I Need a Recommendation...

[ColoradoRafter29]

Hey everyone. I just joined this community. I am going to get a reptile this summer when my bro goes to college cause he gets sick around reptiles and amphibians. So that gives me plenty of time to make the right choice and do proper research, ask questions, etc. Here is my first question. I want to get lots of recommendations on a reptile/amphibian for a first timer. I want clear answers please. Also no hurtful comments cause I just need some help. Thanks to all that take the time to answer!

 

[Poisoned1]

What kind of space are you looking for?
How much of an initial cost are you looking to spend?
How much time are you going to spend?

Tortoise is a good first time reptile so is a gecko.
Bearded dragon's are great but make sure you know what you are doing before acquiring one

 

[VEGASLIZARD]

Wow, that is a very open question. I think that the above post has some good questions for you. You need to decide how much time and money you want to spend on a pet. Pets like small snakes (corns, milks, balls) only need to be fed once a week can be handled daily or infrequently, so that would be the smallest amount of work and money. If you are looking for a pet that needs lots of attention like a beardies, or monitor type lizards and needs daily feedings, they are much more expensive and time consuming.
So I think the most important questions to ask yourself are:
how much space do you have ?
how much money do want to spend on taking care of your pet?
how much time do you have to spend with a pet?
Do you want a pet that is just nice to look at or do you want to be able to handle it and have it out of it's cage allot?
If you can answer those questions for us we can help you allot more. There are many of us on here that own or have owned many types of reptiles so we can help once we know you better.

 

[LadySkits]

Another thing to consider is if you're going to be traveling at all and for how long. It's kind of hard to find a place to board your herp in many cities so if you're going to be out of town at all, you might want to plan ahead of time before you buy a herp and find someone you trust who would be willing to care for your little friend. I recently was married and we had a really difficult time trying to find a place for our beardie to stay while we were on our honeymoon. Most airlines are NOT friendly to bringing a herp onboard like you can a cat or small dog.

Other than that, I'd research different behaviors, natural temperments, life expectancy (for example beardies usually live to be 10-12, so you'd plan to have it for at least that long) and differences in environmental needs. I chose a bearded dragon because they are very mild mannered, easy going, and they don't need quite as much moisture as some other types of herps. Also research how large each species you are considering will grow: if you live in a small apartment, you DO NOT want an iguana: stores hardly ever show you how large they get to be and in no time they will grow to 6 feet in length, need a cage about the size as your average shower, and eat a full human sized salad once a day. Anoles can live in very small cages on the other hand, but are not as easy to handle as other lizards. I chose my beardie because he can live in a 70 gallon cage and LOVES to sit on my shoulder. I hope this was maybe helpful to you!

 

[ColoradoRafter29]

Okay thanks for all the info. You guys really helped. I am thinking money wise about moderate cost. Like 500-1000 maybe. As for time wise, if I don't make the competitive baseball team then I will have a ton of free time. I also might try out for my middle school football team as a quarter back. I don't plan to travel much because as I said my bro is going to college. I am thirteen and still live my parents. I don't have very much space in my room, but I have things all planned out. I want to spend time each day holding it. I guess I answered all of your questions so thanks!

 

[VEGASLIZARD]

Well, if you are interested in a beardie you will need at least a 50 gallon long tank. Allot of us have 4' long x 2' wide x 2' tall enclosures for them. You can purchase a very nice beardie and a tank, lights, and decorations for what you are looking to spend. At 13, I would recommend a beardie that is at least 4 months old. Baby beardie's are very delicate and can get sick and die very easily. If you get one that has a little size to it or even an adult it will make taking care of it much easier. Since you have plenty of time to prepare you may want to consider starting a bug colony ahead of time for feeding. If your parents are cool with you having bugs, you can easily breed super worms and dubia roaches. They make great beardie feeders and if you get a colony up and running before you get your beardie you will cut down on your cost of taking care of it ALLOT.
I just bought a tegu for my 16 year old son. It is a much larger lizard that requires ALLOT of space, so you would probably want to steer clear of any monitor type lizards considering your space constraints, with the exception of maybe an ackie monitor that gets about the same size as a beardie.
If you are interested in a snake I would recommend a corn snake or a ball python for a beginner. Corns and Balls come in allot of different morphs (colors) They are calmer snakes than say a milk or a king snake that are more likely to bite. Plus neither get really big, so they could be happy in a 30-40 gallon tank their whole life. Also if you are interested in a snake there are certain kinds that can be kept together. I once saw a woman bring into a petstore what looked like a ball of corn snakes. It was really cool because they were all different colors and they were just clumped together happy as clams.
Allot of people on here have geckos, they can be held daily but are much shyer than a beardie. They also don't need allot of space, but do require allot of moisture.
Turtles can also make great pets, the terrestrial kind aren't hard to take care of, but make sure you know what you are getting. Some of the tiny little guys you can buy can grow as big as a truck tire! Of course this isn't going to happen overnight but it is a consideration, some turtles can also live for a VERY long time making them a lifelong commitment.

