This is for Beginners to the Reptile World!

Discussion in 'General Lizards' started by spurs, Mar 11, 2005.

  1. spurs

    spurs New Member

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    109
    Hi,

    I've made this topic for myself aswell as other Beginners that have came to the World of keeping reptiles for your pet.

    Anyway I was wondering (and probably loads more beginners) what type of Lizard would be good for a beginner?

    The tank that I'll hopefully will be recieving for free is a Juwel Rio 180.
    Link to one here: http://www.juwel.co.uk/shop/enter.html?tar...umsRio_180.html (all of the dimensions are there)

    It's 39.6 UK gallons

    I would also like to try and breed my first pair if that's possible.
    So any :idea: :?:

    Thanks spurs
    P.S. This topic should be made Sticky
     
  2. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  3. KrazyKelli

    KrazyKelli New Member

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    The beginners lizard is the leopard gecko. You can get them in all different morphs, they don't climb up walls (but they do try), and they are.. Well... Easy to take care of. So if you're going to get your first lizard, get a leopard gecko. Or two.

    Some can come around 20$ (like the wild variety) and some can be up to 3000 usd. Breeding is an entertainment and if you want to get into breeding, I wish you luck. Make sure to buy from a breeder and not a pet store.

    Make sure that before you get your lizard of choice to study fully up on them (ie, read books, caresheets, etc), and have the tank completely set up a week or two before your new reptilian friend has arrived.
     
  4. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  5. spurs

    spurs New Member

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    109
    what about a pair of Pictus Geckos would they be alright? and if not I'll go for the Leopard Geckos.

    Thanks spurs
     
  6. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  7. stina3246

    stina3246 Member

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    270
    My first reptile was a corn snake. I got Q as a "toddler" just eating tiny pinkies. He's about 4 1/2 feet long now and about 8-9 years old. He has been a GREAT pet. Easy to care for, interesting, active, colorful and very docile. I take him out now and introduce him to people who are afraid of snakes. He's so pretty that EVERYONE wants to touch him. I had one woman actually cry after touching him. She told me she'd always been afraid of snakes but she saw little kids touching him and he was so pretty (He's an albino) that she just had to try petting him and she was so happy.
    Sorry.......I didn't mean to go on about Q but if you like the idea of getting a snake, a corn is a GREAT starter!!
     
  8. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  9. spurs

    spurs New Member

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    109
    I'm not sure about a snake as we have 3 dogs in our house and one little dog that comes over in the morning and goes home at night time. How big do they grow?
    I wouldn't mind a little snake, but I've always wanted a Lizard and have been talking about one for years, and last year when myself and my family went to an big aquatics store they had just fish and reptiles, aswell as the equipment and tanks. We saw a fairly big enclosure with crocodiles and snapping turtles, Iguanas, little enclosures for the snakes and other lizards that were for sale. Anyway when my Mum saw the little baby bearded dragon she thought he/she was sooo cute she got a man to let us know about him and she actually said would I LIKE ONE I was like hell yeah but she also said it would be awhile until you get one though.

    And that's why I've got my heart set to Lizards.
    Thanks spurs
    P.S. Sorry for the long story
     
  10. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  11. stina3246

    stina3246 Member

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    I have a bearded dragon too and if I'd know how much work they are I probably wouldn't have gotten one. I love him and wouldn't give him up now but they are higher maintenance then others. The leopards geckos are a good idea like krazykelli said. I have a pair of Crested geckos and they are fairly easy to maintainand very handleable. What ever you decide on......make sure you research it. You found a great site for answers. These folks have helped me raise my beardie!!
     
  12. DaremoAlpha

    DaremoAlpha Member

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    251
    My reptile ever is my water dragon and he is nothing but a pleasure and a terror to work with. He is a great beginner reptile and has been very easy to handle and care for.
     
  13. BSB

    BSB Well-Known Member

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    3,221
    I would go with a Leopard Gecko, Trust me once you get one you will want to get more!!!! :0
     
  14. spurs

    spurs New Member

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  15. nightrider

    nightrider New Member

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    that tank is really a bit too tall and narrow to get as much use as you'd like out of it.

    The cheapest solution to a beadie tank is a huge rubbermaid container. I had a 48 inch by 26inch long by 24inch tall rubbermaid setup that was just great. I cut a large section of the top off but left the outter frame and then i attached a nice wire screen to the top of it. Instant huge beardie cage for about a total of 25 dollars...20 for the rubbermaid, 5 for some screening.
     
  16. stina3246

    stina3246 Member

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    270
    I STILL wouldn't suggest a beardie for your first lizard. They tend to be high maintenance when they are young. If you're set on one make sure you do the research. I have a Horned Mountain Dragon that's REALLY cool. Very docile and easy to care for. They really cool looking too!! They get about as long as a beardie but thinner.
    GOOD LUCK!
     
