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Went looking last night

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CathyB

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My son is ready to start over. We went to a local ma and pa pet store that has a very good reputation, not petco, but I was disappointed there too! First we looked at the snakes. The girl who worked there was clearly terrified because she could not even get one out for my son to hold. They were all either mad, nasty, hungry, ect... We looked at the Leos and they seemed healthy and happy to me. They were asking $50 for them. Then my son saw the Chinese water dragons and loved them. They were very cute, about 3.5 inches long. Since I did all this research on Leos now I felt confident with another one but sad at the same time. This is where I totally lost faith. I asked about the water dragons. I asked about the bark they were on, she said it was fine. I asked how big of a house they need, she said 20 gallon. Well, I come home and do some research on line and find that bark is not good, 20 gallon would maybe house him a year tops maybe? What is with these places! I always end up buying animals from places like this because I feel sorry for them. Anyway, does anyone know how long a Chinese water dragon would outgrow a 20 gallon? I could afford a nice super big tank in maybe a year. Are they good for beginners? Or should I just stick with another Leo?
 
i busted out the reptiles magazine for this one. hope it helps.36-48 inches long by 16 to 24 inches deep and 48-72 inches tall is the minimum for a screen mesh inclosure. a 55g aquarium would be the minimum for an adult and a 30 gallon for sub adults and hatchlings. use vertical and horizontal tree limbs plants and perhaps some vines. substrate can in fact be orchid bark or peat moss, cypress mulch, newspaper, lizzard litter, or reptile carpeting.maintain the cage temperature between 80 and 88 degrees at daytime with 12-14 hours of light. full spectrum lighting (UVA/UVB) is needed. all the insects you would normally give a leo are liked as well as the fruit pellets and high grade canned chicken cat food. make sure it has real chicken. they also eat figs, bananas, red and white grapes, and soft pears. thats about it. also make sure they have a water pan to soak in. rinse this daily with 5% bleach water solution as 9 times out of 10 they defecate in it. daily misting is greatly enjoyed but dont overdo it. blisters and jungle rot can develop. thats about it.
 
Wow, so my 20 gal long is not even good for the little baby according to that! They have three of them in a 20 long right now. They are so tiny you can barely find them in there! I was hoping it would work since my son liked them so much and a new Leo would remind me of out lost one, but maybe another Leo is for the best here?
 
Realistically, The water dragon should be fine in the 20 long. But be aware that it will out grow it quickly. If you say its about 3 1/2 inches, a 20 long will suffice until hes double that.

Be aware that males can reach lengths of 3 feet, and are a bulky lizard. Females generally don't hit the 3 mark, but come close at 2 1/2 feet.

They are a fun animal, but maybe something a little more...I don't know. Easier to hold? For your son will be better? Leos are going to be more mild natured than the water dragons, who sometimes will flee. Also when it gets bigger it will be difficult for your son to handle without possibly getting scratched.

But that is up to you.
 
Chinese water dragons are fairly active lizards and, as such, need space. A hatchling would be ok in a 20 long for a short term, but would outgrow it well before the 1 year mark that you speak of. Also, they are well known for rubbing their faces off (literally) against the aquarium glass...that darned invisible barrier. An adult male should have at least a 4x2x2 ft cage, a female could get away with slightly less. As mentioned above, proper UV lighting is essential...and would ideally be augmented with natural sunlight whenever possible.
While the care is not terribly difficult, they are not particularly forgiving of errors in husbandry. As such, I would recommend against them for a relative newcomer to the hobby. Too much risk of heartache (and seeing one with half its face gone is not for little'uns)
 
Thanks everyone. I think I will try to get him to go with a Leo. He loves all really, snakes, turtles, lizards. Just a reptile kind of kid! And maybe I will dangle the possibility of getting two since we have the 20L now! I just wanted something he could handle as well. We loved Mecko the gecko beyond belief but he was a lizard you observed, not handled.An 8 yr old boy wants to be able to play with his pet, so that always bothered him about Mecko. Keep comming with the suggestions though!
 
Leos are great for kids, except they can be a little wiggly. Very easy to take care of though. My daughter likes to watch them through the glass.