 

[Gail]

Really, from what you described, a beardie would be a good choice. They are generally super docile and very easy to handle. A 40 gallon breeder tank is another choice for caging, its a bit shorter then the 50 gallon but is wider.
On a side note, no species of snake should ever be kept together. Just like beardies, snakes can and will fight/kill each other, cause stress and breed too young.
Its weird, if you come to a pet specific site like this one, you often get not quite right info on other reptiles. I belong to a corn snake forum and all the members who also keep dragons, keep them wrong. They are often housed on aspen, kept with cage mates and generally don't look well. I guess the moral of that story is, get specific reptile advise from forums geared for that reptile.

 

[ColoradoRafter29]

Its weird, if you come to a pet specific site like this one, you often get not quite right info on other reptiles. I belong to a corn snake forum and all the members who also keep dragons, keep them wrong. They are often housed on aspen, kept with cage mates and generally don't look well. I guess the moral of that story is, get specific reptile advise from forums geared for that reptile.

Really, that part of the post wasn't necessary. :? VegasLizard you helped a lot. That doesn't mean that the others who posted didn't help cause they did. I was actually thinking about a Tegu or any other kind of monitor lizard that can get big. I am actually starting to think about a bearded dragon or crested gecko since I like both. Where is the best place to get these lizards besides from a petstore? Petland ticks me off because I overheard an employee telling a customer that sand is the best for a bearded dragon. Complete DUMMYS!

 

[VEGASLIZARD]

I am not sure about the geckos, but there are several reputable bearded dragon breeders that post baby's for sale on the for sale thread on here and also have websites. If you don't want to have a beardie shipped you can check to see when your next local reptile show is or try to find a breeder in your area. I didn't know it when we purchased Scorch, but have found two good small breeders who live in Vegas since we got her. You can also often find adult beardies on Craigs list for sale. Adopting/rescuing a beardie is a great thing, but be aware that they mightbe in bad condition from improper husbandry.

 

[Ruby2uesday]

good on you for researching before you buy!!!! i researched for almost 2 years before i finally got my Huego an i STILL felt like i wasn't prepared! LOL Good luck on your choice! They are like potatoe chips! You can never have just one!!! I'm trying to fend of my want for another! LOL

 

[VEGASLIZARD]

They are like potatoe chips! You can never have just one!!!

Well, I have managed to have just one beardie for the last year, but I have also convinced my husband to buy some vision cages at the reptile show that is coming to Vegas in December so I can help the local exotic pet store with the unhealthy rescues that they get in to get them back on track so they can be adopted.

 

[Ruby2uesday]

Well, I have managed to have just one beardie for the last year, but I have also convinced my husband to buy some vision cages at the reptile show that is coming to Vegas in December so I can help the local exotic pet store with the unhealthy rescues that they get in to get them back on track so they can be adopted.

whatever you gotta tell yourself! :twisted:

 

[VEGASLIZARD]

Well, actually I was agreeing with you that you just can't help but want more in your life. It is just in my nature to want to help out strays because that is what I did growing up. People still bring my mother every injured bird or baby that falls out of a nest. I have taken care of orphaned farel kittens that needed a bottle, a dog hit by a car and left for dead, a runt dog that the vet was sure wouldn't make it and of course tons of baby birds and strays of every sort. Just prefer the scaly sort now.

 

[pedrosis]

OK I have 2 leopard geckos, 1 BD & a corn snake so can give you a good comparison

The geckos you will hardly ever see as they are nocturnal & they are VERY fast & not very good to handle & when young can loose tails easily if you try to handle them, they will need feeding every day the same as a BD but dont require the same lighting, just a heat sorce & a light to let them know if its day or night.

BD as you will of read on here needs the proper UVB & heat & substrate but are far more handleable (ok my spelling is bad I think i just made that word up) and will be active during the day & a lot more rewarding to you than the gecko.

The corn snake is SO SO easy to look after! Nice big tank & some heat & UVB & give them a couple of mice once a week.

Anything you want to know about any of them then just PM me if you like

Hope this helps a bit

Pete

 

[ColoradoRafter29]

If you don't want to have a beardie shipped you can check to see when your next local reptile show is or try to find a breeder in your area. (sorry my quote turned out funny )


Yeah, the next reptile show for KS is on Sunday and I wanted to go but I have soccer. Anyways I can't get a lizard now because of my brother. I was kinda thinking about a corn snake and I still am. I am debating whether I want leopard geckos or something else. Would it be okay for me to get one at a store that is specifically designed for reptiles and amphibians. If so I want to check out a place called The House of Scales. I don't know if there is a vet specifically into herps, but when me and my mom took our dogs into the vet we go to, there was a albino snake that just got a check-up. Please answer quickly if you can. Thanks for the help!