Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am 12 years old and I would like to get a reptile as a pet. Does anyone have a suggestiong as to what would make a good starter reptile? Bearded dragon, gecko, or ???

I would say the most important factor is what animal interests you, and then find out as much about that species as you can so you are educated on its needs. If you research like you are now you will be much happier with whatever decision you make. My first "pet" herp was an amel cornsnake and my interest has grown to multiple species from there.

-John

If you're talking lizards, the down side with Leopard Geckos is that they are nocturnal. This greatly reduces the acceptable interaction time. Blue Tongue Skinks make good pets but they hide a lot. Personally I think Beardies make the best reptile pet. They are friendly, durable and active. Just keep in mind that the cost of necessary supplies and care vastly exceeds the cost of the animal. Uromastyx are my 2nd favorite, but their care is a little more challenging.

I would put in my vote for a california kingsnake........they can be tame, easy to setup and care for.........easy to breed, inexpesive and come in a variety of colors/morphs/phases.

I would rather see someone start with something a bit on the easy side and find they really enjoy it and then work their way into other reptiles/lizards.

Beardeds make great pets, but at 12 years old without assistance from parents(which Im not sure if you have or not) they can be costly and involved to setup the right way.

If you do have the support of your parents then I would look at some geckos, beardeds, ball pythons, boas, etc........it all depends what you want.

Leopard Geckos are very easy to maintain and beautiful. If you are interested in snakes I think corn snakes are the way to go. There are so many different morphs and most are docile with handling and not only that they're feeding response isn't as bad as some other snakes. Bearded Dragons are wonderful but I agree that the set up cost is higher to get started but well worth the investment as they are very personable. Doing lots of research and getting all your supplies b/f the arrival of a reptile that most interests you is very important.

There are many good starter reptiles available but to be honest, what you really need to do is answer the following questions yourself"

1: Money. How much money do you have available now to pay for your new pet? Don't just think of the initial purchase cost of the animal. Unless you are going for high end morphs, the cost of the animal is far less than it costs to properly house and care for it.

Don't just think of what it needs right now...but also think of what it needs once full grown. A baby bearded dragon is fine in a 20 gal tank with a small UVB bulb and heat lamp, basic log for basking spot etc. But 6 months later he will need his adult cage. There is also the cost of feeding as well.

2: Time. How much time do you have to spend with your new pet daily? How long do you expect to be caring for your new pet to ensure its happiness and health for its entire life? Fortunately most reptiles don't require alot of 'people' time, unlike a dog who needs regularly walks, attention etc. Most reptile are more than happy not to see you at all except to feed them. But some interaction is require to ensure they are healthy and thriving, ensure they are being fed enough and their cages cleaned etc. Thus you do need to spend at least 10 minutes a day preparing food and feeding them.

3: Socializing. How much time do you want to 'socialize' with your pet? Most reptiles don't need nor require much human interaction. They almost all respond to us in some way and don't mind gentle handling for short periods of time. If you are hoping for a lizard which will sit hours on your lap while you watch tv or play your Wii or playstation, reptiles probably not the best choice for you. However short periods of having them out is fine. Some reptiles enjoy being out of their cages and exploring and being handled than others, even within species that typical do enjoy this activity.

4: WOW Factor. What impresses you the most about a given reptile? There are many kinds of reptiles available in the pet trade now and many are extremely fascinating but often the biggest and worse to have as a beginner reptile are often the cheapest to buy. We can tell you a corn snake or gecko is best, but if you find it boring, it is not the pet for you. But keep in mind that the cool little green iguana or even the dwarf reticulated python...grow into very big animals with very demanding needs.

5: What are your capabilities? As you mentioned, you are 12 years old. To some, they may think you are too young, not responsible enough and other such rubbish. To me, only you know yourself. Will you get bored fast with a pet reptile? Do you assume you can do anything, but find you often overestimate your capabilities? (not just in skill or talent..sometimes we have that but lack something else..such as space, money, family support etc.) If you build your own cage, do you have access to tools? Somebody to help you with power tools etc? Even somebody to pay the $100 for all the material to make that perfect 5'x2'x2 cage for your new pet once it outgrows the 35 gallon tank? If Mom told you any reptile has to be kept in your room...but your room makes Harry Potter's cupboard under the stairs seem like a luxury apartment, how can you fit a huge cage in there?

Once all these questions are answered then you will have a better understanding what you would like to have and what you can afford/logically keep healthy and happy.

Some guidelines. If you have limited space and funds for an adult cage...several gecko species are a good choice. Many don't require anything bigger than 12"x12"x16" as an adult cage size for one or two adults. (depending if the species is arboreal or terrestrial, the longest side may be length or height). Nearly all gecko species except those known as 'day geckos' are nocturnal. Day Geckos are well, active during the day. Geckos also comprise the most varied and beautiful lizards I have seen.

