Need help choosing a Lizard

[OneLoveMarley]

Hi,
I have quite a few snakes and I am looking to expand my collection. I've looked into Gecko's and they're too small for me, and bearded dragons are just a little too common for me. I was just wondering what you guys would recommend. I am looking for a medium sized lizard; something that would be comfortable in a 48x24x24. Also, I would prefer a lizard that only needed to be fed every other day. Any suggestions help! Thanks

[wrecker45]

Chinese water dragon. I have one. He is one of the best pets I have ever had. He knows his name Dino and does what he is told.

[wrecker45]

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[jjhill001]

I've always been fond of blue tongue skinks. Though they wouldn't really take advantage of the verticle space of that terrarium. One idea would be to naturally plant the terrarium with about 2-3 different smaller basking spots and to put a colony of Green Anoles in there. You could probably keep 10-12 in an aquarium that size. It may not be a big lizard but socially anoles are awesome to watch and are active compared to some reptile species. A planted terrarium is always awesome to look at and even if the green anole is one of the most common species having a colony is not common at all.

Plus it's a species that really isn't bred in captivity so you could develop a breeding population which could be cool even if you just give the babies to pet stores for a dollar a pop.

[LISA127]

I second the blue tongued skink recommendation. They are the ultimate pet lizard and are medium sized. Once no longer a hatchling, twice weekly feedings.

[pinefamily]

Get a smaller monitor. Once fully grown, you only need to feed 2-3 times a week.
Not sure what is available in Canada, but an ackie, or a gilleni, or a tristis would all make good choices. The last two are more likely to climb.

[dinosaurdammit]

Originally Posted by pinefamily

Get a smaller monitor. Once fully grown, you only need to feed 2-3 times a week.
Not sure what is available in Canada, but an ackie, or a gilleni, or a tristis would all make good choices. The last two are more likely to climb.

for a first time lizard owner this is terrible advice. Skinks or anoles are good, geckos even but I would NEVER suggest a monitor as a first lizard

[pinefamily]

Originally Posted by dinosaurdammit

for a first time lizard owner this is terrible advice. Skinks or anoles are good, geckos even but I would NEVER suggest a monitor as a first lizard

Maybe to a complete newbie, but not necessarily for an experienced reptile keeper, especially if they have kept vens. Then they would have a good understanding of safety issues.

[Pirarucu]

Originally Posted by pinefamily

Maybe to a complete newbie, but not necessarily for an experienced reptile keeper, especially if they have kept vens. Then they would have a good understanding of safety issues.

It's not about safety (and what is making you say experienced reptile keeper? The OP has Ball Pythons and Kenyan Sand Boas, based on their previous posts. It certainly doesn't appear that they have experience with hots. And what hot keeper has never kept a lizard? But I digress.), it's about monitors being hard to care for. Most die after a year or two in captivity. And no, experience with snakes does not translate to monitors. They and their husbandry are vastly different. The reason so many monitors die early is that so many people try to keep them like snakes.
I'd also advise against a Chinese Water Dragon, they're no better. People love suggesting them to people, and I have no idea why. Probably the same reason people suggest monitors. They like suggesting cool/interesting animals, regardless of the level of care required, instead of suggesting species that would be a good idea for a first lizard. Suggest the best option, not the one you think is coolest. CWDs, like monitors, mostly die young. How many do you see sold in pet stores? Thousands each year. Now, how many healthy adults do you see in captivity? We know they can easily reach three feet in length, but I can count the number of three footers I've seen on one hand. And two of those are kept at Moody Gardens, not by private keepers.

[Pirarucu]

Honestly, your best bet is to go with something common like a Bearded Dragon. There's a good reason they're so common. To name a few other good options, Leopard Geckos, Crested Geckos, Gargoyle Geckos, Fire Skinks, etc. A few less common (but also not quite as easy to care for) options would be Steppe Runners, Chuckwallas, Plated Lizards, Jeweled Lacertas, and possibly some Agama species. Clown Agamas come to mind. A blue tongue skink could work, but would quite possibly need a larger cage eventually, as they can get quite large. Some people say a 4x2 cage is good, but I'm inclined to say that you should be prepared to give it something like a 6x2 or 6x3 once it's larger.

