Looking for a new lizard

[Nir Avraham]

I'm looking for a lizard or 2, to keep in a terrarium that's empty right now...
70X30X30 (cm)- that's the size of the terrarium. I don't want a leopard gecko or a bearded dragon...
I want a lizard that's not going to be big, not over 25 cm. A lizard that I can hold in my hands without any problem. A lizard that I can feed once a week (like my leopard geckos, I just put 200 meal worms in their dish every week), I prefer a lizard that can eat mostly meal worms because I don't keep crickets. And the last thing- a lizards that is not too expensive, 100-150$ for an adult...

Which lizard can fit in the terrarium that I have? I'm thinking about flame bellied girdle tailed lizard maybe...

 

[basin79]

I'm looking for a lizard or 2, to keep in a terrarium that's empty right now...
70X30X30 (cm)- that's the size of the terrarium. I don't want a leopard gecko or a bearded dragon...
I want a lizard that's not going to be big, not over 25 cm. A lizard that I can hold in my hands without any problem. A lizard that I can feed once a week (like my leopard geckos, I just put 200 meal worms in their dish every week), I prefer a lizard that can eat mostly meal worms because I don't keep crickets. And the last thing- a lizards that is not too expensive, 100-150$ for an adult...

Which lizard can fit in the terrarium that I have? I'm thinking about flame bellied girdle tailed lizard maybe...

A 70x30x30 is miles too small for a flame bellied. Miles.

A varied diet is also far and away better for a lizard.

Your opening post reads like you'd like a lizard but can't really be bothered to look after one. Well that's how my head sees it.

 

[Ghost56]

A crested gecko sounds like it'd fit the bill, minus the once a week feeding.

 

[schmiggle]

In general, you don't want to be feeding too many mealworms to a lizard unless you figure out a way to dust them with calcium, because their Ca/P ratio is far bellow what it needs to be for a vertebrate (I've tried to dust them to feed my salamanders, and I've never gotten it to stick to their cuticles). Maybe you could gut-load instead (to bring the Ca/P ratio from .14 to 1 at least), but you have to be careful, because they will usually re-establish the original ratio within 24 or 48 hours (I can't remember which).

I'm not much of a lizard person, but I would also assume that insect eaters tend to eat more than once a week. Given that each meal is going to be smaller for an insect eater in the wild, they should tend to be adapted to have smaller meals more often. The lizards I know of that eat less frequently are certain monitor lizards and Heloderma, all of which specialize on vertebrates. All of which being said, you may have trouble finding something that will be able to survive on mealworms once a week.

 

[Nir Avraham]

I don't think you got me right. I have a big reptile colletion and I'm keeping reptiles for about 13 years.
I'm using meal worms, super worms and 2 speices of cockroaches as food.
When I said that I'm feeding the lizards once a week, I ment that I put about 200 meal worms in the dish, and they eat them during the week. I'm feeding leopard geckos only on meal worms for years now with a lot of success. I'm adding Calicum too as well.
And, I'm just asking if you can help me find a lizard that could be good for me, how can you know if I'm not looking after one? I'm just asking for help. I know there are a lot of small gecko species and I just want to know what you're all thinking.

 

[schmiggle]

I don't think you got me right. I have a big reptile colletion and I'm keeping reptiles for about 13 years.
I'm using meal worms, super worms and 2 speices of cockroaches as food.
When I said that I'm feeding the lizards once a week, I ment that I put about 200 meal worms in the dish, and they eat them during the week. I'm feeding leopard geckos only on meal worms for years now with a lot of success. I'm adding Calicum too as well.
And, I'm just asking if you can help me find a lizard that could be good for me, how can you know if I'm not looking after one? I'm just asking for help. I know there are a lot of small gecko species and I just want to know what you're all thinking.

Apologies for taking you wrong, then. There's that statistic that a vast majority (I think 90%) of people who get a reptile end up abandoning it/throwing it away/giving it away, so it's easy to misunderstand people.

I assume that your lizards would have developed calcium defficiency already if they were going to, so I'm genuinely curious how you supplement calcium. I was, as I said, never able to dust mealworms. Do you dust the cockroaches instead? Also, you could probably use cockroaches instead of crickets for just about anything, I imagine, rather than worrying about it eating mealworms.

