new reptile

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May 25th, 2009 admin Leave a comment Go to comments

new reptile
Reptile Question: What lizard would you suggest for someone new to reptiles?

I'm thinking a bearded dragon or a gecko, maybe even a uromastyx or a green anole. What do you suggest? Also, can you reccomend a breeder or a site where I can get all the stuff I need?

An Iguana is NOT a beginner pet. Please disregard that poster's answer.

A Bearded Dragon can grow up to 22 inches, so they need a fairly large tank. A 40 gallon breeder tank is the bare minimum for 1 adult. Bigger tanks are always recommended. They need both a heat/basking lamp and a full spectrum UVB florescent light. Once you get all the needed items for the Bearded Dragon and set up the tank and correct temps, they make very easy, low maintenance pets. They learn to enjoy human contact and have wonderful personalities.

Leopard Geckos are basically the same. They only grow up to 8 inches, so they don't need quite as big of a tank. A 20 gallon long tank is suitable for a F/F pair or a M/F pair (only if you want babies). Although, even housing 2 females can be a hassle, so housing 1 is always the best choice. They are nocturnal so they don't need the FS UVB light. However, they need a red heat bulb for night time, or an under tank heater (or both). They don't need quite so high temps like Bearded Dragons do. The Gecko's tanks can stay in the 80s.

A Green Anole is perfect for a beginner lizard too. They are very small, with most of them not getting any bigger than 5 inches. 2 Green Anoles can be housed in a 10-20 gallon TALL tank. However the highest tank is always recommended because they are arboreal (tree dwellers). They also need a UVB source and a heat lamp.

For supplies there are many different online pet shops such as:

http://www.bigappleherp.com

http://www.LLLReptile.com

http://www.petmountain.com

and of course you can find unused, cheaper items on ebay. http://www.ebay.com

For breeders and more places to get supplies: http://www.kingsnake.com Click on Classifieds up at the top then scroll down and check out the links that interest you.

Whatever animal you do choose, please do all the proper research. Since you don't have prior reptile experience, I would read as many articles on the reptile you chose to become more familiar with it, before you buy it. Also, before you buy the reptile, buy ALL the required supplies (lights, food, tank accessories, etc) to properly house it. Set up the tank and establish the proper temps, then go and get your preferred reptile. This way you will be sure you can provide for your reptile 100%.

Good Luck, reptiles make wonderful pets.