Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been seriously thinking about getting some sort of reptile, but everyone I talk to has a different suggestion for what to get. I've done a lot of research on a few different animals, but I would still like some suggestions on what would make a good first reptile. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Pretty much depends on what your interested to work with. Whats your budget? How many space & time do you have to devote to your pet? One good pet (and i think pretty much people agree on this) is the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius). Others include :

Snakes > feeding bout once a week, depending size, age, & species sex (if its pregnant), not for the squirmish : Ball pythons, african brown house snakes, corn snakes

Lizards > feeding bout every other day, varies depending on age, size, and species sex (if its pregnant) : Besides leopards, blue tongues (if you are ready to devote more space and money), bearded dragons

Turts & torts > kinda messy (especially aquatic turtles), need bigs enclosures, but are quick to recognize their keepers (and personally, i think they're totaly cute too ^^) : RES (Red Eared Sliders), box turts, some tortoises (the turt forum can help ^^)

Amphibians > i'm no expert, but fairly small enclosures, feeding same as lizards, some are realy2 tiny, meaning smalles food items. consider them more of a display animal : Whites tree frog, Axolotl's, japanese fire bellied newts, oriental fire belly toads (careful, some amphibians are poisonous)

For all, i recomend CB (captive bred) animals, wich adjust better to captivity. Never forget to quarantine any new animal vet checks (make sure the vet is expirienced with reptiles), vitamin mineral supplements, especialy for insectivores and herbivores. For more info, there are some care guide books on the market. Good luck with your choice
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My "babies" :
1.0.0 Indo BTS (Tiliqua gigas gigas)
0.0.1 Rainbow skinks (Mabuya multifasciata)
1.0.2 RES (Trachemys scripta elegans)
0.0.3 Amboina box turtles (Cuora amboinensis)
1.0.0 Chinese softshell (Trionyx sinensis)
1.0.0 Asian leaf turtle (Cyclemys dentata)
1.0.0 Leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius)
And still growing...

I am sure that you've gotten a TON of suggestions because we're all enthusiastic about whatever we keep! A few suggestions--

Firstly, make a list about what you want to get out of keeping a reptile. Some folks are allergic to fur, so they get very interactive reptiles (to "fill in" for a cat, for example). Some want to learn about different parts of the world through the herps they keep. Some like going out in the field, and they keep herps native to their region. Some people are as much about building display vivariums out of live plants as they are about raising their reptiles. Some people works nights, so they raise nocturnal animals that will be awake when they are.

There are a lot of reasons to keep herps. Think hard about what you want YOUR particular pet to be like. This will help you narrow down the traits you want. All that matters is that you and the herp's requirements are a good fit.

as for individual animals--

I don't consider Ball Pythons to be the cat's meow when it comes to beginner herps. There are too many wild caught stressed animals available, and they are notorious for feeding problems. As adults, many do seasonal fasts, which can panic newer keepers. I love bearded dragons, but I want to point out they need lots of lighting and space. They are incredibly personable though.

I like the smaller colubrids like Western hognose, milksnakes, and kingsnakes. If you like the look and personality of monitors, try an ackie; they don't get prohibitively large. If you want small lizards that don't take much space, desert lizards like leopard geckos or viper geckos are awesome. Non-desert species like the entire Rhacodactylus genus are fantastic! (I am biased. I raise Crested Geckos, and they are my fave, bar none.)

Whew, I wrote a book! When you've narrowed it down a bit, ask us more specific questions. We can probably help you out. If it were me getting a beginning herp (knowing what I know now) I would start with something smallish and space-efficient, like a colubrid or smaller constrictor, or a crested gecko or African Fat Tail.
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1.0 Sinaloan Milk Snake Oryn
1.0 Anerythristic Columbian Red-tail Boa Onyx
1.2.1 Crested Geckos, Whiff, Helix, Static and Bean
0.0.1 GTP "Roxy"
1.0 Italian Greyhound Harley
0.1 Silver/Black Tabby cat Jade

I currently have a 20 gallon tank (2'length x 1' width x 16" height). I would prefer to use this tank if there's anything I could keep in it. My budget is $300-$400 max for everything I will need besides the tank. I would like an animal that is not overly-dependent on me. I'm home about 6 hours a day during the week, and a little bit more on weekends. I live in Georgia, so it's pretty humid. If there are any animals that won't be able to stand the natural humidity, please let me know. Also, I know how to raise humidity in a tank, but is there any way to lower it?

Also, If I just end up having my heart set on something that isn't going to fit in a 20 gallon tank, could I build a tank to save some money? If so, are there any do's and dont's to building a tank?

I live in St. Louis, Missouri, and the humidity gets very high here in the summer. But it remains pretty dry indoors because of air conditioning. I think as long as you have adequate ventilation (screen top) you should have no problem with humidity for a desert reptile. People often keep their desert reptiles too dry, not realizing that these animals use humid areas underground or beneath rocks and logs.

I'd recommend leopard geckos. I'd say you could have one animal, either male or female, or two females together. Leopards are easy to maintain, generally poop in one corner, don't have to be fed every day, are calm and can tolerate gentle handling, live a long time, the normal morphs are not expensive, no need for expensive lighting, etc. But you will have to feed them live insects. I don't know if anyone has come up with a canned food for this species.

would have to recommend the beautiful Collared lizard.

