good first time Gecko or Lizzard?

[JungleGuts]

does anyone have any suggestions on a good type of gecko or lizzard that wont get bigger than 6in and are good for beginners?

 

[Gigas]

6 inches eh umm if you are responsible enpugh to buy a uvb tube and replace it ever 7 months may I recomend a Green Anole, very pretty arboreal Lizards, i think females can be kept in grooups
The best beginner lizard IMO is a leopard gecko, seeing as they dont need special lighting but they get 10+"

 

[Sequin]

Many enthusiasts are quick to recommend leopard geckos. Thye are friendly and get a few inches larger then 6 inches. They don't require UVA/UVB or a large enclosure. IMO, they are often loaded with internal parasites. Of the 6 I've ever owned, all were purchased with parasites. So, while initially cheap, you'll probably end up shelling out alot more then the original price due to vet bills. If you aren't devoted enough to take your animals to a vet, don't start with a leo. Bearded dragons are also good starter lizards. Though, they will eventually need a larger enclosure and do require UVA/UVB lighting as well as high temperatures to mimic their desert environment

 

[Gigas]

Thats strange animal queen where did you get them from?> were they WC?

 

[bugs4life]

I just got my first geckos a few weeks ago, Gekko ulikovskii (Golden gecko). They're working out great so far, they're totally sweet. They get up around 7-8"
Leopard geckos are also really great, getting bigger than the goldies and have very pretty markings.
Whatever you end up choosing, good luck!

 

[Sequin]

Thats strange animal queen where did you get them from?> were they WC?

No, not at all. Four were CB from petshops, two were from personal breeders. I have spent over 500 dollars in vet bills in the last 7 months, and lost one female to severe liver damage due to ivermectin (Stupid medication I shouldn't of tried) Right now, I have one more female I'm struggling to feed. She's on two different medications. I've had her for over 2 years, and she very recently started declining in weight. After this experience, I will never purchase leos again. As much as I love the little buggers, they are just too frusterating.

 

[widow_cr]

as far as a first lizard? a leopard gecko is a good idea. it was one of my first. dont get a true gecko, that is any gecko from the genus gecko (can climb walls, and cannot close eyelids) they are often times very fast and escape atrists, and many like gecko gecko are biters. I think you should try callodes versicolor. also a good idea mite be a small species of skink. anoles are a cool beginner lizared and they are small and cheap, but they are also very fast and climb glass and are escape masters. I know that you said you wanted something that would only attain a size of six inches but I think one of the vewry best lizards for begginers is bearded dragons. if you ghet them right out of the egg they are tiny little guys and they wont even get to six inches for like a year. they will get much larger than six inches though eventually. but they are easily tameable and tolerate handling very well. also they are voracious eaters will take anything from mealworms to mice and also enjoy a good bit of salad. very interesting creatures. they make very funny little supplication gestures if you approach the glass to fast.

 

[Tcrazy]

My first was an anole and there really neat and fast little guys, there are many types of anoles anoles are also cheep and and very inexspensive to keep, green anoles cost about 6 bucks

 

[GailC]

My first was an anole and there really neat and fast little guys, there are many types of anoles anoles are also cheep and and very inexspensive to keep, green anoles cost about 6 bucks

Anoles might be cheap to buy but a proper set up isn't. They need a good UVB bulb and it must be replaced every 6 month. Also they require high humidity.

crested geckos aren't difficult, don't need UVB or extra heat (unless your house is really cold) and are fairly easy to handle.

 

[jarrell]

Im confused on how a "cb" leo can be filled with internal parasites. leos are good begginer geckos. next I would say bearded dragon which is more expensive and gets up to 24" long. Anoles arent great begginer lizards at all. If you thought leos had internal parasites these things are gut loaded. They need alot of space and are aboreal, males fight alot, and need high humidity.even though the setup is kinda simple it isnt easy.

 

[MidnightCootie]

Ive had MANY many leos. Not one has had parasite problems. Ive bred them and kept them for many years.
Sequin, I think you just had some really bad luck

 

[Scorp guy]

if you are very responsible and read a lot, get a blue tongue skink! mine died....got out in my bedroom, i cought him, yes, but he ate something he wasnt suposed to....

 

[dthbhk]

answering good first gecko

my first gecko is a leopard and it's a baby and very heavy eaters like I give mine four crickets a day and the net says to feed them up too ten but you can handle them and there very bright colored

 

[bugmankeith]

My only lizards were green anoles, and at the cheapest a proper setup cost no less than $200.00 Add food onto that along with replacing light bulbs each year, and substrate changes, and vitamin/calcium powder...

 

[Alissa]

I have to agree with Waldo that a crested gecko is a great first time lizard. Not too big, doesn't need supplemental heating or lighting, and can eat crickets as well as prepared diet (I like Clark's Crested Gecko diet). Not the best for handling, but certainly tolerant of it, and there isn't a reptile that I would recommend handling excessively anyway. I don't handle mine much except to feed it the prepared diet every couple of days.