  17. biochic

    biochic Well-Known Member

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    2,481
    I would stick with ONE leopard gecko for your first lizard. I wouldn't get a pair of anything for the first time. Get a 20gallon tank and nice setup for him and just see how it goes. If you've never had or worked with lizards, then you want to start small and fairly cheap. Read up on the caresheets on this site and price everything and see if you are ready for the amount of work involved (which is really negligible compared to mammals) and expense for the setup. Then after a while, you can think about getting another, but in it's own setup. Don't house them together, unless you're breeding, and then only for breeding (separate afterwards).
     
  18. wideglide

    wideglide Well-Known Member

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    4,350
    And if you think the beardie by itself is high maintenance wait until you've got 35 babies to take care of. If you do go with a beardie, if you are thinking about breeding them, make sure you do research, and then some more research and when you think that's enough, research some more. Chances are it's more than what you want to deal with. I don't know about other species with regards to breeding.

    I have heard though, that crested's are an easy species to breed. I think they only have a couple of babies at a time as well. In addition to the loepards you may want to check out cresteds too.
     
  19. spurs

    spurs New Member

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    109
    yeah but Geckos don't need what the Beardies need and if I choose to have a Beardie after the Gecko then I've got to buy a bigger tank aswell as the rest of the heating.

    Not unless a Gecko would go in a 4ft by 2ft custom made or bought. But even then I would have to do some work on it for the Bearded Dragon later on, and I don't earn alot of money. £5.00 a month, and £50 - £70 for birthday money or for christmas money.
     
  20. wideglide

    wideglide Well-Known Member

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    4,350
    What kind of time frame are we talking about here? Anything you get is going to live for years and I would assume whatever you get, you're planning on keeping it until it dies, right?
     
  21. KrazyKelli

    KrazyKelli New Member

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    If you're saying you barely make anything per month, I HIGHLY recommend that you Don't breed. And only get 1 gecko.

    You need to factor in extra cash for the vet trips, the substrate, a secondary box to put the gecko when you clean the tank, the dishes, the lighting, the termometers, the cheap food, the moisthide, etc. Sure there are cheap ways to get past half of those, but after I got my two geckos for the first time I still ended up paying over 60 dollars for the tank - then another 65 for the vet.

    Keep in mind that you need to be ready to care for your lizard when the time arrives. You can't buy half the stuff then let the poor gecko suffer til you get the rest. All that stuff. You also can't wait around doing nothing if your gecko doesn't eat past two weeks (I heard of a guy on another forum who let his gecko starve til it died for 3 months cause he had 'no money to take it to the vet'... Don't be like them)
     
  22. spurs

    spurs New Member

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    109
    Well I have £100 to spend on a tank that I will hopefully be building since I can't find a 4' by 2' tank. And since they need a second box for when I'm cleaning the proper enclosure I was thinking that I'd use half the tank size so 2' b 2' for the Leopard Geckos Enclosure and then a second enclosure for nothing.

    Would a 2' by 2' tank be alright to house on Leopard Gecko?
    And I will keep the Leopard Gecko or any Lizard until it dies of Old Age, Diseases, or if I have to have him put down if he has a uncurable disease.

    The reason for why I want a or want to build a 4' by 2' by 2' tank is because then when the Leopard Gecko passes away (which it'll hopefully live his whole life), I'll have a big enough tank ready for a Beardie if I have enough experience and can cope with having a Lizard as a pet. Which I think is a good plan.

    What do you think?

    Thanks for all the help :)
    spurs
     
  23. biochic

    biochic Well-Known Member

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    2,481
    Leo's that are properly cared for can live more than 10 years, maybe even as long as 20 years. So unless you plan on waiting that long for a BD, I'd get comfortable with the idea that you're going to have to get two different cages. Again, I'd start with the leo in a 20 US gallon tank, and see what happens after a year or two. Then, if you still want a BD and you have some experience now with the Leo, you can look into getting a proper setup for a BD, instead of trying to find a way of recycling an old one.
     
  24. Gargoyle

    Gargoyle Member

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    513
    Also if you are on limited money take into consideration food. A BD is a walking dustbin. We have one at work (an adult) that consumes a box of locusts at least once a day plus fruit and veg. You're talking £10 a week at least. Also how will you be replacing your lighting and heating. Tubes are recommended to be changed every 6 months to get the best out of the UVA and UVB - that's a further £20 for a tank that size. I'm not trying to put you off but please work out whether you can really care for a lizard and provide everything that it needs before you purchase it.
    How old are you anyway? Are you prepared for that kind of commitment? It might seem like a good idea at first but are you prepared to give up going out with your mates in favour of cleaning tanks out and presumably your living with your parents so how do they feel about a 4' viv in your bedroom?
     
  25. spurs

    spurs New Member

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    109
    I'm 15 years old and live with my Mum and Dad and they don't mind me getting a 4ft tank in my bedroom. Is a Pictus Day Gecko a good beginner lizard? I've read that they are easy to keep aswell. And I like them quite alot. I don't really want to get a Leo because of the tail I know it's a defense thing, but I don't like it.

    Thanks
    spurs
     

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