Not only because I work so much with them, (also have many other lizards) but because they truely are an awesome nice sized, absolutely stunning colored lizard, and if handled regularly are very friendly.

Also one can live in a 20 long even a pair, bigger would be much better but A young pair would be fine in there for awhile.

Like others said, geckos are cool too, I have several. I wish you all the best in your reptile quest,
Suncharmers Christmas Critters

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PHEve / Eve

Contact PHEve

Hmmm.... are you in Savannah? If you are, next time we hold a reptile club meeting we could email you if you wanted to come.

If you want to build a cage to save some $, it's certainly doable. The habitat and caging forum here is great for asking that kind of stuff. A 20 gallon long will hold many smaller snakes and lizards, though. Have you narrowed it down to either snakes or lizards? Rubber boas, rosy boas, and sand boas would all fit, as well as African House Snakes and small colubrids. Loads of small desert geckos would fit in a 20L, and you could keep several small ones together. You could keep one or two leos or fat-tailed geckos in that. Cresteds and other Rhacs are more arboreal, they need a tall cage. You could, of course, upend the tank.

I find in GA that the A/C sucks out all the humidity, so I am always trying to increase it. Inside a house, if there is enough humidity to worry about drying it out, you usually have a mildew problem from hell, too. (At least in my area of GA.)

I liked my leopard geckos very much, and you can get very pretty ones for not much money. My favorite snake of all is my Sinaloan Milksnake. He is gorgeous and lives in a 20 long. He was a spazz when I got him, but he was also the size of a #2 pencil then. He is dog tame now. Not pricey, either. I'm pretty sure I got him for under $60.
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1.0 Sinaloan Milk Snake Oryn
1.0 Anerythristic Columbian Red-tail Boa Onyx
1.2.1 Crested Geckos, Whiff, Helix, Static and Bean
0.0.1 GTP "Roxy"
1.0 Italian Greyhound Harley
0.1 Silver/Black Tabby cat Jade

Thanks a lot. I'm fairly sure I'm getting a lizard. If you had asked me a month ago, I would have said snake definitely, but after doing more research, I've realized that there are soo many cool lizards that really would fit my lifestyle better. I've become very interested in the crested and leopard geckos after reading up more on them. Thanks for all the info. I'm not completely set on anything yet, but I'm pretty sure it will be some kind of gecko. I think this would probably be the best way to get started in reptiles, and I can buy that cool monitor or iguana once I get a better understanding of what it takes to successfully support a reptile in captivity. However, I am still researching every suggestion given to me. I've looked at everything from african house snakes, to blue tongue skinks, to a lot of the genus rhacodactylus (is there a common name for this?) So post away with any other suggestions.

Ranger- I live in Athens. It's unlikely that I could make one of the reptile meetings, though I would love to attend one. Is it you and a group of friends, or is it a big gathering of all the reptile owners in Savannah? If you could give me some info I'll see if I can make one.

I have one last question. I feel really stupid for asking this, but what exactly is a "herp". I hear this term used a lot, and I've gathered that it means reptile? or maybe just snake or lizard? I'm sorry, it was just killing me not knowing the exact meaning.

Thanks again everbody.

To satisfy your curiousity, a herp is any reptile or amphibian. Collectively they're herps, we are all herpers, you can go herping in the field, etc. Many parts of speech.

Most people I know that like the Rhacodactylus genus call them Rhacs. The common names for all the 6 species are cresteds, gargoyles, chahuoas, saras, leachies, and trachys.

Geckos are great because there's something for everyone. And it's cool if you don't make it down for a herp club meeting; we're pretty sporadic as it is now anyway. If you can stand the suspense of waiting that long for your animals, there's a show coming up in Columbia, SC the first weekend in January (the 8th or something). it should be a good size, and you would be able to see live "samples" of the species you're looking at, and talk to breeders about their habits, and just absorb a lot. Look here on KS for the show listings and you will find it. If you hadn't decided on a species, that would help, and if you have, you'll find good prices there.

One last thing-- with any gecko, if it's your first I would buy a subadult or adult and not a hatchling or juvie.
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1.0 Sinaloan Milk Snake Oryn
1.0 Anerythristic Columbian Red-tail Boa Onyx
1.2.1 Crested Geckos, Whiff, Helix, Static and Bean
0.0.1 GTP "Roxy"
1.0 Italian Greyhound Harley
0.1 Silver/Black Tabby cat Jade

I am an owner of a few leos and find they are great pets. I find they are great as you start off with simple leos and then you get interested in different morphs and breeding. I would get a juvie if I were you a 6 mths leo around. They are better as eos tend to get use to you and there new habitat faster when they are young you then also get to witness the changing of colours on a normal morph. hey have developed some canned food, but you still have to feed them live stocks. What also helps choosing your herp is to look on the different forums read a bit and see the prblems some cause and there are some great pics. If you get a leo use the leo forum by the way leo is short for leopard gecko.

Good Luck