by Ciera Ware

Created on: September 27, 2009

First, I would like to introduce three lizards that are awesome for beginners: crested geckos, leopard geckos, and blue-tongued skinks. But, before I go into detail about each one, ask yourself these questions: "Am I ready to care for an exotic pet?", "Do I have the money to care for it?", and the most important one: "Will I enjoy a lizard as a pet?". Once you have answered "Yes" to all of these questions, I'll go on.

The crested gecko is my personal favorite of this group. It is one of the best pets for kids because it tolerates handling, is relatively easy to care for, and is very cute! The crested gecko grows to be 7-9 inches (including tail), but unlike some geckos, a crested gecko is not able to regenerate its tail. Be prepared to have them for a long time because they are expected to live 10-20 years. Crested geckos also come in many different morphs (colors or markings). They not require huge housing-only a 20 gallon tank as a minimum for one gecko. A 29 gallon tank will house 2-3 geckos, but the cage has to be tall because these geckos love to climb! Learn more about crested geckos at: www.sundialreptile.com/caresheet-crested.htm.

Leopard geckos grow to be 8-9 inches long (including tail). They have a yellow background with brown spots, while juveniles have a striped pattern, but lose it as they mature. One thing that is so special about these geckos is that 3-4 can be housed in a 20 gallon tank (use a long one, rather than a tall one because leopard geckos do not have the ability to climb vertical surfaces), but remember not to house two males together. Go to: www.anapsid.com/leopardgek.html for more info.

Blue-tongued skinks are not very well known and I am not very familiar with this species, so I suggest you go to www.bluetonguedskinks.net . It is very detailed and informative. By know you should know if you want a lizard as a pet. I believe lizards make amazing pets if you know how to care of them, have the money to take care of it, and know you would enjoy a lizard. A great reptile supply company is www.lllreptile.com . They have just about everything needed to care for a reptile. www.reptilechannel.comis a great place to meet other herpers.

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