1qwk767 Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 I need a reptile suggestion for my little cousin who is turning 5 tomorrow My aunt does not want anything that eats mice and can live in a 10 gallon aquarium so he can have a snake, gecko, turtles shit like that. so what I need to know is what to get him, where to get it. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thorne Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 The problem with snakes is they eat rats. I really like my Ball Pythons but alass they eat rats. Go over to capitive born repitile tell them your requirements and they will get you setup. We have a Turtle and it eats fruit and pellets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunissan28 Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 I would suggest a leopard gecko for him. They don't require large habitats or any type of UV lighting like many reptiles. 10 gallons is pretty small so that is about as large a reptile as I would go. They are pretty hardy and a good begginger's reptile and are fairly inexpensive and easy to find. Most people don't realize how large a habitat should be for lizards and turtles. I currently have a bearded dragon in a 55 gallon, a Mali Uromastyx in a long 22 gallon, and two Southern Painted Turtles in a 55 gallon with a topper for basking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRed05 Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 My neighbor had a chameleon and it was really cool. Made me want to get one. They eat crickets and its cool to watch them catch them with their tongues. You can hold them and they will hang on to you, they aren't fast so it will be pretty hard to get away from you. They change color ofcourse and that's cool too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mitsumodder Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 anole's are cheap and neat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImUrOBGYN Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 anole's are cheap and neat Yes. This is a good idea if he's very young and this is his first reptile. They do change color, though nowhere near the extent of an old world chameleon (which would be a bad idea, btw.) If they have a bit of faith/trust in him, the leopard gecko is a good step up. Both species of lizard tame easily and neither one really produces any kind of a bite. I used to catch anoles when I was younger and tempt them into biting my earlobes or nose and just hanging there. Male anoles have a very distinctively colored neckflap, generally red or orange. I'd definitely skip the snakes and the turtles for now. Don't let them skimp on habitat. The pet must be kept at the proper temperature. It's food will literally rot in its gut if it's too low. Too high a temp, and you stress, shorten the lifespan, and increase the chance of internal parasites. I'm sure they'll help you wherever they go, but always do a bit of research on your own. I'm always suprised at the lack of knowledge/bad advice that is given at stores that sell pets. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Putty Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 bearded dragon...leopard Gecko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunissan28 Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 bearded dragon...leopard Gecko A bearded dragon would be ok in that size tank for only a few months at most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImUrOBGYN Posted October 30, 2008 Report Share Posted October 30, 2008 bearded dragon...leopard Gecko 10gal tank limit on the purchase. Too small for a bearded. Good choice for a beginner lizard, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Total Sign Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 Most people don't realize how large a habitat should be for lizards and turtles. My iguana has its own apartment, honestly. She is in her tank with the lights and food every other day (8'x2'x2'), then is out for other days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evan9381 Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 if she changes her mind, ive been considering getting rid of my ball python with the whole set up. i think its just shy of 2 years old, about 32" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImUrOBGYN Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 My iguana has its own apartment, honestly. She is in her tank with the lights and food every other day (8'x2'x2'), then is out for other days. I did the same thing. I raised two newborn green iguanas years ago. Toe Jam and Earl. lol Had a huge tank, but once they became very big, I used to leave the lid off and they would come in and out on their own. One of them used to go outside and sun himself on the porch and come back in even. How big yours? Male or female? BOth of mine were males. One died when he was about 4.5ft long. The other, more colorful male, I had to get rid of when he was about 4ft or a bit longer. One of the coolest lizards I've owned was a male veiled chameleon. Both kinds of lizards are cool, but some of the harder lizards to properly care for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Total Sign Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 I did the same thing. I raised two newborn green iguanas years ago. Toe Jam and Earl. lol Had a huge tank, but once they became very big, I used to leave the lid off and they would come in and out on their own. One of them used to go outside and sun himself on the porch and come back in even. How big yours? Male or female? BOth of mine were males. One died when he was about 4.5ft long. The other, more colorful male, I had to get rid of when he was about 4ft or a bit longer. One of the coolest lizards I've owned was a male veiled chameleon. Both kinds of lizards are cool, but some of the harder lizards to properly care for. She is ~4.5 ft. Thats impresive, go outside and come back in! I think she is about 8 years old now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l36tols1 Posted October 31, 2008 Report Share Posted October 31, 2008 If I didn't have two 90lbs dogs already I would definately get a iguana.. So are arachnids out of the question? I think it would be cool to have a tarantulas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImUrOBGYN Posted November 1, 2008 Report Share Posted November 1, 2008 If I didn't have two 90lbs dogs already I would definately get a iguana.. So are arachnids out of the question? I think it would be cool to have a tarantulas I don't know about most 5yrs old handling a tarantula. I've had a few various spiders. One of my fav tarantulas, a Chilean rose tarantula, wasn't due to her looks (that would have been my cobalt) but becuase she thought she was a kitty. I could literally take her anywhere. When you lightly petted her abdomen, she would raise it like a cat. lol Very, very mellow and non agressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRocket1647545505 Posted November 1, 2008 Report Share Posted November 1, 2008 Komodo dragon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GonneVille Posted November 1, 2008 Report Share Posted November 1, 2008 Please take my advice and skip anoles. They are tiny and very quick. They are guaranteed to escape. A chameleon is a very good suggestion. They're slow enough not to escape from an inattentive five year old, but still cool enough to hold their interest. Frankly, though, lizards aren't the best choice in general for little kids. You might want to think about hamsters or gerbils, or maybe even a guinea pig. Yes, it means more time cleaning cages, but they are pretty hardy, and less likely to simply drop dead. I'd say a guinea pig is probably the best choice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImUrOBGYN Posted November 2, 2008 Report Share Posted November 2, 2008 Please take my advice and skip anoles. They are tiny and very quick. They are guaranteed to escape. A chameleon is a very good suggestion. They're slow enough not to escape from an inattentive five year old, but still cool enough to hold their interest. Frankly, though, lizards aren't the best choice in general for little kids. You might want to think about hamsters or gerbils, or maybe even a guinea pig. Yes, it means more time cleaning cages, but they are pretty hardy, and less likely to simply drop dead. I'd say a guinea pig is probably the best choice. They are quick and can stick to the glass. I've never had a problem with them as a kid. They actually tame fairly easily. I actually had a wild caught anole one time that would live in my closet until I took a shower. I would open the closet, jump in the shower, and when I would come out, he'd be at the foot of my bed, everytime. I would then handle him and feed him, etc. Of course, I know that may not be the norm. Just an interesting story. Chameleon is not a good choice, at all. This doesn't seem like the kind of thing they are wanting ot put the amount of effort, money, or size enclosure that a true chameleon requires. A guinea pig is actually a good idea. Smelly if you don't keep up with cleaning, but almost guaranteed not to bite. And personally, I love the little squeally noises they make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OGRE Posted November 2, 2008 Report Share Posted November 2, 2008 dammit i was going to say captive born alligator i agree with anoles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Science Abuse Posted November 2, 2008 Report Share Posted November 2, 2008 Make it a 20gal and get a bearded dragon. Best reptile pet ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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