Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've erally only been keeping snakes for the last 4-5 years now but have 5 at the moment (2x Durms, 1 ball, 1 King and 1 JCP) and probably getting at least 1 more in the near future. I'm starting to think though that a lizard would be an insteresting way to go as a new pet.

I'm mainly interested in something that would stand out either by it's unique colorations or something of medium to large size. I'll probably just build an enclosure for it and space isn't really an issue. Obviously I want to be able to handle it, I read that a lot of the geckos shouldn't be handled because their skins are too sensitive (This could be false however).

Any suggestions?

A bearded dragon would be good pet!They are easy to care for and come in a variety of colors(morphs). Jeff

A Bearded dragon is certainly a good suggestion, but there are also several more that may be good for your situation. Blue-Tongue Skinks (pretty much any available species) are my personal favorite for a mid-size, handleable lizard. A 3'x2' enclosure is a good minimum for an adult skinks. Blueys can not be kept more than one to a tank as adults. Tha main con with Blueys is that they are not as active or visible as some other types of lizards. Uromastyx (probably a Mali or similar "mid-sized" species for your situation) could be another good choice. They need a large cage (at least 4'x2', larger for more individual animals) and a pretty hot basking spot. Finally, acanthurus monitors, commonly known as ackies, make very entertaining captives. These are probably the "most demanding" of the species I've mentioned, but they are packed with personality and are a ton of fun to keep and breed. There are definitely a lot of lizards I haven't mentioned that make great captives, but these are some of my favorites. As is pretty much always the case with herpkeeping, planning is the key to success. Do as much research as you can, these forums are a great place to start, get all of your equipment before you get the lizard, etc.

My advice, geckos are a NO GO.
Everyone I know who has owned one has had a very bad experience. From day geckos and leopards to the oh so very intimidating tokay.
My first was a bearded dragon when I was about 9 or 10 and it was a great animal, beyond tame. But since you have some experience in reptiles I would say something higher. My second was a baby Sav monitor which didn't really end too well, he wasn't digesting food properly and he didn't make it.
I would say since you're looking for something unique, try maybe a Water Dragon. They have a really beautiful green color but they move quite a lot and VERY fast. Similar to the Water dragon is the Frilled Dragon which is also an awesome lizard. Very sweet but also move VERY fast.
If you're looking for beginner lizards, either Agama, Bearded or Uromastyx. If you want something more I'd say one of the Dragons. If you want something even more but a tad expensive, I'd say maybe a Timor monitor or something along those lines. Very pretty lizards, not tooo large and make good pets.
Good luck!

The dragons do seem interesting. Really the only lizard I'm just not interested in is the bearded just because they're a dime a dozen and I'd like something a little more interesting.

As for feeding, do most lizrds require daily meals? From some of the care sheets I've seen it seems that as babies you feed them everyday and as they become sub-adults you change it up to every second day.

There's gonna be a show around here soon so I'm hoping to see some species there and get an idea of what some of these look like in person.

Thanks for all the responses.