[eminart]

Assuming we're talking about an adult keeper, I really don't think experience makes much difference with reptiles. You have people who are intelligent, and have the drive to learn everything they can about an species before they get it. And you have people who half-*** things and shouldn't have any pets. There are exceptions and intergrades, but I don't think experience with a gecko is really going to help anyone keep a monitor later on. Let's be honest, reptiles aren't rocket science. If you can read some basic care guidelines, learn how to apply heat and a thermostat, and figure out how to keep the correct amount of humidity in a cage, you are basically an expert.

I know this won't be popular with some, but it's my opinion.

Obviously, it's different if we're talking about a kid.

[Pirarucu]

I agree with what you're saying, experience and knowledge of how to achieve proper conditions in a cage are what matters most, not necessarily experience. Unless, of course, you're dealing with a potentially dangerous species. Experienced does not always mean knowledgeable either, it's worth exactly zero if you haven't learned from it.
It's worth noting though, experience with more forgiving reptiles isn't worthless either when you move on to trickier species, especially ones where there isn't much info out there, or what info does exist is conflicting. For instance, I have a trio of skinks that came from an importer that are not what they were sold as. I've talked with many people, and nobody can even pin down the genus, let alone the species. Thus, I'm having to learn their husbandry as I go. Knowing how to read an animal's behavior will help a lot in making sure you are providing it with what it needs. For instance, spending unusual amounts of time in burrows or the water bowl is an indication that the animal wants cooler temperatures or perhaps higher humidity. Or spending lots of time directly under the basking light, which indicates that there isn't enough heat. Knowing how to read nuances in animal behavior will help make sure that they have what they need.

Originally Posted by eminart

Obviously, it's different if we're talking about a kid.

And unless I'm mistaken, we are.

[dinosaurdammit]

Originally Posted by Pirarucu

I agree with what you're saying, experience and knowledge of how to achieve proper conditions in a cage are what matters most, not necessarily experience. Unless, of course, you're dealing with a potentially dangerous species. Experienced does not always mean knowledgeable either, it's worth exactly zero if you haven't learned from it.
It's worth noting though, experience with more forgiving reptiles isn't worthless either when you move on to trickier species, especially ones where there isn't much info out there, or what info does exist is conflicting. For instance, I have a trio of skinks that came from an importer that are not what they were sold as. I've talked with many people, and nobody can even pin down the genus, let alone the species. Thus, I'm having to learn their husbandry as I go. Knowing how to read an animal's behavior will help a lot in making sure you are providing it with what it needs. For instance, spending unusual amounts of time in burrows or the water bowl is an indication that the animal wants cooler temperatures or perhaps higher humidity. Or spending lots of time directly under the basking light, which indicates that there isn't enough heat. Knowing how to read nuances in animal behavior will help make sure that they have what they need.

And unless I'm mistaken, we are.

Adult or kid monitors in the "wrong" hands are loaded guns because they have the ability to wound for life and in my case their venom caused me more pain than childbirth. Ask wayne, I didnt know a lot going into monitors but Ive learned but I wish I had had more experience- I dont mind baptism by fire but would like to have known the work I was in for and possible danger- and EXPENSE

[pinefamily]

OK, obviously things must be different over there. "Most die after a year or two in captivity".
I apologise if you have misunderstood me in my post; I think Eminart has summed it up better than I did, and in more detail. I can only speak from the experience from our Australian reptiles. Yes, the larger monitors can be "loaded guns", as Dinosaurdammit has described. But there isn't that much difference in general care and setup. Anyone that doesn't do the most basic of research before acquiring a new reptile, or pet of any kind, is asking for what they get, IMO.

[fishingfool]

Emreald swifts are cool about the size of a beardie when full grown and the love climping