I'd get one over anoles - they are cheaper for a reason (harder to take care of, etc.) And space won't be as big of a concern as you can set one up comfortably in a 10g vertical setup.

 

[FourDeadFish]

I typed this whole thing out yesterday, hit send and got a d@$% error message! Sorry for the delay…

Your choice in best “FIRST” lizard should very similar to choosing your next Tarantula: Do you want and arboreal or terrestrial species?

If you like an arboreal lizard, as mentioned above you really can’t beat a Crested gecko. Easy care and easy set-up, just like caging an Avicularia species, just a bit bigger.

Feeding is also no problem: They eat insects, fruit, pollen and nectar in the wild. Feed them roaches, crickets, mealworms, super worms, wax worms (they really love these) and pureed fruit jarred baby foods (apricot and peaches seem to be preferred). All of these items should be well dusted with calcium powder (including the baby foods, mix it in.)
No special lighting is required, but you do want to keep the humidity up a bit.

Terrestrial: Leopard Geckos are hands down the best: Housing is identical to Brachypelma spp. (but bigger) but you can use Calci-sand substrate instead of peat-moss once they are adults. (Paper towels for juvies.)
Dusted insect prey is ideal (all of the above work). Add a small petri dish of calcium powder for them to lick up for bone growth (particularly for egg laying females) is essential. CB Leopards should be free of major parasites, however super-infections with Coccidiosis are quite common if you don’t keep the cage clean.

I wouldn’t recommend a Bearded Dragon as a “FIRST” lizard pet, however many, many hobbiests started with these. I have seen far too many beardeds kept with improper lighting (they need UVB, fresh bulbs too), in too small of cages (about 6 sq.ft. min. per adult), improper basking sites (hot spot should near 95-100F, cool end 78-80F) and with improper diet (particularly in adults).

Far too often the adult beardies will TRAIN their keepers to feed them predominately insects. In the wild, most of their intake is actually vegetables matter. Insects only make up a small part of an adult’s diet in the wild. If you are still feeding your Bearded 3-4 dozen crickets at a sitting, you are not caring for it properly.
This and you can’t achieve the proper thermal gradient in a 20L aquarium! Six square feet is a MINIMUM however practically, to get a good gradient you’ll need a bit more room than this.

Another species recommended above is the Blue Tongue Skink (Tiliqua spp.). If you have the room for a larger cage (6 sq.ft. or so) these are FABULOUS and highly recommended “FIRST” lizard pets. They are intelligent, engaging animals. Care couldn’t be easier. Feed them large roaches, canned low-fat cat foods and greens. All of these should be liberally dusted to ensure proper Ca intake. Basking spots are needed but the gradient doesn’t need to be as wide (80F cool zone, 95F hot), but the UVB is (perhaps, a matter of debate) not. I always kept UVB bulbs over mine (should’ve never sold them), but I wasn’t particularly religious about changing the bulbs out every 6 months.

The choice is really up to you.
Sincerely,
Paul E. Turley

 

[Mushroom Spore]

but you can use Calci-sand substrate

DON'T DO THIS.

Calci-sand does NOT digest, it does not dissolve in their stomachs or whatever the company claims, it is NOT a good dietary supplement (though the lizards will chow down on it even more if they're lacking calcium, which just makes the impaction risks worse)...it can essentially turn the poor animal's stomach into a sand brick and kill them. No, it doesn't *always* happen, but if you find that an acceptable risk, that's your business.

Some sort of washed play sand or whatever it is people use would be safer, though not perfect. Reptile carpet or the like would be best. But at least with the play sand, they'll stick to eating calcium powder for their nutrients!

I just read an account the other day that Calci-sand was originally marketed for birds, but because of all the impaction problems and complaints, they decided to switch to a new market: reptiles.

 

[FourDeadFish]

I've heard of reports of impaction with play sand as well, so I guess it's somewhat debatable. Either way the cause isn't the substrate, it's a calcium deficiency in the animal triggering them to ingest the substrate.

I've kept Leopard Geckos on both substrates and have never had impaction problems. I have however always dusted their prey items and provided a petri-dish of calcium powder (which they do use often).

Sincerely,
Paul E. Turley

 

[Mushroom Spore]

I have however always dusted their prey items and provided a petri-dish of calcium powder (which they do use often).

I've heard they will sometimes eat the sand by accident while grabbing crickets--have you ever seen this? :?

 

[FourDeadFish]

Absolutely.

I am going ot have to fish around a bit regarding the Calci-sand. I didn't post to debate the merits or problems with it. I posted to provide an overview of excellent "FIRST" lizard pets and to provide a bit on insight into their keeping.

I have used it with no problems. Small amount of ingestion shouldn't (IME: doesn't) cause a problem in a healthy animal, it'll pass. Same is said with play sand(silica mostly).

However, if the animal is suffering from a calcium deficiency, they will actively eat unusual quantities of whatever substrate is available to try to fullfill it's lack of calcium. Then impaction will be a problem regardless.