Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My 12 year old daughter wants a pet reptile. We have never had one and don't know anything about them. There are 2 local pet shops that sell them, one suggested a bearded dragon the other suggested a savanna monitor. My daughter has held both of them at the shops and liked them both. Which is the better choice for a beginner?

np

Never heard of it. Why?

I work at a pet shop and wouldnt even think of selling a 12 year old any kind of monitor... Your talking about a large lizard here....And whenever we get a sav in thats calm enough to be held...we take it to a vet..its probably sick, haha

The anole was mentioned because its often looked at as a disposable pet....its not, and i dont recommend at all getting one...

If she wants a reptile you are gonna be the one taking care of it...buying dozens of crickets every week, giving it the proper vegetation, and making sure its all dusted with miner-all or some other vitamin/calcium supplement. Not to mention they do grow pretty fast and when discussing enclosures for these species your talking feet not gallons.. SMALL ENCLOSURES DO NOT MAKE FOR A SMALLER LIZARD...(well...unless its thin and dying)

Of the two I would say a bearded dragon but before you buy you need to read....alot.....Know absolutely everything about the living being that your getting and if you go to the pet shop and he doesnt know what hes talking about, then do not buy from them. Sketchy shops have sketchy employees that are only interested in a sale and will tell you millions of lies to get one. There are countless breeders online that sell great animals which you will be much happier with in the long run. Whatever route you take, you should find a reptiles/exotic vet nearby that you can have him checked out at as soon as possible after purchase.

Annnnndddddddd,
Alot of the kids I see that want a pet reptile are more interested in the novelty of it, with a few exceptions. Make sure your daughter is mature enough to realize that it does need to thermoregulate and this isnt something she can walk around all day with on her shoulder.
..end rant..
Im sure someone else will add to this...let us know if you have other questions...

I agree, you definitley should do a bunch of research before you get a herp.

I think a leopard gecko would make a good pet for your daughter, but like what was mentioned before, you'll probably end up being the one taking care of the animal.

joe

I agree 100% with NOT getting the monitor. You have no idea what you would be getting into and there seems to be a lot of problems with the poor savs in regards to health and longevity in captivity. I managed a pet shop years ago (reptiles were not IN at the time, it was ferrets) and watched many kids pleading with their parents for a pet that they swore they would take care of. A great many of these same parents/kids brought the animal back after a few months because they were bored with it and the parents really didn't want it in the first place. Only buy what YOU are willing to care for long term. I would also suggest a leopard gecko. They are cute, docile and fairly easy keepers. Even if your daughter tires of it, you probably won't mind taking care of it. Large reptiles = large food/care bills and lots of time. I spend hours daily caring for my group, but they are mine and I chose them, I love them, and I am an adult. I have 5 kids so know how they work you over. Please take the time to thoroughly research any pet you are interested in before you purchase it. Best of luck to you and your daughter in choosing a rewarding pet.

Pam

what substrate are you using for your ackie. Ive just bought one myself.

Thanks

Thanks for you're reply. Both petshops I have been dealing with are locally owned and specialize in exotic pets. I already have a vet who has been recomended. You're statement about me being the one to care for the pet is my main concern also. She will be buying the pet and its enclosure, etc.. with her own money however the ongoing cost may be more than she can handle. The savanna she held is 4 years old and belongs to the petstores son so it is handled alot, I guess thats why it is so tame. She liked that it was big but if there is a chance of it becoming hard to handle its out of the question. We still have alot of thinking to do.
Thanks

An adequate enclosure for an adult savanna monitor will end up costing between $500 and $1000. It will take up as much floor space as a large sofa or dinner table. Savannas need a deep substrate for burrowing, this will involve haling about half a ton to a ton of dirt into the enclosure. If you end up with unsuitable dirt (not all dirt is the same) you will need to haul all that dirt out and naul in more (hopefully better) dirt all over again. The water dish for an adult monitor will be large, I use cat litter pans or concrete mixing troughs. This will be heavy and changing a big heavy sloshing pan of water stinky with monitor feces is quite a chore. All this is a lot of work for a 12 year old child.

On top of this, savanna monitors tend to do poorly in captivity. They seem to thrive at first, and then keel over dead at three to four years of age from various problems with their internal organs (wild savannas can live a decade or more). Also, the books on keeping savanna monitors that are sold at pet stores all suck. Keep them like the authors of those books recommend and your lizard will languish and slowly die, never getting the chance to really be the monitor it was meant to be. The only good book is "Savanna monitors: the truth about Varanus exanthematicus" by Bennett and Thakoordyal, but you have to order this from specialty stores.

Myself, I would recommend starting with a leopard gecko. These stay conveniently small, are docile, and are hardy and easy to care for. Bearded dragons get larger and require more work (with regards to lighting, heat, and food), but are also hardy and docile. A bearded dragon would be a second choice if leopard geckos are impossible for you to find (unlikely, you can order quality leopard geckos directly from the breeder over the internet these days although shipping may be a problem this time of year depending on where you live).

Good luck,

Luke

I definntly wouldnt get a savannah ive had my savannah for about 4 months and during that time ive probly spent $500 dollars on food alone not to mention vet bill,cageing,and electricy and all the other stuff ive spent on him.My sav was so exspensive but i loved him so much that i had to sell a some of my herps.I would recomend a leopard gecko that was the first herp i ever had and he was so awsome and tame never had any problems with him.

Thanks for the reply. I keep hearing about the leopard gecko. I definatly have to check this out.

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.