These three lizards are very good for novice owners. We have chosen these animals based on the following criteria:
- Initial cost of purchase: Both the lizard itself and its setup
- Ease of care: How much effort and time you have to put into having an enjoyable pet
- Tolerance of mistakes: How hardy it is and how well it will be able to deal with owner mistakes
- Leopard Gecko
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The leopard gecko is a great lizard for beginners. It stays relatively small, doesn’t have a lot of space requirements, and is generally very tolerant of handling. They are native to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northwest India, and parts of Iran. These lizards can grow to be 8 or 9 inches from tip of nose to end of the tail. - Initial costs
- Assuming you don’t get one with a special morph (that is color and patterns) you should be able to pick up a leopard gecko for under $25. You will also need to buy an appropriate sized tank (10 gallons is good for one leopard gecko), crickets for food, supplements, substrate, and a heat source (e.g. under tank heater, or a heat lamp). Leopard gecko’s are nocturnal and active at night.
- Ease of care
- It is very easy to take care of these lizards. You feed them 2 to 4 live crickets every other day, make sure their water is fresh, and the temperatures are maintained properly. They don’t require special UVA/B lighting because of the fact that they are nocturnal. You should get a special reptile light designed for use after dark. This will allow you to watch them at night and not have their sleeping and waking patterns disturbed.
- Tolerance of new owner mistakes
- Keep their temperatures in the proper ranges and make sure they have food, water, and supplements you’ll find that these lizards make very hardy pets. One thing to be careful of is their tails. Like most other lizards the leopard gecko has the ability to drop its tail if it is being threatened. The tail will grow back but it puts unnecessary stress on the animal.
- Bearded Dragon
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The bearded dragon comes from Australia. There are actually seven different species of bearded dragon with Pogona vitticeps, or the Central (Inland) Bearded Dragon being the most commonly found in the pet trade. They can reach up to 2 feet in length and their tails accounts for over half of their size.- Initial costs
- A plain bearded dragon, that is one without any special coloration or patterns, will cost around $50. Like anything else market drives prices so it may be more or less when you go look for one. You’ll also need an appropriate sized cage (a single adult dragon needs, at minimum, a 55 gallon enclosure), substrate, food (they are omnivores so need both meat and vegetables), heat source, and the proper UVA/B lighting.
- Ease of care
- Once you have your dragon setup it is easy to take care of it. These lizards are active during the day (diurnal) and require special light bulbs so they can absorb vitamins. Even though they are from dry and arid regions they still should be offered regular water. They usually won’t drink from a bowl so a good way to give them water is to mist their tank once or twice a day. I usually spray the fake plants with some water. They also get water from the food they eat.
- Tolerance of mistakes
- Bearded dragons are hardy pets and can tolerate mistakes made by new owners relatively well. It is important to ensure that they are fed regularly and that you use the proper lighting. As with any other reptile be certain to keep their temperature and humidity within acceptable ranges.
- Green Anoles
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One of the most commonly available lizards the green anole is also known as the American chameleon. They are not actually true chameleons (not a member of the Chamaeleonidae family) but they can change colors from a dull brown to an emerald green. They are very common in the state of Florida. They grow to be 8 to 9 inches. The male has a dewlap under its chin that it uses in courtship rituals and while making territorial displays.- Initial costs
- The lizard itself is very inexpensive and can be found for around $5 to $15. The bare minimum cage size is a 20 gallon tank. Green anoles are arboreal so they need an enclosure that will allow them to climb. A well secured, tight fitting lid is also required because they can easily climb up the wall of the cage and out. Aside from the cage they also need ultraviolet lighting (UVA/B), an acceptable substrate, and insects to eat.
- Ease of care
- The American chameleon is easy to take care of if you stay on top of the requirements. It is very important to ensure that the humidity in their cage is kept between 60% and 70% at all times. A twice daily misting, and a properly enclosed cage will help greatly to accomplish that goal. They also get their water from the droplets spraying leaves behind. Males should NEVER be kept with other males as they will fight and kill one another. You can keep females together and males can be kept with females.
- Tolerance of mistakes
- These lizards can live to be 10 years old, but in captivity they usually only live to be about 5 years old due to improper care. If you are going to get one of these animals be sure to read up on how to properly care for it, and what it needs to thrive. There are plenty of caresheets available online. That’s not to say they aren’t tolerant of mistakes, but that because of how inexpensive they are many people don’t take proper care of them.
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