Small inexpensive lizard that can be handled (see details)?

Question

It is for a 7 year old boy..I don't want anything expensive in case he changes his mind after he gets it..I was looking at getting an anole but just read that they shouldn't be handled and he wants to be able to hold it...Any suggestions??

I plan on taking care of it for him, he just wants to be able to hold it.He is very gentle. We have a python but now that it is going on 2 1/2 feet he no longer likes to hold it..when he does it doesn't scare him at all when the snake jerks to hide his face..I just want something inexpensive b/c there is no sence in paying $100 when he may not even have an interest in it for long...

Answer 1

Lizards are great pets for children. The threat of Salmonella is so small as to be laughable. The kid washes his hands and doesn't eat while playing with it and he's fine.

Get a bearded dragon. If you get the cage second hand (check on Craig's List, and in your local news paper), they really aren't all that expensive. They seem to like people and handling, and are very docile. Easy keepers too, do some research though, you don't want to make any tragic mistakes.

Even better is to get one from a family who needs to "re-home" theirs. It will already be tame and used to handling.

Generally, the smaller the lizard, the more fragile and fast it is. Fragile and fast are not good for little hands.

Geckos can be cranky, no matter how much they are held.

Chameleons are not for beginners. Especially children. They can die of shock if someone slams a door! Really, I've seen it. Super fragile!

Answer 2

An adult, captive bred leopard gecko or African fat tailed gecko make fine pets for beginners and children. A ten gallon tank, some paper towels, a water dish, food dish, a hide out and a source of heat will be sufficient for the animal at the very least. A very low maintience lizard and UVB lighting is not absolutely critical to them...unlike other reptiles (i.e. bearded dragons, anoles, long tailed lizards and etc..)

The reason why I say an adult gecko, as opposed to a young hatchling, is because adult African fat tails and leopard geckos are much more calm, easy to handle and not so delicate as babies. You'll pay a bit more for adults but it is well worth it in the long run.

Even if your son does lose interest in the animal, it isn't something that requires a lot of attention; just feed it once day/every other day and clean the cage weekly.

Answer 3

"first let me say that the salmonella is not a threat when dealing with non-aquatic reptiles."

This is NOT true! I know of a veterinarian in the DC/Baltimore area that had a client contract salmonella. The Russian tortoise in the household tested positive for the same strain of salmonella. Do you consider iguanas "non-aquatic"? There are many documented cases of keepers or family members getting salmonella from iguanas. Even cats and dogs can be carriers, and there have been two or three localized outbreaks of salmonella from cats in the US in the last ten years.

Having said that, a lizard is the responsibility of the adult, not the child. Even small lizards have life spans of 3-5 years, and some such as bearded dragons live 8-12 years. Even an anole could end up costing up to $50 - $100 if set up properly.

Answer 4

It depends, I have a 5 year old son and as long as you keep a bottle of hand sanitizer by the cage and make him use it there should be no risk of him getting sick. Also I don't let my son take our pets out of there cages him self (but he is younger than you son) This helps reduce the stress on the animal. Plus I don't let him play with them unattended, EVER. As long as you are taking consideration for the animal almost any pet should work. If you are worried about you son becoming board with the animal. Take him to a few pet stores with you then, when you get home(or even the next day), have him draw what pet he wants. The more about the pet he remembers the more interested in it he is. This is what I did with my son. Hope that gives you an idea. If you can afford it I would recommend an Iguana. They are great for kids if you have the $, time and space.

Answer 5

first let me say that the salmonella is not a threat when dealing with non-aquatic reptiles. don't let it stop you from keeping reptiles. i don't know of any record of a keeper contracting and much less dying from salomanella from one of his/her reptiles.
anoles are far too delicate and easily stressed to be held frequently although they are very attractive and inexpensive(to buy, not to house and care for) ideally you should wait to get him a lizard until you can be sure he will be gentle and take care of it. if you have to get a lizard for him then a leopard gecko is usually a great begginer lizard but really the best first reptile for a child is a corn or kingsnake, ime. a lot of the time a lizard will try to escape when first picked up and the child usually trys to grab it before it can get away and will pull off the tail, you then end up with a very freaked out child holding a bloody wiggling tail that thinks he/she just killed their lizard and a lizard running around your house somewhere that won't last long. with snakes you don't have that problem, a 3 foot kingsnake is a lot easier to keep ahold of and usually are very calm, i've been keeping reptiles for over 12yrs and have never had an incident with children handling my kingsnakes. also snakes seem to be less affected by frequent handling that lizards, alot of lizards will not want to eat for awhile after being handled and if you've got a child that wants to handle his pet every day and might not be overly gentle then you could end up with a lizard that is too stressed out to eat regularly. a good idea would be to look around and figure out how much room you have to spare that can be dedicated to a reptile and then joining a forum dedicated to reptiles(like reptileforums.com)

Answer 6

There are a number of lizards available in pet stores that cost less than twenty dollars. All of them without exception require set-ups that will run you at least a hundred though. They will also need regular feedings of live food, crix, mealworms etc. Also in my experience no small lizard enjoys being handled.

May I suggest a plastic or rubber toy lizard for now. When your son is a little older and able to understand the needs of tiny animals, such as the need to feel secure in its cage and not constantly being stressed by grabby hands , you can try getting him a real lizard.

Answer 7

Also go to www.reptilerooms.com and do some reading. Many lizards require specific heat and light sources. Most need live prey like crickets and superworms, which also need to be cared for and fed properly to provide adequate nutrition. A corn snake or similar is easier, you can buy frozen prey and thaw, and they are very handleable and good natured. A heating pad under the tank, and no special lighting required.

Answer 8

seven yrs old is definitely young to have a lizard. Leopard geckos are great, they can be held but, shouldn't be held a lot. The thing is you have to hold them carefully. If they squirm (which they mostly do) and you end up pulling their tail (kind of an instinct to hold them) it can fall off pretty easily. It can then grow back so the gecko will be okay but, it really does need to be handled very gently. Also, 7 yrs old is very young to take responsibility for a pet. You will probably end up doing it all.

Answer 9

Hm, the obvious answer is gecko and anole, but I bet that's not the kind of reptile your looking for, because that answer is just sooo obvious. I'd suggest a bearded dragon, but do your own reasearch before deciding. let me just warn you, do NOT do NOT do NOT even THINK about an iguana, because it not for beginners, it is not inexpensive, and it needs a very large cage, that is, if you want to take care of it correctly :)

Answer 10

lizards, like any reptiles often carry salmenella. Not good for any kids, and especially not a handable pet. Sorry