Is it just me or does it seem like the males are a lot calmer than the females?
 
in my opinion the best reptile for a child would be a bearded dragon. they tend to be sweet tempered and dont get too big. but are big enough for your son to play with and not lose or hurt. they get to be around 7-8 inches.
you would need at least a 55 gallon tanks though.
they eat crickets, mealworms ect. and also veggies. they can also have a pinky once in a while for a treet. you could always look in the classifides for a cheep tank. or build your own.
just a sugestion.-brandy :)
 
Brandy. Actually I suggested a bearded dragon

Thanks. I actually suggested a bearded dragon to him. His best friend has one. I think that is half the problem. He said he does not want one like his friends. I think he wants to be different. I though of the bearded though.
 
Crestie!!!!!!!!!!!

They're so adorable!!!

Also quite mild mannered, I have 3 now, a male and 2 unsexed, the male is soooo laid back so far...although he did just come in today from Garrick with one of the unsexed. They are in Quarentine for a while, I'm working on getting a breedable female too, he's at 35 grams, but he can wait till a female goes through her quarentine too.
 
Bearded dragons get to be a lot larger then 7-8 inches. I think an average for adult size is 18-20 inches. The need a good sized tank (ours was kept in a 75 gal), UV lightning, bugs and veggies. I wouldn't really recommend them as a starter reptile for a kid. I do really like cresties, but they can require patience to get them used to being handled. If I were you I'd go with another leo. You've already learned a lot of helpful info about them and you have access to a forum with many people who are willing to help you out every step of the way. :)
 
CathyB said:
We loved Mecko the gecko beyond belief but he was a lizard you observed, not handled.An 8 yr old boy wants to be able to play with his pet, so that always bothered him about Mecko. Keep comming with the suggestions though!
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Hi Cathy,

I'm also the mom of a reptile-mad 8-yr-old son! :) We started with a pair of leos and now have 15, plus 3 tiny pictus (Madagascar ground geckos), and a Dumpy Tree Frog, most of which are pretty handeable. I'd recommend a male giant if you can find one, I think the giants tend to be very laid back (ours will sit on the sofa and watch TV), and it seems males are more docile than females -- although having said that, we have some pretty tame females as well. My son has been very patient in taming them, he will sit with his hand in a tank for half an hour a day, for a couple of weeks, just letting a leo sniff and get used to him. And the first time a new leo crawls up his arm -- you'd think he'd just won the Nobel prize!

Dumpy Tree Frogs (AKA Whites Tree Frogs) are also very cool pets and good for beginners. They're very placid and don't seem to mind being handled at all. Ours climbs down from his perch and patiently sits by his food dish every evening at feeding time. They're real gluttons and it's fun to watch them eat -- it's like watching Jabba the Hut do the long jump.

Good luck!
Jax
 
For the handling I have heard fat tail geckos, but I'm not sure about their care. Somebody else who has one may have some input. If you want you may be able to get a giant on line for about 150 shipped and those are VERY tame.
 
Yeah if you are looking for handleable herps, leos, crested geckos, bearded dragons, and fat tailed geckos, are amongst the easiest to care for and i would recommend them for beginners.

Other "friendly" herps that i have seen are bluetongued skinks, uromastyx, leachies, amongst others. But these species are a little harder to keep.

Although beardies are great, and have one of the best personalities of all herps, i would go with a leo or a crestie, they are much smaller and do not recquire the extensive lighting and don't eat as much. But again it is up to you, just do your homework and come to an agreement with your son, i am sure you'll both find a great herp.
 
Valerie said:
Bearded dragons get to be a lot larger then 7-8 inches. I think an average for adult size is 18-20 inches. The need a good sized tank (ours was kept in a 75 gal), UV lightning, bugs and veggies. I wouldn't really recommend them as a starter reptile for a kid. I do really like cresties, but they can require patience to get them used to being handled. If I were you I'd go with another leo. You've already learned a lot of helpful info about them and you have access to a forum with many people who are willing to help you out every step of the way. :)
Click to expand...


Yes they can get to 20in if you include the tail.
 
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