Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm looking for a nocturnal or semi-nocturnal lizard or reptile (not a snake) to keep in a 90-gallon aquarium in my living room. We want something that's active in the evening and early night, when the lights are fairly dim.

Leopard geckos are on the list (many geckos are on the list). We really also like beardies & just met an ackie that was TOO cool ... I don't think they would work, though. Do they retire for the night when the lights go dim? (I'm trying to convince myself that a beardie or ackie would work ... but a sleeping lizard would get a bit boring.)

I'd really appreciate your suggestions.

Leslie

beardie and ackie would def sleep at night.....like you said, a colony of geckos would be cool. what about large treefrogs? a group of whites ot whitelips would be cool

i would go for the ackies

We are leaning toward an ackie. They're not nocturnal, but as I understand, if I keep a heat source 24/7 so they can be active whenever they like, and adjust the daylight cycle to go from noon to midnight, we'd probably be able to enjoy one in the evenings.

In my experience a sleeping bearded dragon and an awake bearded dragon are no different due to this lizard's lazy habits. If you want something that crawls around and moves a lot I would definitely go with an ackie. If you give them day-night cycles that correspond with actual times they will sleep soon after dark. When mine was on this schedule it woke up at 1-2 pm and slept at 7-8 pm. When the temperature got cold I left his heat lamp on all day and night and as a result he gets up when he feels like it. This could be at 10 am or 2 am, and he doesnt seem to show a preference. I have a beardie and a leo, but ackies are so much more apparently intelligent and active. I still love my beardie, but my ackie often acts like a playful kitten.

(if you really want strictly nocturnal a snake is still your best bet
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0.1 ball python
0.1 corn snake
0.1 rosy boa
1.0 bearded dragon
1.0 leopard gecko
0.0.1 yellow ackie
1.0 greater earless lizard

0.1 quaker parrot
1.0 fischers lovebird

I would for sure go with Leopard Geckos, you could get a very impressive breeding colony going in a 90G enclosure. I keep a 55G Leopard Gecko enclosure in my living room, currently it only houses one gecko but just last night while watching TV she was out and about, Like a neon light running around the enclosure. I get nothing but compliments even from people that don't like reptiles.
Foot Hill Reptiles