In geckos that I am familiar with, the kinds that make good starter lizards would be: crested geckos, gargoyle geckos and leopard geckos. Out of the three the most easily kept and cheapest to keep would be crested geckos.

You can keep these geckos in a simple sterlite container (about 58quarts) with paper towel as a substrate and assorted fake plants and wooden dowels or PVC pipes cut to fit and leaned against the sides or fixed via bolts through the sides of the container. Or you can buy one of many arboreal style acrylic and glass cages with front opening doors designed for geckos available now.

Crested geckos are quite comfortable in temperatures which are typical for most households, temps ranging between 70-78F is ideal. Thus if your home rarely drops below 65F at night or rises above 84F during the day, you could keep crested geckos without any additional heat (too high temps can kill these geckos so definitely move them to cooler areas of the house if your interior temperature often stays over 80F). They are nocturnal however so you can only really see them in the evenings. They also tolerate gentle handling but care must be taken not to grab them by their tails and make sure they don't jump and fall from a height.

Other easy lizards to keep which require more space as adults, are bearded dragons and blue tongue skinks. Both need large cages, 4'x2' of floor space and up to 2' of height (for dragons. skinks are fine with heights of 16-18". Both are very alert and interact with their owners..and do make great pets. Both are omnivorous (eat both vegetation and insects) but for the most part, have a calm demeanor and tolerate handling well.

Another poster did mention blue tongues tend to hide alot..and that is true but I find it isn't hard to get them to come out just by talking by their cages or even opening their cage door. I have two and both will come out within a few minutes if I call them, especially if I open the door to their cage. They are very curious and responsive to their owners. Once outside their cages, they flick their bright blue tongues and are eager to explore. I think blue tongues often get over looked in the pet trade.

Both blue tongues and bearded dragons will need heating and UVB light provided, which does make their care a bit more involved and expensive but once everything is set up, its very easy to maintain. (there are many who think blue tongue skinks don't need UVB light at all but I provide it anyway...it doesn't hurt them).

Snakes: There are many good beginner snakes available and their needs are different than lizards in many ways. Most don't need any UVB or even regular daylight. Many do fine with just what light gets into their cage from the room they are in. Most do well in shoebox and sweater box sized plastic containers with an undertank heater (set up on a rheostat, thermostat or dimmer switch) to ensure it doesn't get too hot. The most trickiest part is getting the undertank heater and thermostat set up.

Good beginner snakes that are generally calm and tolerate handling well and don't grow to unmanageable sizes can be any of the following: Corn snakes, many rat snakes (excluding old world rat snakes), milksnakes and kingsnakes, ball pythons, children's pythons, red tailed boas, sand boas, and rosy boas.

Researching these animals by reading care sheets, reading past posts in the various forums, (here is the Bearded Dragon Forum but we have forums for most common species of reptile pets.) using Google to search for care sheets and reading through them...will help you decide which reptile appeals to you the most and fits with you.

A few other points to remember is most lizards can live anywhere between 5-20 years with geckos being more longer lived...but not always so. Snakes live pretty much 10-25 years on average. So do keep in mind that if you buy a pet, you do have to consider you will be keeping it for the rest of its life. If you cannot keep it for long, try and find local rescues or reptile groups where you can find it a new home when you no longer can care for it. Do not release the animal into the wild. Be a responsible pet owner.

I didn't touch on Amphibians or turtles/tortoises... for the most part these reptiles are more difficult than lizards and snakes in general...aquatic and semi-aquatic turtles (red ear sliders, musk, mud, box turtles, painted turtles etc) means more cage care requirements (water, filtration, a haul out area for basking etc) and many species do live 40 years or more and grow fairly large and thus, need lots of space. Tortoises, very long lived and most do best in outdoor enclosures than indoors. Amphibians...require a humid well ventilated cage and are not really designed to be touched or handled in any way. They can fall quickly to various bacteria and fungal infections if their cage conditions are not ideal. Thus I don't' really consider them good for a beginner. That doesn't mean a beginner cannot keep either type successfully...as there are many in both categories who are much easier to keep than others.
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PHLdyPayne

Get a cat that way if you get bored of it after a couple years all you have to do is change the litter box once a week and add food and water as they run out. Lizards are a lot of work with the heating. If you get a nice setup and take the time at the start it can be easy. Though the cost is crazy high and you end up like Bdlvr on here with like 100 beardies all over your house becuase you get carried away quickly. A cat is the way to go for sure! lol jk do the research make sure your parents understand what it takes and make sure they are willing to help. Crickets are loud and can be smelly. No parents want roaches in their house. The diferent kinds of worms are hard to manage for just one lizard. Its a lot of work but if you feel your up to 10 years of it good luck!