choosing a pet reptile?

Question

so for my birthday i want to get a pet reptile of some sort. im looking for a not too expensive reptile than can be/like to be handled. and im leaning more towards a lizard or snake. any help or info?

Answer 1

Well always before you choose a reptile, ask yourself these questions:

-Do you have time for your reptile?

-Do you have the money that's needed for supplies, food, and vet bills?

-Can you provide the food and items it will need to survive?



So if all of those are a yes, your ready for a reptile. Before choosing a reptile, always do your research. A ton of people buy reptiles when they haven't research about so the reptile ends up dying or being let go in an environment it isn't native to. Always do your research because this will come in handy when caring for your reptile. If your interested in a snake, I have a couple in mind for you. If your interested in a lizard, I have the perfect starter lizard for you.



Snakes are very interesting reptiles, and are very cool to keep. I believe corn snakes are the perfect starter snake for someone who wants a snake that is fairly simple to take care of, but also something that's nice and holdable. Corn snakes come in so many beautiful colors and they will live a while with proper care. They can get between 4-5 feet. As babies, they can live in a 10 gallon tank for a long time. When they get to be adults, they will need a 30-40 gallon tank. I recommend this snake if you want a simple, nice, and fairly easy to take care of snake. Though, these snakes are somewhat flighty like king snakes, milk snakes, rat snakes, and so on. These snakes are also great eaters. When these snakes are only babies they can have frozen/thawed pinkie mice.



Ball pythons are another great starter snake. Even though they are pythons they are one of the nicest snakes I've ever had. They are not likely to bite and they are great eaters. These snakes come in so many patterns and colors. When you breed them, you get so many beautiful colors and patterns. These snakes are so beautiful and are just one of the best snakes to have. If you want a snake that is thicker than a corn snake, longer, but more chill I would definitely recommend this snake to you. These snakes will live in a 10 gallon tank as babies, but wil need a 40-55 gallon enclosure when they are adults. Males get between 3.5-4 feet and females get between 4-5 feet. Some females have been known to reach the 6 foot mark. These snakes have a little more cage requirements, but it's fairly simple to control. These snakes are great eaters and are so chill. These snakes don't like fast movements so they will try to hide their heads underneath their bodies. These snakes are shy when you first bring them home but with some handling they will grow out of it and become used to their surroundings.



Leopard geckos are the best starter lizards. They are very chill once you handle them often. These lizards need to be fed daily, unlike snakes who are supposed to be fed weekly. These lizards are very cute and very pretty. They will only need to live in a 10 gallon tank, but will need a 20-30 gallon as adults. Giant leopard geckos will need a 30-40 gallon when they are adults because they get pretty large. With leopard geckos, you have to be gentle with them. If you hold their tail too tightly it can fall off and you don't want that to happen. Geckos store most of their fat in their tails so when they do not eat any food they will use up the fat in their tail. These lizards are very friendly and are not likely to bite. Like snakes, they come out at night time to hunt because they are nocturnal. They also explore around the cage to get used to their surroundings. These lizards are wonderful for beginners.



If you have any questions about these reptiles please email me and I will be glad to answer your questions. I have done a lot of research about all kinds of reptiles.

Answer 2

BEARDED DRAGONS ARE THE BOMB!!! mine was my first reptile. his name I mclovin and hes the best thing to happen to me!!! theyre personalities are amazing. but for any reptile you get remember UVB doesn't work though mesh. don't have anything between it and your lizard!!!! mines now paralyzed because I didn't know!

Answer 3

Get a leopard gecko! They are amazing pets,next to bearded dragons.They eat crickets and mealworms and very easy to care for. Do some reasearch,go on google. Bearded dragons are expensive ={. Find a care sheet on google,there's PLENTY of them =}. Good luck!

Answer 4

In my opinion, I would go either for a Leopard Gecko or a Bearded Dragon, to be honest, you want to go with Leopard Gecko, unless you want to go the expensive way. bearded Dragons are a bit pricy of what I heard, but their way more playable and friendly and active then what a Leopard Gecko is.



Corn snakes are also really great to handle, but some people aren't just the snake type.



