Good starter herp for a kid?

[Reitz]

My younger sister (13) wants to get her first reptile. She wants a lizard, and I thought a leo would be good, but after looking in to them I'm having my doubts. They have to be fed more than once a week--this is too much for her. They also can live for 20 years. If my sister deceids that she doesn't like keeping herps I don't want her stuck with something till she's 33. However, I don't know that there is anything alive that fits the bill. She wants something pretty, something she can hold (that isn't too bitey or skittish), something that's relativly easy to keep so that she doesn't have to find a sitter during week long holidays, and something that only lives about 5 yrs as an adult. I recomended a male Rose Hair, but I don't think a T would be as handelable has she'd like.

Any thoughts?

Oh, one more thing, it can't cost more than $50.

Chris

 

[BigSam]

corn snake or Ball python

Sam,

 

[Lycanthrope]

well for starters leos dont really live 20 years very often. i cant think of any handleable lizards that will thrive being fed once a week, maybe someone else can. if thats an iron clad rule id say get a snake, a king or cornsnake. if those get too large, a cb garter or ribbon snake would do nicely.

 

[conipto]

House Gecko

When it dies, you go spend another 5 bucks. The goldfish of the herp world

Bill

 

[Phillip]

A corn or most of the kings and milks would fit the bill nicely. You aren't going to find a lizard that feeds just once per week. Overall the snakes are far easier to keep as well.

Phil

 

[Reitz]

Thanks everyone. How long do corns live? And in everyone's opinon, is 13 old enough? She's fairly responsible, but still very much 13.

Chris

 

[Craig]

I agree with Phil. I'd also like to suggest rat snakes. they are very fun. some seem to be kind of high strung though.

 

[Phillip]

Corns can reach 25 plus years and some have even produced fertile eggs past that age.

Phil

 

[Wade]

Although the suggested snakes are all good choices (exept the garters and ribbons, which are nasty tempered animals), I think it's a mistake to dismiss the leopard gecko so quickly. IMO, it's the best all-around pet for the beginner reptile keeper. Here's some of it's qualities:

1. It will never outgrow a ten gallon aquarium or large critter keeper (unlike corns, kings and balls).

2. It does not have any special lighting requirements (unlike most other popular lizards).

3. A heat pad or small heat lamp on one end is all it needs temerature wise.

4. They are generally not nervous or bitey and tolerate handling quite well (although some individuals may be exceptions).

5. While they should be fed more than once a week, they feed on insects, that you no doubt have around anyway. Leaving it alone for a week without feeding while you go on vacation is no problem at all, provided it has water.

6. They have been captive bred for years and are available cheaply (babies usually around $20).

7. They could be an easy breeding project if your sister wanted to go the next step.

8. Multiple females may be kept together.

9. If you (or she) ever gets tired of it, you will have no problem selling it back to a pet store or finding a hobbyisy who'll give it a good home. They're always in demand.

10. They are easy to keep clean because they always poop in the same spot. I keep re-editing when I think of something else!

I could go on. Really, they're a great first pet for kids.

Wade

 

[skinheaddave]

What Wade forgot to mention is that if they DO hiss in anger it is a bone-chilling sound that will make you fear for your life -- and then burst into laughter.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Valael]

I actually did the same thing you're doing with my brother.

He wanted a lizard. I ended up getting him a Leopard Gecko (A beautiful one, too. I'm not a fan of the dark yellow/orange ones you usually see a Petco. This one is a fairly bright yellow, almost neon-like. And a black stripe down the back.)

They're very undemanding and amazingly docile (Most herps you have to handle fairly regularly or they'll get pissy when you pick them up. The Leopard gecko will certainly object to it, but he calms down quickly.)


And as Wade said, you can go a couple days without feeding them if need be.



Otherwise, snake wise, I might have to recommend a Pueblan Milk Snake. Beautiful coloration, a bit smaller than Kings and Corns, and not as nippy as a garter (Although not as tame as a corn, either.)

 

[Wade]

Originally posted by skinheaddave
What Wade forgot to mention is that if they DO hiss in anger it is a bone-chilling sound that will make you fear for your life -- and then burst into laughter.

Cheers,
Dave

Yes, it is the most hilarious and cute defensive response I've ever seen. My adults don't do it, but whenever i go t take hatchlings out of the incubator...

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

 

[Lycanthrope]

(exept the garters and ribbons, which are nasty tempered animals)

wild caught specimens do tend to be musky/nippy, but i have yet to have any of the CB individuals we carry strike, musk, or even look at me funny. in fact ill be buying the oldest one this week for getting all A's on her report card.

 

[Wade]

OK, I'll buy that, (although I still think the leo is the better choice for a kid's first herp) but I think most of the ones I see in the trade are wild collected.

Are CB garters good for handling? I've always found garters to be beuitiful and interesting as display animals, especially when they hunt for fish, but even if they don't bite or musk they're still somewhat spastic and nervous when picked up. I don't have much experience with CB ones, however.


Wade

 

[Hamadryad]

I dont recommend Ball Pythons at all...

Well,
I have two Ball Pythons and I am rather narrowly specializing in their husbandry and biology and I am finding out that they are rather more demanding to care for than you would think.I believe at this point that Ball Pythons really need a lot of specialized attention paid to there humidity/heat and feeding and with out this they fail to thrive.They also have very long life spans with one reported specimen attaining an age of 47 years old.So they are indeed a long term commitment that I would not recommend dropping on a 13 year old kid.Perhaps as has been said a nice Leopard Gecko would be perfect.I have no experience with these herps ( I DO have a Tokay Gecko....) but I did handle one of my friends Leopards and it was totally docile and very slow moving.A very neat lizard I thought.....

The Evil Spider Hunter

 

[Lycanthrope]

ive currently got 3 at the shop, it seems like the bigger they are the calmer, because the largest accepts handling like a champ, the one considerably smaller is mostly calm, but sudden fast movements make it squirm briefly, and the baby is prone to being jumpy, but not to the point of being unhandleable. just like you get with your typical baby king, but without all the biting and tailshaking. my experience with WC garters has been that they musk first, and if that doesnt work they get bitey.