Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a 29 gallon tank that is gonna be coming up empty here in a little while. I was thinking about getting a lizard to put in the tank, but I don't know much about lizards. I am looking for something that is a good display type animal, that tolerates moderate handling and is easy to keep. I'd also prefer something that would not outgrow the tank. I was thinking of some kind of gecko but I'm not sure if they are easy keepers. I was also thinking of a bearded dragon but I think they might get too big for the tank I have.

So if you have any suggestions please give me a list so that I can go do some research. In the meantime, I'm off to explore the lizard forums.

Thank you all!
Amanda

Damien- Male MBK
Gratch- Male Okeetee cornsnake

Greetings Miss Amanda:

A 29High? hmn, lessee...

First of all, I strongly recommend that you get "The Lizard Keeper's Handbook" by Philippe des Vosjoli; it will give you more than enough info. Second, it is simply not fair to ask someone to think for you. I can give advice, but there are no shortcuts. Please research the following.

Let's get busy (no rank or order implied):

Collared lizard (Need a hot basking area, but only during the day)
Cuban Anole (can be tamed if you get them young)
Mountain Horned Lizard (Acanthosaura sp. Very nice, but maybe not a beginner's pet; They do not like it too hot, need to be sprayed, and they like earthworms. Friendly, though)
Crested Geckos
Leopard Geckos
Gold skink
Fire skink (moist substrate)
Schneider's skink (Drier substrate)
Long-tailed lizards (Physically delicate, but cute and inquisitive)
African Red Lacerta (If you pick a young healthy one)

1) For may of these, you cannot keep two males together--(especially the geckos and skinks).
2) Some are not mixable. For example, Collared lizards and Schneider's skinks are savannah animals; Fire skinks are edge of forest. They cannot cohabitate.
3) A 29 is a vertically-oriented tank; Leopard geckos, Fire skinks, Scneider's skinks do not need the height.
4) Both gecko species are mainly nocturnal.
5) Virtually everything here eats insects; Crested geckos and skinks will also eat some fruit.

In my opinion, the best pet(s) for your tank would be Leopard geckos, Crested geckos, gold skinks or captive-born Collared lizards. Both gecko species can live over 20 years; Fire Skinks and Schneider's Skinks regularly live 10 .

www.sandfiredragonranch.com has a decent intro page on many of these animals; also check out any caresheets from Melissa Kaplan.

Have fun--Now go read

I agree about leopard geckos, although to get them to use the height you might have to do something silly with hamster tubing or whatever. Cresteds would use the height readily.

For collards It's a good starter tank for a baby, but it won't last. I used one for the babies I hatched last July and it worked fine when they were little, but by the time winter rolled around even the runt of the litter had outgrown it. Some apparently do great in a 30 gallon, which sounds similar but has 20-80 per cent more floor space (depending on which style of 30 it is) but most need at least 40 gallons.

If after you've enjoyed a gecko for a while you want to get a bigger tank and add a collared, that might be great for you. You'll then have one that's active during the day and one that's active at night. But the gecko family tends to have the best non-demanding "starter" lizards, so you can make a few mistakes without really harming your pet, plus that's where you'll find the most candidates that are well suited to your tank.

Come to think of it, an African fat-tailed gecko might be as good as or better than a leopard. They aren't arboreal per se, but they climb more than leopard geckos do. If you put a few tall sturdy obstacles in there for them to chase crickets on, you won't feel like the cage height is a complete waste.

Certain tanks, notably the 29 and the 55, are annoyingly narrow in relation to their height, which makes them look from the front like they're more versatile than they actually are. Small fish don't care, because they can use every cubic inch, but with land animals it gets more complicated. Glad you're looking before you leap.
-----
0.1 2006 Western Hognose (Bebe)
0.1 age unknown Cane Toad (Hengo)
0.1 2005 White-Banded Sheen Skink (Minerva)
1.0 2006 Northern Diamondback Terrapin (Queequeg)
1.0 2006 Madagascan Speckled "Hognose" (Sigmund)
1.0 2008 Bullsnake (Winkle)
1.2 2008 Eastern Collared Lizards (Pancho, Lupe, and Chica)
2.0 2009 Eastern Collared Lizards (Cesar and Nino)

Hey Jack:

My bad, as the kids would say I see your point; I did not take into account that Collareds need running room. They are, in fact, quite active compared to most other "sit and wait" predators (think Cuban anoles).

The reason I was so ready to recommend them is I know people with captive bred specimens, and they're not only easy to keep, but almost friendly!

Thanks for pointing that out.

Peace,

G

This is exactly what I was hoping for. Now that I have a starting point, I can do some research and see if I can find something that will work for me. And it's not set in stone about the 29 gallon. Right now there is a Mexican Black Kingsnake living in there and I have an empty 36"x24"x24" ShowCase Cage that I was thinking about moving him into.

Thank you for the list. Now to start researching.

Amanda

Check out Tokay geckos also. They can be a bit on the aggressive side but are gorgeous animals and make a great show piece.

Tom

The Sudan plated lizard is not very showy but is a large easy to handle and inexpensive lizard, and very hardy. For display quality day geckos are awesome, you will not be handling them but you will find them to be friendly intelligent and interesting.