Is the terrarium's largest dimension tall or long? I think that's a pretty important concern.

If it's tall, you could go for a Carolina anole or, if you're feeling more adventurous, a satanic leaf-tailed gecko although you'll have trouble holding those. I have also seen an article by a person who kept pygmy chameleons in a glass terrarium, although I know they are usually supposed to be kept in net cages (any glass chameleon terrarium at least needs the circulation afforded by a grating below the door). Again, you couldn't really hold a chameleon. If it's long, maybe a brown anole, or Bibron's gecko if it seems sufficiently different from a leopard gecko.

I suspect others have better suggestions.

 

[leaveittoweaver]

I also agree with a crested gecko. Or you could get a picture gecko, they're neat.

 

[leaveittoweaver]

Apologies for taking you wrong, then. There's that statistic that a vast majority (I think 90%) of people who get a reptile end up abandoning it/throwing it away/giving it away, so it's easy to misunderstand people.

I assume that your lizards would have developed calcium defficiency already if they were going to, so I'm genuinely curious how you supplement calcium. I was, as I said, never able to dust mealworms. Do you dust the cockroaches instead? Also, you could probably use cockroaches instead of crickets for just about anything, I imagine, rather than worrying about it eating mealworms.

Is the terrarium's largest dimension tall or long? I think that's a pretty important concern.

If it's tall, you could go for a Carolina anole or, if you're feeling more adventurous, a satanic leaf-tailed gecko although you'll have trouble holding those. I have also seen an article by a person who kept pygmy chameleons in a glass terrarium, although I know they are usually supposed to be kept in net cages (any glass chameleon terrarium at least needs the circulation afforded by a grating below the door). Again, you couldn't really hold a chameleon. If it's long, maybe a brown anole, or Bibron's gecko if it seems sufficiently different from a leopard gecko.

I suspect others have better suggestions.

Pygmy chams have to be kept in glass, that's why that article said that. They need to be kept very different from other chameleons. They are very sensitive though, wouldn't recommend if OP wants to handle the lizard.

 

[schmiggle]

Pygmy chams have to be kept in glass, that's why that article said that. They need to be kept very different from other chameleons. They are very sensitive though, wouldn't recommend if OP wants to handle the lizard.

Ah, thank you! I've never tried, I looked into keeping a chameleon for a while but the only ones that live long enough for me are massive.

I also agree with a crested gecko. Or you could get a picture gecko, they're neat.

Don't crested geckos need a significant amount of fruit in their diets? I would have suggested these for a tall terrarium, but the OP seemed to only want to feed insects. Admittedly, those pre-made diets like repashy make it pretty easy to transition if you want to.

Also, what is a picture gecko? It's a name that's hard to use a search engine for.

 

[leaveittoweaver]

Ah, thank you! I've never tried, I looked into keeping a chameleon for a while but the only ones that live long enough for me are massive.


Don't crested geckos need a significant amount of fruit in their diets? I would have suggested these for a tall terrarium, but the OP seemed to only want to feed insects. Admittedly, those pre-made diets like repashy make it pretty easy to transition if you want to.

Also, what is a picture gecko? It's a name that's hard to use a search engine for.

Sorry, stupid auto correct, I meant Pictus Gecko. Yes, creatives need a powder diet that you add water to, I use Pangea Crested Gecko diet, and you can feed them insects as well. I assumed the OP wouldn't mind that since it's super easy.

 

[GingerC]

My vote goes to crested geckos. They're honestly one of the easiest pets to keep- like, tarantula level easy. They can be kept at room temperature (high sixties to low eighties in Fahrenheit), they don't really need a hide if they have enough plant cover, and the formulated diets made by Repashy and Pangea are incredibly convenient. A large bag of Pangea costs $20, but it really does last a long time, and it's nutritionally complete so you never have to supplement. If you do decide to feed any insects, make sure they're always dusted with calcium, and be aware that some hard-shelled insects have been known to cause impactions.

They're easy to handle, but even the tamest crested gecko loves to jump. Fortunately, they're pretty good at it- I've heard of geckos leaping out second story windows and carrying on as if nothing happened! If you scoop them up under the belly and tilt them backwards, they usually hold on. Some geckos are content to rest on your arms and shoulders, but others are always climbing.