Lizards for Kids

[alessia55]

I have a family friend who has two young children- 8 and 10 years old. I will be taking them to their first reptile expo 3 weeks from now. Their mom is considering allowing them to have a small pet. They are reluctant to deal with frozen/live rodents, or any live bugs. I'm not very good at knowing what lizards would fit the qualifications they're asking...
1. Does not eat rodents/bugs.
2. Can live in a 20 gal tank.
3. Easy to handle.
Any ideas? The only thing that comes to mind is a crested gecko that eats that gecko powder-mush diet.

[snake man12]

I am thinking crested gecko or an anole.
You could probably go catch an anole in your backyard.

[alessia55]

I am thinking crested gecko or an anole.
You could probably go catch an anole in your backyard.

One day I'll video tape what it's like to walk on my driveway. Every time I go out to my car, MINIMUM 50 lizards have to step out of my way. My home is crawling in little brown and green lizards of who knows what kind. But they'd like to choose one at the reptile expo if they can... rather than catching one in my front yard.

[snake man12]

Yeah I was just joking. When I was down there I must have caught 15 anoles in one day.
I like the crestie idea.

[BarelyBreathing]

Crested gecko or blue tongue skink. They need protein, however, but can thrive on lean organic turkey.

[Terranaut]

Crested was the first thing I thought of. Aren't uromastyx 100% vergetarian?

[alessia55]

Crested gecko or blue tongue skink. They need protein, however, but can thrive on lean organic turkey.

Ohh, that would be great. They wouldn't mind dealing with giving him turkey.

[alessia55]

Crested was the first thing I thought of. Aren't uromastyx 100% vergetarian?

This would also be a good option if it's true.....

[BarelyBreathing]

Yes they are, Terranaut, however I wouldn't recommend them for a beginner because they have very specific and difficult housing requirements.

[BarelyBreathing]

Another plus with BTS, some actually seek out human attention.

[alessia55]

Yes they are, Terranaut, however I wouldn't recommend them for a beginner because they have very specific and difficult housing requirements.

Good to know. So, so far..
1. Crested Gecko
2. Blue Tongue Skink

[BarelyBreathing]

Wait, nevermind. The minimum enclosure for a BTS is a 40 gallon. I didn't read the whole post. Sorry.

[alessia55]

Wait, nevermind. The minimum enclosure for a BTS is a 40 gallon. I didn't read the whole post. Sorry.

I have a 40 gallon I could give them... But would a 20 suffice for a little while if they get a young one?

[BarelyBreathing]

It could if it were set up really well.

[alessia55]

Sounds like a crestie might be the best option so far.

[alessia55]

How much of that CGD do they need a day? is it expensive?

[snake man12]

Detailed Blue Tongue Skink Caresheet - BlueTongueSkinks.NET (http://bluetongueskinks.net/care.htm) Browse over this it had quite a lot of info.

[Gungirl]

I would go with a BTS if you can talk the mom into allowing for a larger cage. The kids could handle it more with out stressing it out IMO. My Son is 6 and our BTS is his. He does great with it.

[StudentoReptile]

A Saharan Uromastyx (erroneously known as "Nigerians") might do well. They only top out at 12-14".

If a larger enclosure is an option, then I also would toss BTS in the hat. Durable little garbage pails that tolerate handling well.

[LISA127]

A 20 gallon would work for a baby blue tongued skink. But they grow quickly and become quite large by a year of age. I think blue tongues are great lizards for kids and they do not need to eat live food though they do need protein as they are omnivores. The only issue is they can get quite large so you would have to teach a child how to hold them while supporting the body. Super easy to care for in all aspects.

[StudentoReptile]

There are two things that BTS do not have going for them.

1) Many new keepers (especially parents buying something for their kids) are turned off by the "snakey" appearance of the skink.
2) Their high initial cost, due to low reproductive rate in captivity.

Those two factors combined deters a lot of newbies from BTS. It is hard to convince people to turn away from the $50> personable baby beardie and spend $90+ on a sluggish, snakey-lookin' lizard.

[Wildside]

Let's be totally honest here... Them kids are gonna have to get over their fear of bugs if they want to keep lizards. I say get them a leo and some mini-mealworms ;)

[StudentoReptile]

When I worked at the LPS, I encountered young lad aruond the age 8-10-ish. Scared to pick up a rabbit.

[shakes head in disappointment] No hope for some of these kids.

[Rogue628]

When I worked at the LPS, I encountered young lad aruond the age 8-10-ish. Scared to pick up a rabbit.

[shakes head in disappointment] No hope for some of these kids.


Now now....some get over their fears. When I was that age, I was afraid of almost any creature that wasn't our pet (i.e. dogs/cats). I doubt I would have picked up a rabbit for fear of getting bitten (although I've always thought them 'cute'). The only reason I got over my fear of worms and rolly pollys is because I used those to torment my baby brother with...and he was more afraid of them than I! lol

Now look at my collection and what I have to feed. :) All it takes is a bit of education.