-Rin

Answer 5

As a beginner, I would suggest a leopard gecko, they are lovely and very friendly. Only get a reptile if you are willing to pick up bugs and worms. It is a good idea to get 2 so they can keep each other company, but I would not get 2 males as they will fight, 2 females is a great idea, I hope you get a lovely reptile and have a great birthday :)

Answer 6

Personally I would recommend a bearded dragon. They don't get too big but are big enough to be fun. Care is easy if you know what your doing and how to feed them ad they get older. Just make sure you research and if you know you can't provide enough time for one. DONT GET ONE. Also, they love being handled if you do it often as a baby

Answer 7

i hear this all the time and after 18 years rescue and rehab i have to say this is hard you need to research the care and requirements that they have. what can you afford to feed, house, lights, heast provide for all needs, vet care, do you have vet that will take patients there is more behind this decision than what should i get please take the time to research and when youre ready adopt from a rescue and rehab center

Answer 8

You should get a Leopard gecko because they are a great beginners pet.

You should feed your gecko about 5 prey items every two days if its an adult. The prey should be no larger than the width of the geckos head. If the gecko is a Juvenile it should be fed every day.

I'm not sure of the cost because everywhere is different but you usually get one dozen crickets in a bag or case.

I prefer to feed my gecko meal worms because they last longer than crickets and you usually get 100 per case. I've studied the growth of Leopard geckos by feeding them different prey items and feeding them meal worms increases their weight and growth. I think crickets are a pain to deal with and they smell. Also, you have to remove the crickets that your Gecko doesn't eat and as for meal worms you just have to keep them in a bowl. You may also feed them wax worms as a treat but not as a staple diet because of the amount of fat they contain

DO NOT USE SAND FOR A LEOPARD GECKO as this could cause impaction and your Leo could die.

You should clean your Leos cage every three weeks and remove its waste every two days and change the water everyday.

Be sure to get a UTH (under tank heater) so that you Leo may digest its food properly cause reptiles need heat to digest their food. DO NOT GET A HEAT ROCK as they may burn your lizard.

The temperature your Gecko should be at is about high 80's during the daytime and mid 70's at night time.

Leopard geckos are nocturnal animals and come out to feed at night.

The nice thing about Leopard geckos is that they go to the bathroom in one spot only.

The minimum requirements for a Leos habitat is a ten gallon take because they may live in that take for their life.

NEVER HOUSE TWO MALE LEOPARD GECKOS together because they will fight to the death.

You should house leopard geckos on paper towels, newspaper, and reptile carpet. Always avoid loose substrates.

Leopard geckos are not like other lizards needing UV light and they should get their calcium from their food being dusted and you should keep a calcium dish only filled with calcium just in case.

Leopard geckos rarely bite and if they do they will not make you bleed and the bite will not hurt but it might just shock you.



Things you'll need is:





Two hiding logs (1 for warm side and 1 for cold side)

two small bowls (1 for food and 1 for water)

Under tank heater

thermometer

heat lamp (with a normal house bulb)

Reptile Calcium

Reptile Vitamins

If you have anymore questions message me

Answer 9

if youre a beginner i suggest a leopard gecko as a first. they are calm and docile, but holding them too often can cause stress.the geckos bite has little consequence, but watch out for death rollers, they like to roll when they bite. they come in a multitude of morphs and require a ten gallon tank or larger. do research and make sure you can afford these reptiles first, they are expensive and being cheap will noy get you one easily.

Answer 10

Like the others said, I would definitely go for the Leopard Gecko. They are great reptiles for beginners. They're easy to take care of and they're very nice. I've never been bitten by one before. I recommend getting two, so they can keep each other company. DO NOT get calcium sand. Yes it's sold in the pet stores, but they can die very easily from it. Geckos "lick" a lot, and when they do this they ingest the substrate they're on. The sand will build up in their system and impact them. They'll die from not being able to go to the bathroom. I suggest Eco Earth, it's the best stuff out there.

Leopard Geckos are fairly easy to feed as well. Just some crickets and meal worms and they're as happy as can be.

Make sure to get the proper lighting (a heat lamp and a UVB lamp for nutrients) and everything will be fine ^^ They're great to handle and are great pets if taken care of properly.

