, and you would get to see pics of the parents and know the background of your new baby)
 
Good point Beth! Does Becky live in Canada though? I personally don't know if there are rules for shipping from US to Canada so the OP might want to check that as well.
 
pridecity said:
Good point Beth! Does Becky live in Canada though? I personally don't know if there are rules for shipping from US to Canada so the OP might want to check that as well.
Click to expand...

Ack, didn't think of that!!
Wait a sec...no...I think Becky is from here!
 
Well the local guy i deal with for everything breeds most of his own reptiles, its his career and his passion, i know for a fact he breeds all his snakes, i'm going to find out about his lizards though. I may possibly end up finding out about ordering, we'll see :) thanks for the input i've decided on a tokay gecko.. or a big @$$ monitor.. lol joking, im gonna get a crestie :) can they cohab? generally i like to have pairs :p but if cohabbings an issue then ill stick to one
 
Male cresteds can't be housed together. Male & female, the male will be constantly trying to breed the female, sometimes to the point of causing them both to stop eating & you will get eggs. Some people do keep all year round breeding groups together though. My understanding is that most keepers don't agree with doing that. Females can usually be kept together but sometimes one female will turn out to be a bully & need to be separated from the other one. You just have to watch them & be prepared to separate them if they need to be. FWIW my vote would be for the cresteds as well.
 
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