First, I would start off with getting some books. If both pet stores are exotic animal stores, they should carry a book specifically on bearded dragons. I know there is at least one book on them (I have it somewhere around here). If I recall it correctly, it is thin and brown. There is also a Savannah Monitor book by Daniel Bennett and Ravi Thakoordyal that is very good. It is called The Savannah Monitor Lizard: The Truth About Varanus exanthematicus. You and your daughter should both read those books. Neither is really all that long, and both have information that can help you better understand what type of committment you are taking with each animal. Even at 12, she should have no problem understanding the books, and you can make getting the animal contingent upon her reading both books. If she cannot commit to reading two books first, then that will probably give you an indication of her commitment to the animal (and a gauge as to how much YOU will be caring for it).



As a quick comparison, you should know that a healthy savannah monitor is going to cost A LOT in food and your only real option there will be mice, lots of mice. Savannahs will need a much larger enclosure than a bearded dragon. An upset savannah can be a handful and bite very hard. A bearded dragon will eat less food and probably be cheaper in the food department. A bearded dragon can live comfortably in a much smaller enclosure than a savannah monitor. Beardeds can and do bite sometimes, but I have not seen any nasty beardie bites (not saying they do not exist, but I have never seen one).
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^x^ Bloodbat ^x^

Monitors, monitors everywhere

and all the food they ate.

Monitors, monitors everywhere,

their parents loved to mate.

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