Hi you guys I’ve kinda been on the fence but I’ve finally gotten on the lizard train! Me and my wife have been wanting on for a while and I thought I’d ask the pros. I make terrariums and such and would love some different suggestions for lizards and some different morphs for them! Thank you guys so much.
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Tell me what it is you want in a lizard. Don’t think about it too hard, just describe generally, yk, size, temperament, ease of care, cost, etc. That’ll help me given a suggestion, lizard is a very broad category.
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We’ll probably want some sort of gecko or tree bound lizard we live up in Alaska so we’ll have to use heaters and all sorts of gadgets but it’s alright I’m willing to pay for what I’ll need. Thank you again.
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Are morphs a requirement for you? And do you have any experience working on building trust with reptiles/taming them? Would you be intimidated by something that might jump or be really fast?
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So this would be my second time having a reptile, I had a leopard gecko for 19 years and he would regularly eat from my hands. I’m alright with just a for show reptile but my wife really wants one she can really hold and bond with. Morphs aren’t super important I’d just love one that looks unique.
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I’m gonna recommend a few, if you’re interested in some of them, tell me and I’ll get together a good list of care guides for you
Emerald tree skinks, they’re a very personable little skink that thrives in a cohabitation situation. They eat a combination of bugs and crested gecko powdered diet. They’re known for seeming to be very intelligent, and they almost seem to enjoy being handled, they like to jump onto your arms when you open the enclosure and crawl on you, they’re generally also fine with being picked up and manipulated a bit too, so they’re not just skittish.
Gargoyle gecko, pretty similar to the more common crested gecko, but I’ve heard a bit chiller
Basically just a gargoyle gecko but on a larger scale, and they can be a bit cage aggressive I hear, but that’s probably just reputation
Pink tongued skink, they blue tongued skink’s smaller semi-arboreal cousin, their care and temperament is basically just like if a blue tongued skink lived in trees instead of on the ground
Mountain horned dragon, a bit of an up and coming species in the hobby, the captive bred ones can be quite personable and fun to watch and interact with, you just HAVE to make sure that you get captive bred and not wild caught, this species is mostly wild caught. They also require there to be moving water in the tank or they won’t drink from it and they will die of dehydration. They don’t recognize still water as a drinking source.
Tree monitors, there are several different species of these, black, yellow, green, and blue. They require a lot more training and taming than most others on this list, they also require a lot more space, mental stimulation, and a much more varied and expensive diet. And they themselves are pretty expensive. They’re a lot of work, and 100% not for anyone who doesn’t know what they’re doing, you will have a terrible experience with them if you don’t go in prepared, but they can be one of the most rewarding and engaging species to keep with the right care
Green keel bellied lizards, these have been described as “mini tree monitors” (though they’re actually Lacertids), they’re essentially everything that a tree monitor is but on a smaller scale, and I hear a bit easier to tame.
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God these are all so cool I really couldn’t pick just one! if this is too hard don’t feel obligated to do it but do you think you could put these in something of a tier list for us beginners? Me and my wife will talk it over after that!
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Yeah no problem, I’ll list them in order of best to worst for beginners in my opinion
- Gargoyle geckos
- Green keel bellied lizards
- Leachianus geckos (as easy as gargoyle geckos, just expensive
- Pink tongued skink
- Emerald tree skink and mountain horned dragon, about the same level of difficult but for different reasons
- Tree monitors, definitely not the same increment of change in difficulty though as their was between the others, tree monitors are quite a bit harder than the others on the list, and they’re expensive
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We’ll probably go leachies or gargoyles. I feel it would just be best.
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Enjoy that! Gargs and leachies are great. Here’s some links to some good quality care guides
Gargs:
Leachies:
100% do your own research too, but this should be more than enough to get you started. Let me know what’s you end up with! And remember to pay the picture tax when you get your new child haha
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Just a small question I have a few Nephthys and a Drosera would those be alright to put in my gargoyle gecko enclosure?
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Unfortunately no, both could be harmful. It’s not very likely, but possible that your gecko could get stuck or otherwise injured by the drosera, and that just doesn’t seem like a risk worth taking. And as for the syngonium, no, they’re toxic. Again, not likely, but there’s a chance that your gecko could end up accidentally biting it, and then getting sick. Not likely to die from it, but he’d definitely end up super disoriented, irritated, and sick in the stomach, in which case it’s much better just to make that not a possibility in the first place.
And what about tropical pitchers?
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Any way you could show a pic with something for reference that shows about how big these pitchers are?
Yeah of course!
The one on the top is about two inches the other is around 1/2
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I’d say probably safe? Just monitor your gecko probably, make sure there’s no issues, especially when they’re younger if you’re thinking about getting a juvenile.