I need a friendly reptile!!?

Question

My creepy crawly crazy daughters are deperate for a gecko. I know that I will end up taking care of it as I have the cats, mice, fish, stick insects, worms (yes worms), even spiders. They will want to handle it fairly frequently. Before I embark on my research to find the 'right resptile' any advice reeeaallly appreciated.

Answer 1

Ultimately, it depends on the age of your children. Of course, no matter what animal you get you are going to be the primary person responsible for it. Furthermore, during handling sessions, you should be present to ensure that the animal is being handled safely and carefully for the animals sake. I would NOT recommend aquatic turtles of any kind. Most people underestimate the care involved with turtles. Some turtles....like Red Eared sliders (probably the most common pet turtle world-wide) requires high amounts of protein and meat in it's diet as a young turtle, but it's diet becomes mainly vegetarian as an adult. If you dont follow this properly, then it could result in improper shell formation and spinal issues which will ultimately kill the turtle. "Reptomin" is a good aquatic turtle diet for this species as a young turtle, but you would need to start feeding collard greens, etc. as an adult with a very small amount of reptomin as a protein supplement. The protein amount will be decreased greatly as the turtle ages.

Leopard Geckos would not be a bad decision, but they are a bit flighty and like to be on the move. They are also rather quick so you want to ensure that you watch your children while handling it.

Bearded Dragons are another lizard consistently mentioned as a good beginner, but I have been slowly changing my opinion of this. The diet requirements alone make them a little harder to keep for newbies to the herpetoculture scene. Most people think that crickets and a possible vitamin supplement would be sufficient...but think again. These lizards are also quite vegetarian. They will eat insects, vegetables (collard greens, turnip greens, etc. are good) and a calcium supplement is essential. If you don't trust that your children would be good at keeping up with prepared diets, this would not be a good choice. Variety is the key with this species.

If snakes are an option for you, then a corn snake would be a good choice or a California kingsnake. They are both very well mannered and active. Rodents would be the diet at all times from hatchling to adult. They dont have any major heating requirements. In fact, high 70's is recommended and that would be a typical household temperature. Just provide a hiding spot and they are set.

Leopard geckos would be your best bet in my opinion if snakes are not an option in your household.

Good Luck,

Chris

Answer 2

How old are your daughters? That can make a big difference when selecting a pet reptile. And has your family ever owned any other kinds of reptile? How much expirence you have in reptile care can also be a big factor.

For frequent handling, I wouldn't recommend a gecko. Most species of geckos (except for the larger species) are skiddish and delicate. They are more of an observative pet, not an interactive one. But don't get me wrong, geckos DO make good beginner pets...their just not my favorite reptile....and they're not for everyone. So, if that's what you and your daughters really want, I'm sure you all will be very happy with your new friend.

But for some other suggestions: (I'm assuming you want something small.) If you want something that can be easily tamed and not a fast runner, I'd suggest a beared dragon or a corn snake. They make good pets for beginners and they are a blast to handle and watch. But there are several other fascinating reptiles that will fit that description too! Do lots of research and find one to fit your maintance and exprience level.

I hope this helps!

Answer 3

my husband and i have 2 bearded dragons (mulder n scully) they are 18 months old

you have childrens and you want something they will be able to hold n cuddle.

beardies are good for a starter pet as they are very hardy lizards, would take a lot for them to kill them.
hey the novelty is the kids could take them out on a lead (from most specialised pet shops) my dragons love it outside in the garden where they can just bask in the sun and they love having a bath.
they are esasy to feed, meal worms, crickets, watercress n rocket (lettuce)
they are easy to handle, dont bite and are very amusing.

i also have a flat tailed gecko but have found geckos do nothing at all, and are very fast movers so i personally wouldnt go for the gecko.

this gives you some sort of idea about them

Answer 4

some reptiles on the list of top 10 reptiles for kids include Leopard Geckos (pretty tame when handled often, but can be fragile), Bearded Dragons (same for handling, somewhat sturdier), and Corn Snakes. Reptiles magazine had a good article on the whole list (pros and cons of each animal) a few years ago. I'm sure they have a website you could search too. Just please do tons of research before you buy- reptiles all need specific heat and light requirements. (NO incandessant lightbulbs and NO iceberg lettuce!!!) Heat Rocks are also a no-no as they cause quite serious burns.

