Help picking a reptile

Hello! I'm new to this forum and I'd like some advice in choosing the best reptile for me.
I'm basically a beginner, I had a ball python until I was about nine years old so I know how to handle snakes, monitor heating and feed a snake, pretty much just the basics. I'm looking for an animal I can handle/spend out of cage time with at least once or twice a week; and while I have the most experience with snakes, I would like a few options other than snakes.
I have an upfront budget of around $400 to go towards the animal and the setup with about $40 a month to spend only on food. I'll have more money saved up to replace bulbs, broken supplies, bedding, etc.
Thank you in advance for any help or suggestions

i believe a blue tongue skink would be a great choice. They make great pets

Hi Maddie!

As far as snakes go, ball pythons, corn snakes, hognoses (I'm biased about these - I keep and breed them and think they're just SO cute), and carpet pythons all make good/easy pets (though carpets are definitely more on the "advanced" side than the first two - but if you want a decent sized snake that's pretty easy to care for, they're a good choice).

For lizards, the classic easy lizards are leopard geckos, fat tail geckos, crested geckos, blue tongue skinks, and bearded dragons. The last two require more care than the first three, particularly bearded dragons. But you'll be able to put together a nice setup and comfortably keep a beardie with your budget, especially if you set up a dubia roach colony to feed it with.

For turtles and tortoises, I'm fond of box turtles (I have an ornate box) and stinkpots/musk turtles because of their small adult size. By the same argument, Russian, Greek, and pancake tortoises are also good options.

If you have questions about any of these particular animals feel free to ask, or just use this as a list of animals to google. There is a wealth of information out there about everything on this list.

I've seen different answers just about everywhere I've looked so I'd like to get your opinions if you have one: what tank size/dimensions do you recommend for a BTS? And thank you for the advice!

Just realized you posted this question in 2 places...
Besides dogs, snakes are the pets I prefer, & there are many kinds that make better pets than BPs (in my opinion) but it sounds like you want something different now? Since you want something you can handle & interact with, I'd recommend a bearded dragon...but only IF you're prepared for a high-maintenance DAILY pet. They have a lot of personality and love to cuddle...at least the one I rescued years ago did, & he was a male who was feisty toward other male dragons* too. *The only one he ever saw was his own reflection, for which he would (hilariously) display & attack...but with me he was 100% docile. The high maintenance warning comes from the required heat, sunlight, poop-scoop, and especially the complex dietary needs on a daily basis. But if that's something you'd welcome, a beardie may be just the thing. They don't get too large, but they do need a large warm terrarium with both UTH & overhead full-spectrum lighting, with supplemental real sunshine when you can (& NOT that which is filtered thru window glass). The full-spectrum lights (when last I needed to buy them?) don't actually stay "effective" after about 6 mos. & should be replaced (they still give off light & can be used for other lights-only purposes), but be aware that regular replacement can get pricey. As for feeding a bearded dragon, I am big on eating my veggies, fruits & salads, so for me it was more like just sharing: if anything, a beardie can be a good influence for us to eat healthier & they're really fun to watch. But if you live on 'fast food', it might be more of a challenge to feed a bearded dragon, as they need a good diet every day to stay healthy. As for tank size, 60 gal. or larger...they are active.

Originally Posted by hotlips

Just realized you posted this question in 2 places...
Besides dogs, snakes are the pets I prefer, & there are many kinds that make better pets than BPs (in my opinion) but it sounds like you want something different now? Since you want something you can handle & interact with, I'd recommend a bearded dragon...but only IF you're prepared for a high-maintenance DAILY pet. They have a lot of personality and love to cuddle...at least the one I rescued years ago did, & he was a male who was feisty toward other male dragons* too. *The only one he ever saw was his own reflection, for which he would (hilariously) display & attack...but with me he was 100% docile. The high maintenance warning comes from the required heat, sunlight, poop-scoop, and especially the complex dietary needs on a daily basis. But if that's something you'd welcome, a beardie may be just the thing. They don't get too large, but they do need a large warm terrarium with both UTH & overhead full-spectrum lighting, with supplemental real sunshine when you can (& NOT that which is filtered thru window glass). The full-spectrum lights (when last I needed to buy them?) don't actually stay "effective" after about 6 mos. & should be replaced (they still give off light & can be used for other lights-only purposes), but be aware that regular replacement can get pricey. As for feeding a bearded dragon, I am big on eating my veggies, fruits & salads, so for me it was more like just sharing: if anything, a beardie can be a good influence for us to eat healthier & they're really fun to watch. But if you live on 'fast food', it might be more of a challenge to feed a bearded dragon, as they need a good diet every day to stay healthy. As for tank size, 60 gal. or larger...they are active.

