Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a 5 year old daughter that is interested in reptiles. I was looking at some at the local pet shop. Ofcourse they had snakes and geckos. I don't think a leo would be a good idea for her. Because she wants to be able to hold whatever she gets, and I hate having to buy crickets all the time. She had WC anoles and I got tired quickly of the crickets and misting. I live in New Mexico and I don't want an elaborate system. My wife didn't like all the misting I had to do for the anoles. Are uro's good for a FATHER and daughter? If yes, How big does the cage have to be? I don't have the space for a very large cage. If you think this is not the one for a beginner. What would be good? It needs to be able to be held by a small girl(with supervision), not need crickets, or a large area.

Uro's are wonderful creatures that can be handled and are normally most pleasant. However, they can be wriggly and get away from you if they decide to dart away.

I personally also feel that a 5 yo is way too young to handle any reptile mostly in fear of her contracting seminella(sp?). they are more at risk the younger they are. But thats just my opinion. I have a 7 yo that I STILL do not permit to touch my reptiles just to be safe.

But other than that, depending on what kind of uro you get will depend on the size of the enclosure. a Mali for example would need approx. a 4x2x2 enclosure. you will need a UV lamp, heat lamp (which gets excessively hot!!) and all the fixings for inside like a hide area, food dishes, etc. (maybe you have some from your other reptiles)

Your looking at a very long time having this pet (can live 10 years) for a small child that may lose interest as she grows.

Just some thoughts....
good luck in whatever you decide!

Renee has a point about diseases contracted by reptiles. The wise thing to do is... write this on your daughter's forehead. "Wash hands after holding the lizard". No, but really if you're going to let small children handle reptiles, make sure you do wash your hands every single time you even touch the thing. Get Germ X or something, hand sanitizer.

Anyway, I'm sitting here thinking about other reptiles I have besides a uromastyx, and the only thing fit that I have that is under 2 feet is a bearded dragon... but you have to feed those crickets or mealworms, and greens. What's the problem with feeding crickets? In the long run, not to discourage you, you're looking at spending a pretty penny on the care for your uromastyx, the enclosure, food, lighting, the uromastyx itself, vet visits if you ever need one.

What.. exactly are you looking for?

I would recommend, a crested gecko, they require a smaller setup than a uromastyx and don't need a heat lamp or UVB.
There is now a formulated diet available for them, so you don't have to get crickets, but they do require daily misting. They tolerate handling well. Checkout the Rhacodactylus forum for more info.
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Adam - 0.0 African Sidenecked, 0.1 Redfoot, 0.1 Sulcatta, 1.0 Western Hognose, 1.0 Crested Gecko

I would recommend a leopard gecko. I have 2 and they tolerate handling exceptionally well. Also they dont need to be fed crickets (you can feed them mealworms) and don't require misting. Take a look around the leo forum and check them out.

Also check out what was said before about crested geckos they are a good choice too

Leo Forum- http://forums.kingsnake.com/forum.php?catid=50

Crested Gecko Forum- http://forums.kingsnake.com/forum.php?catid=49

Just a thought
-Eric-

Hello, I would think if you want a reptile that is nice to children, very tame, nice coloured, you must look for a bearded dragon. You can give them endive, and all sorts of plants, vegetables, fruit, and also grasshoppers, pinky's, different worms, but you can look at our site. I have written him in english too. I've made it for kids with a cartoon, pictures of the animals, the enclosure (terrarium) a lot of information about the heat, the food, so take a look, and will you let me know what you've decided. Our URL is www.baardagamen.com
Greetings from Marion from Holland
Bearded dragons, but than different