# Lizard for a 10 year old boy? Suggestions.



## whitewolf (Jun 17, 2009)

Ok. Well I got a call last night from a friend of mine. Her nephew wants a pet. To be specific a lizard but nothing specific. Of course his B-Day is coming up and he has been doing great in school so mom has given him the OK. Downer no T's and no snakes. We she called me knowing I'll do some research and tell her what he needs. I know virtually nothing about lizards since I've been scared of them most of my life. I had a very aggresive female iguana when I was younger. Holding only five line skinks from the garden and my new beardies.  Thanks Moose9 losing my fear faster than I thought loving these silly little guys.

Input and Care sheets

This is what we were discusing last night:
Crested geko= no nothing about how are they about handeling
Beardie= Cost of care requirements could be an issue
Iguana= Size and attitude could become an issue
Lepord geko= Too small

*He wants something small now that will eventually get at least 12 inchs. Slow growing fast growing not an issue.

*He is a beginner and fairly responsible. So beginner level med-min care.

*Something he can requlary hold with out being bit we don't want him afraid to pick it up.

*Something commonly not extremly expensive. Cost is an issue. It and requirements.


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## ThomasH (Jun 17, 2009)

whitewolf said:


> Crested geko= no nothing about how are they about handeling
> Beardie= Cost of care requirements could be an issue
> Iguana= Size and attitude could become an issue
> Lepord geko= Too small


Crested geckos are smaller than leopard geckos. I can't think of anything really that would fit your requirements in the lizard spectrum. There are plenty of snakes to chose from though.
TBH


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## kupo969 (Jun 17, 2009)

ThomasH said:


> Crested geckos are smaller than leopard geckos. I can't think of anything really that would fit your requirements in the lizard spectrum. There are plenty of snakes to chose from though.
> TBH


Yep. I honestly think a leopard gecko fits the bill.


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## dragontears (Jun 17, 2009)

I would recommend a blue tongue skink.  They get fairly large (grow fast - mostly within the first year).  There are various species, but some of them are usually very docile, friendly, and hardy.  They are also awake during the day, so they are on the same schedule as care giver.  Price ranges by species and whether you buy WC or CB.  Obviously WC will most likely be aggressive, so CB would be recommended.  You can expect to pay between $75 and $150 for most of the more common species depending on age, location, etc.  Set up requirements are fairly expensive initially, but then go down to next to nothing after the initial.  Food is easy as they are omnivores and eat a lot of the same foods that most people have around the house.

Down sides:
they live a long time (20 years or so), so if this is a kid that is likely to loose interest in a few months, this probably isn't the lizard for him.
they require a decent amount of space.  They don't need height, but the  surface area for them to wander around in should be fairly large.  A 40 gallon breeder sized tank works well.


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## codykrr (Jun 17, 2009)

in my honest opinion...lizrds are bad pts for kids...not a whole lot of variety....there usually small or big...require lots of care(usually) and are expensive up front.

but hat being said.  i would say if he truely wants a lizard the best for any kid would have to be a beardie....big...friendly..and most enjoy being handled. now if cost is a issue then theres really only  option....lepord gecko...

now i dont have any experience with  tegu's but here there great pets. or a uromastix(spelling?) but i here they can also be pricey.


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## whitewolf (Jun 17, 2009)

kupo969 said:


> Yep. I honestly think a leopard gecko fits the bill.


Kinda what I was thinking. Hard to pick a pet without knowing how much intrest mom is going to put in. Sad thing is I'll prop email this girl care sheets and what not and damn thing will end up dead with short cuts and improper care or at my house. Never delt with this kiddo so I dunno what he's like. I know his aunt though and it can be ify. Sure in two days she'll know "everything about care for a...." Likes to tell me about dog handeling and T's. Eventhough I was a pro handler in Dog shows and own T's while she is scared of them. See what I can dig up maybe talk her into a hamster or something


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## ThomasH (Jun 17, 2009)

whitewolf said:


> Kinda what I was thinking. Hard to pick a pet without knowing how much intrest mom is going to put in. Sad thing is I'll prop email this girl care sheets and what not and damn thing will end up dead with short cuts and improper care or at my house. Never delt with this kiddo so I dunno what he's like. I know his aunt though and it can be ify. Sure in two days she'll know "everything about care for a...." Likes to tell me about dog handeling and T's. Eventhough I was a pro handler in Dog shows and own T's while she is scared of them. See what I can dig up maybe talk her into a hamster or something


Your call, but I'd rather see kids interested in herps than rodents. Just for the sake of not having us overregulated or knowing that over his life time he will kill every snake that he finds outside.
TBH


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## EightLeggedFrea (Jun 17, 2009)

Of those mentioned, a leopard or crested gecko may be the best options. They are both nocturnal to begin with and don't require specific bulbs like most other lizards. Though my exp with lizards is kind of limited, I currently only have an adult leo. I've heard beardies can be good be they are costly in price and need a fair amount of monitoring, almost like a child. Blue-tongued skinks, I here, are the same but evidently don't require as much monitoring. IDK, frogs are more my specialty in the way of herps. Hope you do find something that works for you.


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## kupo969 (Jun 17, 2009)

I wouldn't get a kid a frog. I'm sure he would want to pet it and frogs are not creatures to pet, IMO.


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## whitewolf (Jun 17, 2009)

ThomasH said:


> Your call, but I'd rather see kids interested in herps than rodents. Just for the sake of not having us overregulated or knowing that over his life time he will kill every snake that he finds outside.
> TBH


Yes but I'd rather not see any animal end up dieing because of lack of care. One day when you have kids you'll understand.  

