Looking for a typical lizard species...

[lizardminion]

So, I'm thinking about my next reptile and I'm going to consider my family members, so I'm not going to surprise anybody by bringing home another snake. (My ball python is doing quite fine, by the way, and he's gained some weight - he was thin when I received him)
Anyway, I'm thinking about getting a small, often available and affordable, lizard. Now, before I settle for any geckos, I'm asking if anyone knows some good species of other more "typical" lizards. (such as true lizards or from other families - although don't be quick to jump to skinks, please.) This is mainly considering their appearance, as I would prefer something that looked more like your stereotypical lizard. (Which would probably include lizards from Iguana(infraorder), Teiidae(family), Lacertidae(family), and several others) I don't have much space available, probably enough room for another 20 - 30 gal terrarium. I would like a species that generally falls under a more affordable price range and wouldn't require me to drive all the way out to Dallas or El Paso. (i.e., is more common and available) I would like a moderately small species- not too small though. A snout-to-vent length no longer than 6 inches, preferably 3 - 5 inches, would be appreciated. I would also like a species moderately handleable. I know how to avoid breakable tails, so that isn't a concern. And that means no anoles. If I lived in Europe, I would have settled for the green lizard, (Lacerta viridis) if that helps. If there is such a counterpart to this species available in the North American trade, then let me know.
I'm currently looking into grass lizards. I do quite fancy this species as they seem highly interesting, albeit an under-looked species. The only thing I don't quite like about this species is their tendency to be a little too small, although excluding their tail length.
Thanks,
-Ryan

 

[Aviara]

Unfortunately, all small to medium-sized species that can be easily handled and kept in a 20- to 30-gallon enclosure, are geckos. At least I can't think of any other lizard that would fit the description. I would not consider handling grass lizards much if at all, as I believe they are too fast and delicate. I don't know why you wouldn't want a gecko though, they make great pets and if you get the right species, they are easy to find and very easy to handle. Crested geckos, leopard geckos, and possibly gargoyle geckos, could all work for a beginner. Any of the crested geckos and leopard geckos I have owned have been "friendly", adapting well to handling, and both have simple care requirements.

If you want more of a challenge, a white-lined gecko or a tokay gecko could fit in a 30 gallon, depending on the specific gecko's size. However, these species are both defensive, skittish, and prone to biting. Both can be tamed down to accept handling, but it would not be easy.

Unfortunately, most of the smaller, common lizards will not tolerate handling. House geckos, anoles, and non-giant day geckos all come to mind as common small "display" lizards, however handling can injure them and they can be quite fast. I am sure someone else can suggest other species that may fit your description, but don't be so fast to disregard geckos as good pet reptiles!

 

[cantthinkofone]

I know what you are looking for and i have found a possible solution. A female brown anole. of all the anole i have worked with (about 10) brown anole were my favorite. but you would have to get a female. male brown anoles are jumpy. my female that i am personally keeping is easy to handle and seems to enjoy it. besides that you are stuck with geckos. Gargs are my first choice as i keep some and they are quite awesome. cresteds would be second. im not a leopard gecko fan. WAY to many people have them and every time i go to a show it seems like the leopard geckos and ball pythons have taken over. im sorta sick of seeing thousands of leopard geckos but only one scorpion (true story)

 

[jayefbe]

These do get larger than you were thinking, but I think uromastyx are a very cool lizard that make good pets. A 4' enclosure seems to be desirable for an adult, but other than geckos or some chameleon species, I can't think of any other smaller lizard that I'd personally want as a pet.

http://www.deerfernfarms.com/Uromastyx_Care.htm

 

[lizardminion]

I know what you are looking for and i have found a possible solution. A female brown anole. of all the anole i have worked with (about 10) brown anole were my favorite. but you would have to get a female. male brown anoles are jumpy. my female that i am personally keeping is easy to handle and seems to enjoy it. besides that you are stuck with geckos. Gargs are my first choice as i keep some and they are quite awesome. cresteds would be second. im not a leopard gecko fan. WAY to many people have them and every time i go to a show it seems like the leopard geckos and ball pythons have taken over. im sorta sick of seeing thousands of leopard geckos but only one scorpion (true story)

I always though all anoles weren't handleable. Such as green aloes- nobody can ever pick these up. But can brown aloes really be tamed? Are there any vids or pic collections to support this claim? I'm hopeful!

@Aviara: I always have geckos in mind, and if I can't find what I'm looking for, I'm going to invest in a pair of leopard geckos, or panther geckos.

 

[Aviara]

I'm sure you could hand-tame an anole, whether brown or green. Most lizard species will adapt over time to handling, it is just a matter of how tolerant they are, and in some cases how fragile/fast they are. I recommend crested and leopard geckos because they usually come either calm enough to handle, or can easily be "taught" to accept handling - however I'm sure with a little time and patience you could get a brown anole to accept it too, same for the grass lizard or green anole. Different people will have different opinions, of course. I have heard of people who love handling Tokay geckos, but then again there are also people who love handling OBTs and pokies and venomous snakes. In the end it's your animal, and only you can decide what qualities are most important to you

 

[awesome17]

A uromastyx would be cool.

 

[Dom]

xenagama taylori are pretty sweet.
Chilean dwarf tegu might fit the bill but I'm not sure if they're still being exported.