As to the original post, I've thought about getting a crestie for a first lizard as I don't care for feeding bugs (although the boyfriend feeds crickets to our T). My only other lizard experience was with an iguana (I had one briefly way back in the '90's)...and while I think they're nice looking lizards, I don't recommend them as first lizard pets, not only because of the size they can attain, but, in my experience, it wasn't as easy to keep as my snakes, plus the one I had bit and tail whipped alot, which made for limited handling.

[Wildside]

When I worked at the LPS, I encountered young lad aruond the age 8-10-ish. Scared to pick up a rabbit.

[shakes head in disappointment] No hope for some of these kids.

My Daughter has recently gotten over her fear of worms. I believe it's because she's fallen so in love with the two hatchling leos I gave her. She has now overtaken my whole leo collection lol. She's been looking at morphs on the internet. I think we're probably gonna have to have that dreaded discussion about where babies come from soon though :sorry: She's asking an awful lot of questions about making pattern morphs and stuff.

[Jenn_06]

I think the best thing is to start small and a crestie would be great, no bugs and does not grow too big. Last thing you want is the mom to sell the lizard because it got too big.

[JustBitten]

Cresties are a good option. They tend to be quite flighty when young and not every adult crestie can put up with being handled, so it is best to handle a few at the show. Obviously they are small and delicate even as adults so kids would need to be careful. Holding them over a table or other surface is important because they will do unexpected "suicide dives" and a hard landing could kill or badly injure them. They are nocturnal too, so you don't see much of them until the sun goes down.

We use Repashy 3.0 or Clarks Gecko Diet (Canadian) for ours and it's cheap compared to most other pets. A package of CGD is usually in the $10-$20 dollar range depending on the supplier and size of bag and one package can last for months depending on how many mouths you have to feed. It used to be common for people to feed them human baby food but that's a bad idea for a few different reasons. They do love the odd treat of some fruit, but this should be in moderation as the CGD is balanced while the fruit is not. You don't need to worry about supplements if you are not feeding insects or breeding the geckos.

They are arboreal so they thrive in an enclosure that is taller with lots of cover. Ours spend the day sleeping under the paper towel or in their hides and the night in the branches of trees we made for them. Check out youtube for great videos of some well planted exos. We keep each of ours in a separate 18x18x24 exo. Some people keep a single adult in the 12x12x18 but I wouldn't because I've seen mine use every inch of their larger enclosure and that just seems way too small. I've heard that you can get away with keeping more than one female in a communal tank as long as they are the same weight/size, but I'm not going to be trying this with ours as it's an unnecessary risk. We've already had to put cardboard between the terrariums to reduce intimidation attempts.

Cresties are adorable and can be fabulous to own. Good luck with your search! :)

[LISA127]

There are two things that BTS do not have going for them.

1) Many new keepers (especially parents buying something for their kids) are turned off by the "snakey" appearance of the skink.
2) Their high initial cost, due to low reproductive rate in captivity.

Those two factors combined deters a lot of newbies from BTS. It is hard to convince people to turn away from the $50> personable baby beardie and spend $90+ on a sluggish, snakey-lookin' lizard.


This is true, many people tell me my BTS looks like a snake!! I suppose that's true kind of, but I don't see it. Also, $90 is on the low side. Most BTS babies are going to cost you over $100. But I've had my BTS for 13 years and he was worth every penny. Not once in 13 years has he had even a minor health problem. And as I said previously, he has been the easiest reptile to care for that has been in my home.

[beardeds4life]

I would not get them a bts. In my opinion the mom will have to do a lot of it. Instead you could help them build an outdoor pen with and have a box turtle in it.

[Gungirl]

I would not get them a bts. In my opinion the mom will have to do a lot of it. Instead you could help them build an outdoor pen with and have a box turtle in it.

I don't get how you came to this conclusion.. My son is 6 and has a BTS the lights and heat are on timers, he changes water every day, feeds when told and cleans the cage as needed. I don't think it gets much simpler.

Box turtle is not going to be less work..

[LISA127]

I don't get how you came to this conclusion.. My son is 6 and has a BTS the lights and heat are on timers, he changes water every day, feeds when told and cleans the cage as needed. I don't think it gets much simpler.

Box turtle is not going to be less work..


In addition to my BTS I have a three toed box turtle. Trust me, the BTS is much, much easier to care for!

[beardeds4life]

I didnt mean easier to care for. It was just another suggestion.

[StudentoReptile]

And a box turtle most definitely will not live in a 20-gall tank, as per the OP's specifications.

[Pareeeee]

Crested Gecko, but I'm biased....make sure they get Crested Gecko Diet! One should not own a Crestie without the Crestie Diet.

[beardeds4life]

And a box turtle most definitely will not live in a 20-gall tank, as per the OP's specifications.