Thanks again! And yes, I double posted because I thought I posted in the wrong place the first time...still learning

One of the interesting things about the bearded dragon I rescued was that he'd only been fed crickets by his first owners for about 6 months at which point he was very sick: totally constipated, unable to defecate, and obviously starving- his body was bloated & his legs were skinny. I knew zip about beardies at the time but couldn't ignore his suffering. While he'd had no experience with the wide range of food he was supposed to be eating, he soon learned to associate "green" with tastes good & the same for other colors. He caught me off guard one day when he was within reach of my Vivarium magazine which had colorful lettering...he tried to EAT it! Unlike snakes, beardies associate more visual cues with food...I had to make sure he didn't eat pebbles, or the buttons off my shirt...he tried! So if you get a bearded dragon, it's great practice for having kids, LOL! You really do have to pay attention. But the one I had could be fully awake (being handled by me outside of his cage) and yet if I put a "blankie" (shirt, towel, or whatever) over him, he would promptly take a nap under it. Cute & very practical...I guess it seems like the burrows they would use for shelter in the wild. And if you get near their cage holding a snake, you'll see just how visually oriented they really are. They require more daily dedication than many other reptiles, but they are very rewarding too. If the time spent seems like "work" they're not for you, so consider your other activities & commitments carefully before you get one.

Originally Posted by hotlips

One of the interesting things about the bearded dragon I rescued was that he'd only been fed crickets by his first owners for about 6 months at which point he was very sick: totally constipated, unable to defecate, and obviously starving- his body was bloated & his legs were skinny. I knew zip about beardies at the time but couldn't ignore his suffering. While he'd had no experience with the wide range of food he was supposed to be eating, he soon learned to associate "green" with tastes good & the same for other colors. He caught me off guard one day when he was within reach of my Vivarium magazine which had colorful lettering...he tried to EAT it! Unlike snakes, beardies associate more visual cues with food...I had to make sure he didn't eat pebbles, or the buttons off my shirt...he tried! So if you get a bearded dragon, it's great practice for having kids, LOL! You really do have to pay attention. But the one I had could be fully awake (being handled by me outside of his cage) and yet if I put a "blankie" (shirt, towel, or whatever) over him, he would promptly take a nap under it. Cute & very practical...I guess it seems like the burrows they would use for shelter in the wild. And if you get near their cage holding a snake, you'll see just how visually oriented they really are. They require more daily dedication than many other reptiles, but they are very rewarding too. If the time spent seems like "work" they're not for you, so consider your other activities & commitments carefully before you get one.

They sound absolutely perfect to me, but I spend at least two days a week away from home so I have to find something a family member can care for too, which is where I worry about a beardie.

Originally Posted by Maddie M

They sound absolutely perfect to me, but I spend at least two days a week away from home so I have to find something a family member can care for too, which is where I worry about a beardie.

Not sure I understand your "worry"? They do not need handling daily, but just monitored as to cage (spot-pick-up feces, also make sure light/temperatures are correct if not on timers), and fed a balanced diet. On those days you could prepare food ahead of time & minimize ingredients to simplify. The list of foods they enjoy & which are safe for them is extensive. Some frozen veggies work fine too, but need finer chopping (& thawing, of course). They do exhibit some personal preferences, & FYI, if you give them a "salad topped with mealworms" (for example) most will pick out all the mealworms & not eat enough veggies...as I said, they are much like children! LOL So the solution is to feed "salad" in morning, then after they fill up on that, add the other stuff later in the day. Just a little dragon "psychology".

I think most bearded dragons have great dispositions and would make great pets. In addition, if you check out some of the ads you will see that some of them have beautiful colors and are very attractive lizards.