Answer 5

I wouldn't recommend a gecko. I've had nearly every type of reptilian pet,and geckos would probably be my last choice for kids. They are mostly an adult pet, because they are difficult to keep and are very high maintenance, requiring very specific levels of heat, light, and humidity. They're also not good for most anything besides observation, as they can't really be handled much--they are very fast and can escape in the blink of an eye, and some tend to bite. (When I was about 10, I lost two geckos that way. I tried to hold them and they jumped out of my hand and ran under some furniture. We never found them.)

If your daughters want some sort of lizard, I would highly recommend a bearded dragon. They make amazing pets and are great with kids! As far as reptiles go, they're relatively easy to care for (good for you!), require few special housing needs, and are inexpensive to feed. They're remarkably friendly, almost never bite, and have distinct personalities. Most enjoy being held and are very calm, relaxed, and gentle. Also, they can be trained to some extent... My friend's bearded dragon knows its name and walks perfectly on a leash. For more information on them, here's a good introduction to bearded dragons: http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/ca...

Answer 6

I would suggest lepoard Geckos they are very child friendly and very easy to handle. They eat crickets or locust so be preparred to feed live food.
Bearded Dragons are also a good choice but they do have sharp claws and can be very fast.
A corn snake would be a brillient starter snake they are very tame and can be handled very well. They dont get to big either.
Dont buy a pair of geckos as they breed like rabbits!!
When i ha geckos my nieces age 2 4 and 9 all handled them with no problems at all. They look really cute and are very slow and relaxed lizards.They like to be petted.

Answer 7

merely could love the negativity Rollercoaster. Now permit's see if this answer is extra effective. Reptiles bite, actuality of stay. yet so do cats, canines and parrots. each and all the later have have been given worse bites than reptiles. So permit's recover from it. Now the answer to you question: Lizards: Bearded dragons are astonishing pets, common to look after and quite sensible. Rock reveal screen(Likewane) makes astonishing pets in case you have them from hatchling. Do enhance quite great (as much as a million.8m) so be arranged for it. Turtles: i do no longer save turtles myself so i'd merely be repeating different peoples solutions. i will't see the element, in my view it particularly is like having a fish tank. Snakes: Get a corn snake, they are very docile and with the huge array of coloration morphs it particularly is a sturdy decision for the newbie. Kingsnake make solid pets, i certainly love my California Kingsnakes. (Be warned they do consume different snakes so please do no longer homestead 2 jointly.) those would be my possibilities for the newbie (different than for the rock reveal screen). yet maximum critically discover one which you like, then study up on them. Then bypass to a petshop or breader and ask to handel a pair of distinctive persons (there personalities do variety) and then p.c.. the single you like the main. for the reason which you would be looking after it for an quite long term, 10-18 years. If it is your first reptile get a hatchling or yearling. you will experience extra mushy handeling them whilst they are huge in case you have seen it enhance. and you're able to know it particularly is moods by the time it reaches adulthood. desire this facilitates.

Answer 8

Hello i was just readin a post on yahoo answers about wanting a retile as a pet.
Well i have had many pets and i would have to say look in to Corn snake,Corn snakes, make good pets and there is a lot to learn about them. they grow around 5 foot and are a very chilled out snake, 1 thing i find a lot of people love is the colours of corn snakes, i have 3 corn snakes at the moment and i would not give them up for the world.
One think to think about is that a corn snakes is going to be around for some time and i dont want you to go out and get your self a Corn snake, and get dumped with it,
I have my own web site for corn snakes so this will help you a lot more if you choose to look in to keeping a Corn snake.

i hope that helps a bit but no matter what reptile you get just remember a lot of them need so extra cear.

web master of www.cornsnakecrazy.co.uk.

Answer 9

Fat-Tailed Geckos make good pets if you have a few of them. They are fairly easy to take care of and scurry around a lot.

Another cool pet is a Bearded Dragon which is a pale lizard that is about 30-40 cm long (tail included). They eat crickets and pinkies (baby mice). You don't have to clean their cage very often and they don't bite (no teeth!). Also, they are content to just chill on anyone's hand. Great pets.

Answer 10

If your daughters aren't going to take care of it or want it after the first couple of weeks then why get a new pet? That just adds more to your plate. But if you're going to buy them one anyway, I like geckos. They're small, but they can be held as long as you're gentle with them. Ask the pet store if they can make any good suggestions. They deal with this stuff every day. Good luck.