That is why I said build it an outdoor enclosure because the OP underneath her name it says she lives in FL so I assumed her friend did to. If they do it can live outside in an outdoor pen.

[GarterPython]

I would suggest a Crestie because they are a lot smaller and really easy in every way... They don't even need lighting because they can stay around room temperature. The only thing is you have to be careful with the tail

[SnakeyJay]

Gargoyle gecko... They're from the same genus as cresties (rhacodactulus) but actually regrow their tales unlike cresties.. Pretty much the same care as cresteds but less prone to eat insects. :)

[totheend]

Gargoyle gecko... They're from the same genus as cresties (rhacodactulus) but actually regrow their tales unlike cresties.. Pretty much the same care as cresteds but less prone to eat insects. :)

They are not less prone to eat insects. I believe they require a little more protein than cresties.

[SnakeyJay]

They may need more protein but from my own research/experience so far they are reluctant to take insects while young. Their main wild diet consists largely of over ripe/rotting fruit.

[totheend]

Freshly hatched cresties don't gererally eat crickets either, takes a few weeks before they hunt crickets. But from my years experience with gargs they enjoy a cricket just as much as a crestie.

[SnakeyJay]

It may just be the one I've got then, he just lets the crickets nip him then runs away lol...

[BarelyBreathing]

They may need more protein but from my own research/experience so far they are reluctant to take insects while young. Their main wild diet consists largely of over ripe/rotting fruit.


That could be because you're not feeding them correctly. My hatchling gargoyle LOVES fruit flies!

[totheend]

Hey Barely I never really thought of feeding them fruit flies. I just usually wait a few weeks and then offer pinhead crickets.

[SnakeyJay]

That could be because you're not feeding them correctly. My hatchling gargoyle LOVES fruit flies!

I've tried small crickets, large crickets and calci worms.. If you have any tips them I'm all ears...

[totheend]

You may just have a garg who isn't interested in bugs. I have never had a garg like that but have had cresties that don't care for bugs.

[BarelyBreathing]

I've tried small crickets and worms, too. He loves fruit flies.

[SnakeyJay]

Hmm I'll have to have a look into finding fruit flies then.. How do you offer them? As I doubt the gf will be happy about flies buzzing around haha.

[BarelyBreathing]

I just dump a few in there. Feeder fruit flies are flightless, no need to worry about infestation.

[GarterPython]

I tong feed my Crestie and he is so lazy that I literally have to put it up to his face for him to realize it is there

[Corey209]

I tong feed my Crestie and he is so lazy that I literally have to put it up to his face for him to realize it is there

Seems kinda unhealthy..

[GarterPython]

Yea I kind of thought that too but I've tried everything he just won't chase it. He does move around his cage a lot though because I can here him jumping around at night.

[Pareeeee]

My Crestie doesn't eat crickets. Crickets should not be their only food item. He is on a strict diet of Repashy's Crested Gecko diet. IMO it's the only thing Cresties should eat (either with crickets or not, but I've found that if they get a taste for crickets they won't eat the CGD.), considering they have unique dietary requirements which we can not easily replicate at home. He loves it; in the evening he often sits looking at the ground where I put his food dish at night, waiting for me to give him his dinner, lol.

[Vegasarah]

I have both a Crestie and a Bluey. For younger children I would say go with the Bluey if you can give them the 40 gallon breeder tank. They are tough guys, and will develop a bond with the children very quickly. They are not as easy to feed as Cresties, because Repashy has taken out all the work, lucky for us! But as far as a 'children's pet' goes, I would still side with the Bluey. Cresties in my experience tend to be more fragile and flighty. A Bluey will sit in the hood of a sweatshirt for hours or sleep on your lap! They tolerate handling better than a Crestie.

I would wait till the expo, let the kids see how much fun Blueys can be. Have them handle a Crestie and see how small and fragile and jumpy they can be, then go hold an adult Blue Tongue and they will see the difference! They are kind of 'lazy' and happy lizards, plus their size and weight are kind of cool imo.

Let us know what the final decision is, I'm curious!

[totheend]

My Crestie doesn't eat crickets. Crickets should not be their only food item. He is on a strict diet of Repashy's Crested Gecko diet. IMO it's the only thing Cresties should eat (either with crickets or not, but I've found that if they get a taste for crickets they won't eat the CGD.), considering they have unique dietary requirements which we can not easily replicate at home. He loves it; in the evening he often sits looking at the ground where I put his food dish at night, waiting for me to give him his dinner, lol.

This is entirely not true. Cresties have no issues with eating crickets and MRP.

[Pareeeee]

This is entirely not true. Cresties have no issues with eating crickets and MRP.

Maybe mine's just weird then? If he gets a taste of anything else he won't eat his CGD.

[alessia55]

Their mom decided to wait a while longer before allowing them to have a pet :) Thanks for all the suggestions!!