Is a leopard gecko a good pet for a 7 year old?

Question

My son's 7th birthday (and Christmas) is soon arriving. He is asking for a gecko. He is a good, responsible kid, but is he too young? And much money could I expect to spend to set him up with this pet? Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

i have a 7 yr old and we have all kinds of pets from dogs,cats,fish,reptiles,ect. he is great in helping us take care of them but he is still just a kid and yes most of the animals we have were his idea. and now they are everyone. gecko are easy to take care of (we have 4) just remember any pet you get will eventually end up being the "family's pet" i have found out the kids are great at first but after a few months they loose interest in them. so if you are not ready to take over taking care of the pet then i would wait until hes older. my son got board with the geckos in a few weeks he said they are too boring but he brags about the "animals" he owns when his friends come over. ha ha ha. kids will be kids. good luck and have fun

Answer 2

Having owned a Leopard Gecko for 4 years, I can tell you YES, your son could easily take care of one. But, you as the adult, should be ready to take full responsibility of any pet, should your child become bored with it. He is a kid, after all! Leopard geckos are the simplest, cheapest pet to take care of that I've ever known. They can be handled, but are usually not too keen about it. They need absolutely no overhead heating or lighting, but DO need an undertank heating pad. Don't go any smaller than a ten gallon tank with a screen lid. With babies, use paper towels as substrate, as sand can cause impaction (they sometimes swallow it when catching crickets. They are very tidy little animals, and use the bathroom in only one corner of their home. They need two hiding places. One in the cool area of the tank and one in the warm area (over the heating pad). And a water dish, shallow, and big enough for them to fully climb into. Research the web for leopard gecko information. I'd say that the initial setup, not including gecko price, will run you around $50-$80. Good luck with your new pet! Oh and make sure when picking out your gecko, that you pick one with a nice, plump tail. A skinny tail is the sign of illness. (I did not know this and ended up with a sick one that I spend ALOT of money on at a reptile vet!) Oh, they generally live 5-10 years. Some have been known to make it to 15 (but that is RARE! 10 is pretty old).

Answer 3

Yes, myself I am 15 and tutor 7 year olds I know a bunch that have leopard geckos they all love them I myself own a range of reptiles and Leopard geckos are probably the best beginner reptile they are easy to maintain they are slow so if they happen to get loose and they are very friendly and can be handled by almost anyone. I would suggest getting A baby so your son can get attached and the gecko can get as friendly as possible. Good Luck, Your son should love a new little gecko.

Answer 4

The best for a 7 year old boy to me is a leopard gecko. They are about $25 and can easily live in a 20 gallon tank.

Answer 5

You want at least a 2-sided screened aquarium(for proper ventilation) a heating rock, water dish, and a dark hiding spot they can sleep in or hide (example: pvc pipe cut in half) in. That it where you will place their heating rock(1/2 in and 1/2 out) Some of these things you can find at yard sale, thrift stores or have someone make. The Gecko will cost you about $50. The heating rock about $10. And the other stuff all depends on where you buy it. Good luck, Gecko's are great pets and your son will love to watch it at feeding time when you feed it live crickets, and as long as it's not shedding your son will be able to hold it because they are quite docile.

Answer 6

Leopard geckos are a bit fragile for anyone under 15 years of age. But I would suggest a water dragon or a bearded dragon. These make great pets and are very hardy. Good Luck.

Answer 7

If he is a responsible kid who will feed the critter often (they only eat live prey, usually crickets, sometimes mealworms, though if you use them, it takes longer to feed and you need reptile carpet), make sure it stays warm, not handle it too much, and won't mind listening to crickets chirp all night, you'll be fine. They're great pets, but it is very hard to get into their head. Some will just suddenly stop eating for no apparent reason and often die. If you decide to get one, you need to make sure the one you want to purchase will let you hold it with your fingers in a very loose loop around its torso without it squirming or biting. You will also need to make sure its tail is fat and there are no missing or stubby fingers. (After it sheds, you need to use warm water and gently peel off the dead skin from its feet so that it does not cut off circulation and cause lost toes; they will grow back, but it is unhealthy and takes a very long time) They don't need alot of space, and I would reccomend both a ceramic heater (which goes into a regular heat lamp like a regular light bulb would) and a heat pad which attatches to the bottom of the aquarium. Make sure it has at least two places to hide, one place(such as a smooth rock) to get up close to the ceramic heater, and a water dish it can fit into to cool off. DO NOT PURCHASE HEATED ROCKS. On any setting they can burn the delicate underside of your gecko, which means also to make sure the sand is at least an inch deep where the heater is. Always keep a shallow dish of calcium and vitamin suppliment in your gecko's enclosure. Calcium sand does not work as a substitute. If you put in calcium sand instead of the powder they need, they WILL eat it and this can cause internal injury or death. They sleep most of the time but are very good show-off pets. If you adopt a gecko, you will have a friend for a very long time--some, with proper care, can live up to nearly thirty years of age!

Answer 8

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Leopard geckos or crested geckos is what I'd highly recommend. They're fairly hardy little lizards,very calm attitudes and you could keep a couple in a 20 gallon tank. =)

Answer 9

yes, it's ok

Leopard geckos are widely considered to be a very good pet for a beginning herpetoculturist for several reasons: their small size, ease of care, cleanliness (they tend to defecate in one corner of their enclosure), long life span (up to 35 years), and wide color range. They can usually be handled well by older children with the close supervision of an adult, as their tails can fall off if stressed or frightened

check this site:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard_gecko

Answer 10

i think it's a good starter lizard.
most cost about 50 bucks
cage 10 gallon is ok but screen not needed cause they are ground dwellers.
use calci sand as substrate and provide water daily in bowl
eat mainly insects of any kind, NO veggies.
buy crickets online at wormmans worm farm or local pet store, but mix it up with superworms or phoenix worms for variety.
get him a book on geckos as well with his b-day present.
good luck