Anyway tried to sway her toward snake said mom is a no go to scared. Said mom like the little leo pictures she found so leaning her towards that if she must have it. Wish for the best guys.


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## bigdog999 (Jun 17, 2009)

Based on your requirements, I'd say a Chinese Water dragon.  Easy to care for, get medium size, ie bigger than a leopard gecko, but smaller than an iguana. Don't usually bite


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## JC50 (Jun 17, 2009)

I would also have to recommend a Water Dragon.My son has one and it has been an awesome pet and very social. They do require special lighting for proper care,but the cost of the bulb or bulbs is minimal and its not like your buying them every other week.They seem to feed well on crickets and meal worms and really do make a great pet that does not get overly large and generally remains friendly and social.
 Their were a lot of other great suggestions also,but you must choose what works for you.Best of luck with your choice of pets.


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## JC (Jun 17, 2009)

Well I see three categories here. Taking into consideration we really know nothing about how dedicated or serious the boy will be, here are three different lizards for three different people.

1) Bearded Dragon- Pretty much the full experience. This lizard for someone who is genuinely interested and dedicated to taking care of their animals. 

Pros:
Grows to a good handleable size, very fun to watch a play, super docile and wont run away. 

Cons:
Requires lighting and bigger enclosures.This guy can EAT!

2)Crested Gecko- Good first pet for the inexperienced. 

Pros:
Can be kept in a good sized enclosure. Not super reclusive. Can be fed LGD, so no worries concerning purchasing insects. Does not get too big. Very handleable, but watch the tail.

Cons:
Watch the humidity. Not really active during the daytime.

3)Leopard Gecko: Easiest to care for. 

Pros: 
Diet consists of cheap mealworms with no problems. Mealworms can also be farmed at home to save some money. Can be kept in a relatively small enclosure. Requires only very basic needs to be happy. Very colorful. Usually cheaper than the previously mentioned.

Cons:
Very reclusive. Jumpy and does not really want to be handled as much. Also not active during the day. Watch the tail.

The best way to choose a pet lizard is to find out what the owner(s) value most from the pet.


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## Rick & Brandy (Jun 18, 2009)

If he is responsable, I highly recomend the Beardie! I will say this however, just like many many others this could become an addiction! The Beardie gives the whole lizard world without the attitude. (Yes there are some out there that are a bit mean, you dont find them much! And with proper handeling and attention they can calm down.) I have 3 right now, 1 of them I got already grown and there is realy no difference. As tiny hatchlings they are a little less hardy. I would say to get one that is already about 6-8 weeks old. So, yes my #1 recomended lizard to anyone is the Beardie. The biggest hult for people is usualy the live crickets they need. But they are totaly worth it!!!


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## skippy (Jun 18, 2009)

i wouldn't recommend a water dragon simply because of the caging requirements. they are very difficult to take care of properly.

beardies are great: hardy, tame, entertaining etc.

have you considered a uromastyx? they reach a manageable yet impressive size and eat vegetables almost exclusively. they also get their moisture from their food so daily watering is not necessary. the only downside is that they have high temperature requirements.


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## whitewolf (Jun 18, 2009)

She decided she only had about a 100 to spend all the way around and talked him into a little packman this morning. She took him to a LPS to see what they look like and the lady let him feed it. He fell in love with it and decided to wait and get a something later when he can read up and find out what all they need. Said lady was nice made him a care sheet and gave him some crickets to take home. Since she bought the setup and packmans are well pretty cheep lady gave him the pacman for his B-Day.:clap: Glad with her budget he picked something easy to start out with.


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## kupo969 (Jun 18, 2009)

A couple of pointers:

- Don't handle unless completely needed
- Please don't use moss/rocks. Only use coco fiber/sifted sphagnum peat moss/ all organic potting soil (no chemicals or anything really), these frogs do ingest substrate when eating.
- Use an infrared bulb or ceramic heat emitter for heat. They cannot see these and will drop their stress level.
- Mice should only be fed once every 1-2months.
- Feed it and watch it be fat! Enjoy!


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## BIG D3Z (Aug 29, 2009)

im looking into getting a lizard myself.  ive had leopard  geckos before and they are quite boring during the day because they sleep a lot (they are nocturnal).  i have to admit they are cute and fun to play with mine was very happy to be handeled and ofter sat and slept on my shoulder while i was on the computer or reading.  i do love these guys but now i am looking into a beardie.  beardies are a more loving type of lizard.  they get used to you quick and are probably the sweetest type.   im hoping to get mine within the next few weeks but that's my opinion.  if you have time to spare, when i get my beardie il give you a review on hi9m and let oyu know what i think if that would help but if it were up to me (and im still a kid) beardie is the way to go especially if the kid wants to have a lizard that wil get big because leopard geckos dont get nearly as big as beardies!


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## t-lover (Aug 29, 2009)

im sorry but i would never recomend a water dragon to a newbie because they get 3' long need a pretty big cage and even if you have anything right it could still die i have heard lots of people say they dont know what happend they spent lots of money to get every thing they needed and it still died i have one now and i am going to put him in a 6't-4'l-3'w cage with a huge pool at the bottom and lots of climbing materiel.


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## dtknow (Aug 31, 2009)

Plus they are usually WC...and these guys don't do to well through the process.

African plated lizard(Gerrhonotus) would have fit the bill. Various species of different sizes...up to about 2 feet. Easy, and can be tame...and even as WC usually acclimate quite well.


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