What are the best reptiles to keep as pets?

Question

Hello there! I am a known animal lover, and I have much experience with nearly every type of pet from my job as a veterinary technician majoring in animal medicine. I would like to know, in your opinion, what the best lizard (or snake) is to keep as a pet. Housing, cost, complicated nutrition..these are not an issue.

I'd prefer a larger sized lizard/snake that is interactive, or that can, at the least, identify a keeper. Thanks!

Answer 1

I worked at Sea World training reptiles a few years ago so I have experience with the different types of personalities these guys can have. My favorite lizard is the Savannah monitor. It is the easiest to train, they are very food motivated, and they are also pretty good with being handled for long periods of time. They are pretty active and need attention to stay manageable. If you need something a little more tame (a bit lazy though) try getting a Blue Tongue Skink. They are very manageable and are pretty cool to work with.

Answer 2

The best lizard to keep is a bearded dragon, they get about 2 1/2 ft long and are very sweet and have great personalities. The best snakes are ball pythons, kingsnakes, and cornsnakes, all are very docile. This website has great info on all different types of reptiles, check it out, Good luck.

Answer 3

I would say the ball python--not much up keep-only down size is that you have to but mice or rats every week or two and if they decide not to eat for a few days you have to house them--we have had a rat for over 6 weeks because of the snake being in hibernation mode---hope this helps

Best of Luck

Answer 4

Well, I don't have much experience with this kind of stuff, but my mom works at an animal hospital, so I've been around all sorts of animals. In my days, the best reptile that I've seen is the bearded dragon. If you get them as babies, they are really fun to watch grow. You do need to get them a bigger cage when they become an adult, but they are tons of fun. You can tqake them out of their cage and hold them, or, they like to just sit on your sholder while you walk around the house. My mom and I absolutley love them, but they do terrify some people, like my step-dad. They aren't high-maintenance, but they aren't really low-maintenance either.

Answer 5

I'd say bearded dragon.

I volunteered for a nature center for two years, and while there, I feel in love with these guys. I got one from the nature center right before I left there. The one that I got, I witness it being born. He's now about a foot and a half long. He's awesome.

When I used to give tours at the nature center, I used to walk around with him on my shoulder, because he would just sit there. I take him out in my living room, and he'll watch TV with me, and then jump from couch to couch.

I had a leash for him, and walked him on it, until he found a way to get out of it, so I'm skeptical of it. He's very easy to take care of. I have him in a 50 gallon reptile take with a screen top. I feed him veggies every day, and wax worms every other day. And every two weeks I give him crickets.

They're fun to watch eat crickets, they're fun to watch jump around and run. I just love mine. He's great. I hold him and pet him mainly. They travel really well too. I just moved 6 hours, and he did great.

They also have beautiful color. He has orange around his eyes. He's just a beautiful reptile!

Answer 6

I know you say housing and nutrition aren't an issue but if you get something that needs a very large enclosure do you really have the room for an 8-10 foot long 6 foot high enclosure? I only ask because some monitors are great pets if they are gotten young and handled often but they get 6-7 feet long.

I am aware that people keep larger snakes in long enclosures that are just a foot or two high and while the snake lives a long time this way it isn't as much fun watching them. All that being said, I will tell you the ups and downs of the animals that I currently own.

Ball Python: 4 foot long, 3 feet high, 3 feet wide enclosure, eats mice/rats about every other week or so. Only down side is you can't really take them on a walk and they are very good escape artists, can be finicky eaters.

Boa C. Constrictor (red tailed): 6 foot long, 6 foot high 3 foot deep enclosure, eats largest rat I can find or small rabbits every 2-3 weeks. Down side is their size and people that visit get quite intimidated by them, I have a sheet that I cover the front of my enclosure with if someone is here that is afraid of them. They are also good escape artists.

Honduran Milk Snake: Great pet, about 5 feet long, never climbs (I gave it limbs and such and it never used them so it is in a 4 foot long 2 foot high 3 foot wide enclosure. Eats a mouse a week. Down side, they can musk you, they are quick and jittery when you first take them out but they do calm down a bit after a few minutes. They are also good at escaping.

Leopard geckos: great little guys eat crickets, 30 gallon tank holds 3 and a 20 gallon tank holds 3 juveniles. They love crickets and meal worms every other day. I feed my adults a frozen/thawed pinkie mouse once a week or so. Downside it that they aren't really a take out and play with pet due to size and they are nocturnal.

Flying gecko: awesome pet but lighting fast will escape and get past you before you know it’s even out of the enclosure. 30 gallon tall tank with lots to climb on and lots to hide in. Eats crickets. Downside is you can only watch them they really aren't for playing with but they sure are fun to watch.

Bibron’s gecko: Again, lighting fast, much faster than the flying gecko, it looks like a crocodile and needs a tall tank and is about exactly like the flying gecko.

Mali Uromastyx: great reptiles, they do not like water they get all water from what they eat. You can take them out and play with them a bit, they are very friendly if raised well and handled a lot. 4 foot long, 2 foot high 3 foot deep enclosure with lots of burrows and rocks. They eat veggies, mustard greens and dandelions (yellow flower and greens), corn, green beans, etc... Downside is they can be a bit finicky at times and if not socialized can hide every time they see you coming.

Green iguana: very large enclosure 8 foot long, 4 foot deep, 6 foot high. Eat mustard greens and fruits and veggies. High humidity needed. They must be handled a lot, 30 min a day to keep them tame. Downside is size and enclosure size needed along with how stubborn headed they can be about things. Not beginners pet because they take a lot of time and care.

Bearded dragon: 4 foot long enclosure, 3 feet high 3 feet deep. Eat crickets, meal worms and veggies. They are very tame and a blast to watch with all their little head bobs and leg lifting movements. Downside is having to spend time with them regularly to keep them tame.

Butterfly agama: not much known about them but they are smaller sized reptiles about 10 inches long, very tame and easily handled. They eat crickets, meal worms, they like to dig so a rather deep enclosure with 4-6 inches of substrate that they can dig and burrow into, I use calcisand mixed with ecoearth. Downside is they aren't extremely active and not much information on them.

All that being said, I would say if a beginner get a Mali or leopard, if you want something more fun to watch, get a bearded dragon or a butterfly agama they are really tame.

Answer 7

i have had leopard geckos pretty much my entire life and I absolutely love them. I have one now, his name is Baxter. He is about 5 years old, lives in a 30 gallon wooden tank, is about 8" long from tip to tail and is very interactive (as long as you use a red/black heating lamp because they are mostly nocturnal)

Also, if you like lizards of larger size than that, try a bearded dragon.

Answer 8

I have 3 leopard geckos, they are fun to watch and easy to care for, but don't distinguish owner from food or anything, if mine think you are food they don't hesitate to bite. I have an Iguana, they are very interactive, grow large and distinguish their owner. Also i have a California Banana King Snake who is over 4ft. long and is wonderful, always knows when i am there and always distinguishes between food and hand, she is very interactive.

Answer 9

mali uromastyx. they are great. They get up to 16 inches long. mine are leash traind and love to go to the park and play. they eat fruits and veggies. if you want a smaller lizard than a leopard gecko

Answer 10

easily Savannah Monitors because they can get very friendly and end up having a doglike personality. Columbian Red tailed Boas come in close second as long as you properly care for them and handle them regularly and they will usually get accustomed to being handled often.