Answer 11

I never thought I would be a reptile owner. Not that I didn't like them, there's just a lot of misconceptions. I now am inlove with reptiles, snakes mainly, and it has nothing to do with them being "cool". I don't own snakes to impress anyone. I have always loved caring for pets, and one day I was thinking about getting a lizard. I wanted something I could hold, and that wouldn't be too hard to care for. Then, while looking into reptiles, I started to read up on good beginner snakes. That's where it all started and I got my first Ball Python. They are't playful, or cuddly, no. The are however fun, neat and very interesting to observe. Snakes don't smell, don't make noise, they eat once a week and poop once a week. I can go out for a weekend, a week even, and don't need to worry about them. They don't mind being held either, I just sit and watch TV with them sometimes. I seriously love my snakes like I would any other pet. People own fish-- what's the big idea behind that one? They look nice? I can't really tell you WHY I like reptiles, I just know I do. Once you have one, you need more. And like I said, it isn't us trying to look 'cool', or maybe I'm just speaking for myself there. I don't go about and tell people "hey, my bedrooms a room!"-- but they are just easy to maintain and very entertaining.

Answer 12

I'm gonna jump on the bandwagon here and say leopard gecko. They are great for first time reptile owners, and can easily be tamed to accept handling well. Whatever choice you make, just be sure to do a lot of research on how to care for your new pet before you actually get it. Good luck and have fun!

Answer 13

If feeding a snake wouldn't gross you out, they can be handled. However a lot of snakes are expensive, the exotic ones at least. I'm a pet sitter and there is a bowa constrictor that loves to snuggle!



Turtles can smell if not cleaned often.



Lizards can be entertaining!



Check this out;

http://www.aworldofpets.com/animals-home.asp?sec=5

Answer 14

For my first reptile i got leopard geckos, they are great pets! It takes sometime to tame but they are very loveable once they get used to you! They warm my heart just looking at them and they come in many pretty colors. They don't have teeth so if they bite they wont hurt you too bad. Mine have never bit me yet. I hope this helps!!

Answer 15

I would get a Leopard Gecko. They aren't expensive, are easy to care for, don't need as much heat as other reptiles, don't need a big tank, and are unique looking!

Answer 16

I would recommend a bearded Dragon becauseBearded dragon is a genus of reptiles containing eight lizard species, which are often known by the common name bearded dragons. The name "bearded dragon" refers to the "beard" of the lizard, the underside of the throat which turns black if they are stressed or see a potential rival. They are adept climbers, spending time on branches and in bushes and near human habitation. Pogona species bask on rocks and exposed branches in the mornings and afternoons. They are found throughout much of Australia in a wide range of habitats such as deserts, shrublands and Eucalyptus woodlands.

Bearded dragons originate from central Australia, where they live in the arid and subtropical woodlands, scrublands, savannas, shore areas, and into the great interior deserts. Their range extends throughout the interior of the eastern states to the eastern half of South Australia and southea

Answer 17

In would go for a bearded dragon beginner level reptile and more along the lines of what your looking for

Answer 18

Bearded dragons are fu to take care of and hold. But they are expensive. Leopard geckos are easy to take care of but boring and anoles hate being held. I would go with some sort of snake.

Answer 19

I would suggest getting a bearded dragon. They are super friendly and love human interaction. If you have time and will make sure you love and care for it then you and him will make best friends. Just make sure you read up and know everything you need to know on how to pick him up all the way to how to clean his tank. You will need to put effort Into caring for your beardie but it's worth it 100%. Once again I suggest the bearded dragon.

Answer 20

I second a leopard gecko.



But if you want to save money in the long run, ball pythons are a great option. They only eat once a week and are great for handling.

Answer 21

get a baby corn snake. they liked to be handled after a while. but lizards don't. and remember never expect to pay any less than 300$$ for any new pet. that covers the pet itself, and tank, lid, supplies..

Answer 22

Leopard Geckos are the best fir beginners

Answer 23

Bearded dragons can be really easy to tame and are really friendly! I would go with one of them, or a leopard gecko.

Answer 24

leopard gecko is a good starter pet.

Answer 25

GET A

1.leopard gecko

2.turtle

3.tortoise

4.king snake

5.corn snake

6.python

7.bearded dragon

Answer 26

ball python or iguana

Answer 27

get a anole! there fun and they only cost 5.99!

Answer 28

reptiles are creepy. go for a dog instead :) ewww snakes *gag*