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Help me pick a lizard!

anolelover

anolelover

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I'm trying to find out if I should get some kind of day gecko, most likely peacock, a uromastyx, a sandfish skink, or fire skink. I need it to be easy to care for, very immune to gastric parasites (I've had bad experiences with anoles with the parasite), pretty to the eye, things like that. After you guys help me settle on which lizard, I'll need somebody to tell me any special care for it.
 
Lily, how about a nice bearded dragon? A comprehensive roundup of requirements is more than one can really expect in a post, why not settle on the lizard you want and then do some research?
 
Hi Lily....I've owned bearded dragons, a number of different day geckos [ many years ago [ as well as fire skinks. In my opinion, the fireskinks are hands down the easiest to set up + care for. They eat any bug you give them, including earthworms and nightcrawlers and will eat a little scrambled egg if you're short on bugs. If you do get one, be sure to handle it first to see it's temperament....most are calm but some can be flighty. I do agree wih Lucille though, that a b. dragon is still pretty much the top pet lizard, but they aren't always trouble free. The fire skinks are ridiculously hardy and almost trouble free, plus magnificently beautiful.
 
Thanks, @angie.h, I just did some research on size and friendliness factors on all, I had so much trouble, forgot to mention I needed relatively small lizard, realized uro and fire skink is out of the question, limited it down to sandfish or peacock day gecko. I searched friendliness factor on both, said sandfish never bites, peacock has friendly and inquisitive nature, and settled on a peacock day gecko. Need to research requirements, anything else?
 
Actually a fireskink is not that large [ about 12-14" average ] and do very well in a 20 gal. tank. But if you are set on the day gecko, setting up the tropical tank will be fun. Just go to a reputable site and you'll see all you need to know. They are not all shy, will hang out openly in a well planted tank, but they don't like to be handled, so they are more of a display animal. They can get away quick and will be VERY difficult to recapture if they do. Be sure the tank top will be secure since they an squeeze through tiny openings.:yesnod:
 
Steppe runner lizards are small and easy to handle. Armadillo lizards are also small, very hardy and can generally be handled . I've owned armadillo's but not steppe runners. Those lizards are often wild caught but acclimate very easily. As for parasite problems with the day geckos, I don't know that they are prone to getting ill from them, but choosing from a reputable breeder is important , or at least a supplier that has a good reputation. If you actually go to a reptile expo you can see + pick for yourself. If ordering on line, you must Google + look up a dealer's reputation.
 
I'm reconsidering this whole thing and wondering. Do fire skinks appreciate handling? Geckos are similar to anoles and I'm worrying that maybe gecko might get parasite. I have to wonder about parasite problem with skinks, too. I'm heavily reconsidering maybe getting a sandfish, but first I need to know how much parasite/disease problem there is.
 
Each animal is different....if you Google all the different lizards that you're considering, you'll get an overview of their care. The reason I mention the fireskink, armadillo lizard, steppe runner are because they are hardy + easy to care for. Most of them will carry a small amount of parasites that don't really hurt them as long as you start out with a healthy animal. With those lizards you should not have a problem. You will drive yourself crazy trying to find a perfect lizard, but I've narrowed it down to the hardiest. And if you want to try a reptile show, just Google " Alabama reptile shows", then you can even check the vendor list for what dealers + breeders will be there and you can contact them ahead of time.
 
Yes, a 20 long will be fine for a sand or fireskink, they like to burrow and are not much for climbing. I use eco earth [ cocofiber ] for my fireskink, and another cool thing about him is that he actually uses only one corner of the tank as his designated bathroom. :)
 
Ha ha....yes, I owned a pair about 13 years ago, the males are gorgeous. My pair bred twice and since they are live bearers I suddenly found babies in the tank. However, they are on the list of lizards that don't really enjoy being handled so that's the down side. But they are cute and bold, just not really very easy to handle.
 
Yes, mine were easy. I fed them crickets, mealworms + waxworms , but more on the crickets than the worms. The babies ate 1/4 inch or slightly smaller crickets.
 
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