Which lizard should I get?

[Blonc]

Hi guys,

This is my first foray into this section of this forum. I'm in the process of converting a corner aquarium to a vivarium and now I can't decide whether I should aim for leopard geckos or leopard lizards. The tank is a tallish, about 45-50 gallon, tank and my dear brother believes it's big enough for a pair of either species. I should state that he's the lizard keeper in the family and has 3 different species at home that are currently thriving (bearded dragons, leopard geckos, and one feisty uromastyx spp.) I love the look of both these lizards and was wondering which one you guys would recommend? I have read up on both of them and with a bit more DIY should be able to make a good home for either one.

thanks for any pointers,

Andreas G

 

[Mushroom Spore]

A tank THAT big could probably house more than a pair of leopard geckos. I'm not sure exactly how many, but a few (no more than one male, obviously). I've never even heard of leopard lizards before today, but after some Googling...

The leopard geckos won't need UVB light, nor will they need it to be quite as hot as the other species will. You won't have to dust their food (they will take what calcium powder they need from small dishes if you provide it), each will pick one corner to poop in and pretty much only do it there forever, you won't need to mist as they will drink from a water dish...I can't find anything on leopard lizard temperament, but leopard geckos are generally docile once they grow out of the spazzy baby stage.

Just don't let anyone talk you into using that calci-sand crap, and provide enough humid hides for all, and the geckos should be an awesome time. My vote for gecko.

 

[Blonc]

Well, I've already got uv-lighting for the tank so that's not a problem (I think even the geckos will do well with uv). One of the main reasons why I'm finding it difficult to choose between these two species is that the leopard lizards are active during daytime and while they can't be handled like the geckos (have you seen the jaws on them?), they've got an awesome attitude. The ones I've seen seemed completely convinced of their own superiority and probably thought they ruled all that they surveyed. That said, leopard geckos are beautiful in their own right and seem like hardy little beasties as long as you stay away from the more exotic morphs. The fact that they can be handled is really attractive as well. I just can't decide which to go for

 

[GailC]

I'd go with the leopard lizards. My aunt has some and with regular handling they tamed down fairly well, your cage is probably way too big for leos, since they don't climb a lot of space would get wasted.
You could also go for a arboreal species of gecko like cresties,gargoyles, tokays or satanic leaf geckos (the satanics are very cool)

 

[Blonc]

I have seen some really cool arboreal geckos but there is some difficulty in makeing a decent escape-proof lid for the tank. I would love to have a couple of crested geckos but I think I'll start off with terrestrials. Thanks for the heads-up though.

Andreas G