Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've done my research and they seem like a great little lizard. There's a reptile show close to here tomorrow and I'm having a tough time deciding whether I want to get a Crested Gecko or a Mali Uromastyx. My main concern is temperament. I've tried keeping several Leopard Geckos but I could never handle them because they would threaten to bite. If I did manage to get ahold of one it would keep it's mouth open and still be trying to bite. By some miracle I always managed to get my fingers out of the way. Is the Crested as willing to bite? And just because I've never actually been bitten before, how bad is it when/if they do bite? Also are they easy to hold or are they one of those lizards that you're just constantly having to catch? Honestly I want a lizard that I'm going to be able to handle and enjoy it. And if there is anything I should know that isn't commonly found around the Internet or in care sheets then I would greatly appreciate it if you could share that information.
Thank you!

I would much rather have a crested over a uro. One reason is ease of care. Uros need high temps crested thrive at 72-76 degrees which is room temp in most homes. They are also very docile. I have 5 and only once did one try to bite and never since. Cresteds are also easy to breed, which to me brings a certain joy to keeping them! Watching eggs hatch that you help nurture and incubate is a real experience that is new everytime it happens. Yeah Cresteds get my vote

Crested geckos don't tend to bite, only was bit once and that was because I was offering a butterworm and she missed her target. But the bite didn't hurt...didn't' even break the skin. I never had a crested gecko even threaten a bite, even with babies. Most seem more inclined to flee than bite.

However, despite how docile crested geckos are I don't consider nor recommend them as a lizard to be held for more than a few minutes at a time. They can stress and often drop their tails if stressed or feel threatened. That and they can jump and either get out of reach or end up falling and hurting themselves.

They do calm down once they are older so can be held in hand or allowed to climb on a shoulder or head...but definitely best to limit any handling to a few minutes at most.

If you are looking for a pet that you can hold for long periods of time..I suggest looking into bearded dragons or blue tongue skinks. Both are larger lizards, less delicate and more content being held or kept on a lap for long periods. Both do require much larger cages than crested geckos and need special heating and lighting needs (though blue tongued skinks don't need as much heat as a bearded dragon...and UVB doesn't seem necessary but I always supply it anyway.)

Another thing to consider, so you want to see your pet during the day or is night time viewing fine? Crested geckos are nocturnal..so during the day, they are hidden and asleep and they don't tend to come out till after night fall. Some do come out at dusk, however.
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PHLdyPayne

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