Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My 11 year old wants a lizard. She likes to handle her pets and I have heard that the bearded dragon is good with being handled. However, I don't want to spend that much on our first lizard, in case it dies. And I only have a 10 gal aquarium to set up for now. So what I need to know is if there is a smaller less expensive lizard I can get her that is ok with being handled? An Anole was my 1st choice, but I read that they never get use to being handled. I also need to know if a lizard can survive in a house with gas heaters? We live in North East Texas. Please let me know something so I don't inedvertently kill an innocent lizard. Thanx

I can't unfortunately, answer the question about the gas heaters, but I can recommend a lizard. My first lizard was a beardie, but my second is a Leopard Gecko. He was a little tempermental as a baby and would scream and nip at me. This behavior was all show and his nips didn't hurt AT ALL. I don't know if it was just him or if they are all like that but I wanted to warn you. At first I thought I would never let the kids hold him with all the theatrics. With regular handling he's gotten to be fat & lazy and he loves to sit on my shoulder just hanging out. The kids hold him with no problem, but I do always supervise because the lizard seems more fragile than my bearded dragon. I don't want him to lose his tail if they dropped him. There are some other lizards I could recomend but the only one I think might be relatively inexpensive is the leo gecko. I think since you seem to be doing the research you need to know the animal you shouldn't worry too much about losing your pet. Leos are not too hard to take care of and there is a great forum on Kingsnake if you need more information. You can get a leopard at most petstores (be sure you know enough to pick a healthy animal if you get it at a store) and you can also check the classifieds here as well. Good luck!
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Anna

The Zoo
Corns
1.0 Snow - Cornelius
1.1 Ghost(pastel) - Eek & Boo
0.1 Amel - Scarlet
0.1 Hypo - Nikko
0.1 Anery - Missy
0.1 Hypo Motley - Cordelia aka Cordy
Boas
0.1 Columbian (BCC) - Bella
Lizards
0.0.1 Leopard Gecko - Leo
Rats
0.1 Dumbo Agouti - Moon
1.0 Standard Black - Pluto
Cats
1.1 Siamese - Blue & Fiona
0.1 Gray DMS - Druscilla aka Dru
Horses
1.0 Thourghbred (Hunter/Jumper) - Morgan's Majesty aka Cody

I agree. With regular handling, leos make great little first reptiles for kids (with the needed adult supervision of course. I have had one for a few years. Easy to take care of. Andy
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Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

I agree, even though I do not own a Leo, I hear they can be quite tame to handling after a while.

What I do know from experience is Anoles. Do Not Get One for a child. They are not tame, the do not want to be held, they are quick as lightening and will escape and then they are a booger to catch (I keep a butterfly net for the ones that jump out while I'm cleaning their terrarium). They are also very expensive lizards to get set up properly (even though they are cheap to buy), they are prone to so much stress, it's not funny and 10 gallon in my opinion is too small for all but one adult. If I had known then what I do now, I would have NEVER gotten into Anoles, they are beautiful and cool to watch but a LOT of work. Go with the Leo or get her hooked on corn snakes. Now those I highly recommend for children because they are so tame, easy to care for and just the sweetest prettiest loveable snakes there are (which is probably why I own 5).

Good luck.

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Chantel a.k.a. sillygirl
"I came, I saw, I adopted"

2.4.0 green anoles (Stumpy (M)), and the rest remain nameless.
2.2.0 green tree frogs (Romeo & Juliet, Bonnie & Clyde)
0.0.3 D. tinctorius (Cobalt froglets)
0.1 Anerythristic 'B' (Charcoal)corn snake (Popcorn)
0.1 Snow Corn (KandyKorn)
0.2 Amel Corns (KornSilk & KornMuffin)
0.0.1 Normal Corn (PepperKorn)
0.0.1 Giant African Millipede
2.4 Domestic house cats (Bad Boy (m), Bart(m),Sasha(F),Little Bit(F),Spirit(F)
1.0 Rottweiler (Jake)
1.2 Rats (new additions with no names yet)
1.0 Husband (David, who loves all my critters too)

N/P
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Chantel a.k.a. sillygirl
"I came, I saw, I adopted"

2.4.0 green anoles (Stumpy (M)), and the rest remain nameless.
2.2.0 green tree frogs (Romeo & Juliet, Bonnie & Clyde)
0.0.3 D. tinctorius (Cobalt froglets)
0.1 Anerythristic 'B' (Charcoal)corn snake (Popcorn)
0.1 Snow Corn (KandyKorn)
0.2 Amel Corns (KornSilk & KornMuffin)
0.0.1 Normal Corn (PepperKorn)
0.0.1 Giant African Millipede
2.4 Domestic house cats (Bad Boy (m), Bart(m),Sasha(F),Little Bit(F),Spirit(F)
1.0 Rottweiler (Jake)
1.2 Rats (new additions with no names yet)
1.0 Husband (David, who loves all my critters too)

Crested Gecko.

Go with a leopard Gecko.

2.3 Blood pythons
3.3 carpet pythons
1.2 redtail boas
1. caifornia king
1.1 ball pythons
1.1 savannah monitors
3.4 crested geckos
1. bearded dragon

Leopard Geckos!
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-Lauren

~ Lauren's Lizards ~

groups.yahoo.com/group/LaurensLizards

Leopard Geckos make good first pets, require 10-25 gallon aquariums and can be handled a few times a week. Smaller Corn Snakes also make good starter reptiles and thrive on pinkie mice and generally don't grow to an gigantic size (Handlable by one person). My first choice would be a Bearded Dragon though, despite the fact that they cost a little more.

Never get a Green Iguana (Grow to 6ft and their bites require stitches), Anole (As said, fast and hate handling), Tegu (Not too sure about these but their bites are penatrating) Monitor (Grow pretty large and bites are also devastating) or Tokay Geckos (Bites very hard and not all that great to handle).

- Spotted

GET A LEOPARD GECKO.
They are simply great pets and can live there whole lives in a 10 gal.