The best beginner pet lizard

[@kylieshaye6562]

My little brother got a bearded dragon at age 10. One day he runs to my mom saying he lost Shrimpie (he named him Shrimp) and can't find him. When my brother turned around, my mom found Shrimp, he was on my brother's back. Just hanging out there lol. Just a funny little story.

[@leafystreet]

lol i love it. I have a photo of mine as a kid sticking to the tie die shirt i made at 5th grade field day

[@kylieshaye6562]

@@leafystreet please post the photo if you can. Sounds super cute.

[@ihatemyneighbour226]

​@@kylieshaye6562 i agree

[@prussianvati1489]

That reminds me of my Bearded Dragon named Tank. She's a big lizard, even for Bearded Dragons and one day we left her by the window to sunbathe while we were cleaning the house. We forgot to check on her for a little bit and she vanished so the 6 of us started looking the entire house for her and after half an hour of not seeing Tank we were all freaking out, then when we went to go check the Christmas tree again we actually found her all the way at the top of the tree sleeping. Tank climbed our Christmas tree and decided to snooze while giving all of us a heart attack 😂

[@SleepingForAWeek]

Shrimp was planning betrayal

[@leafystreet]

i wanna stress that gargs and cresties are my go to recommendation for first timers but there are quite a few alternatives, including leopard geckos, that i love a ton. I've kept beardies and they make amazing pets, they can just be a lot to handle when properly cared for. gah bless and happy poopin'

[@mihaicepoiu2256]

I kinnda have a pet lizard so there is a male green lizard in my garden and he hangs out near some plants and he eats insects and i sometimes feed him (ants and betles) and he is really frendly but i dont plan to take him in my house (i live in central romainia and we call them gușter and they eat everythingh but mostly insects )

[@Silverstar129]

I have three leopard geckos that were rehomed to me and let me tell you I love them so much they will live the rest of their lives with me

[@jelly_beanz4665]

But leopard geckos need a lot of supplements that then need and have a higher risk of getting metabolic bone disease.

[@Kburm3]

I had a crested gecko named toothless and he was an awesome lil gecko

[@EeveelutionStorm]

What do you think about the crestie pre-made foods that are on the market as "bugless" alternatives? Serious question, I'd love answers to, as I want one one day but don't wanna starve it y'know?

[@HybridSymbiote]

We found a Beardy in the wilds of Florida when I was 13, abandoned by an owner most likely, and took him in. Absolutely the sweetest baby.. calm, easy to handle, loved to just be on you and watch the tv. Bit me only once trying to get a carrot slice off my finger- let go before he even hurt me. Idk who left the little guy out there, but they abandoned an absolute sweetheart.

[@Ash23065]

How old are you now

[@Freckles_and_Faes]

Awww 🥺 what’s his name

[@Violet-Storm]

You set that gecko down on the paper and I instantly fell in love. Not a single thought behind those eyes, bless him. Tell him I love him please. 💕

[@SavingPvtBryan32]

How is a low IQ cute?

[@Frostbyte44]

He died RIP Fuji

[@Violet-Storm]

@@Frostbyte44 I heard, and I was crushed 😔 RIP indeed, he was a real one. He died as he lived, himbo style 💕

[@Frostbyte44]

@@Violet-Storm RIP Fuji

[@moderndaymedusa]

GARGOYLE!!! They make me **so** happy! 😁 A gargoyle is what I have planned to get when the time is right. 🥰

[@leafystreet]

theyre just the best, although they dont come off as super smart lol. its okay, theyre cute

[@vivuli9596]

Gargoyle

[@Ruby-Rose233]

Oh…I was gonna have one for my birthday I have wanted one for ages😢

[@kaisac.]

I agree as a kid I got a beardie and my parents were always annoyed at how much space it would take and the need to take me to the pet store to get crickets and meal worms constantly. A crested gecko would've been so much more simple and easy.

[@overalonyx]

Same but instead I had to go outside to get her food. I actually got pretty good at it.

[@aniquinstark4347]

Did they expect it not to eat or something?

[@SRCReptiles]

Not every person can, but breeding dubia roaches is very easy and they have pretty much no smell to them like crickets, and if they escape, they will normally die within a week from the wrong temps and starvation due to them mainly eating fresh foods like fruits and veggies, though there are also gain diets sold for them as well. They have 36% protein vrs a crickets 16% and a mealworms measly like 2 to 5%. They all around are a very good option😊

[@mrsBainbridge]

​@@SRCReptiles yes, I don't breed dubias, but it is very easy to buy and take care of 1-2 months worth of dubias. They don't smell, don't die quickly like crickets do, and are silent.

[@dantan1249]

Is that actually better? I like doing all that maintenance stuff. I don’t want a pet just to say I have it. I’d rather just do the work for what I really want.

[@tiffw5245]

Gargoyle gecko, crested geckos, or leopard geckos are great beginner species. In my experience, crested geckos are a lot more jumpy, but they are so fun.

[@natalieruegger9047]

leopard geckos are also great beginner lizards! my dad bought me one for my tenth birthday because my mom wouldn’t let me get a mammal haha & i had her over 21 years! so gentle & sweet, cheap to feed, interactive while also being ok alone & minimal upkeep! i was even homeless in my early twenties & i took her everywhere, when i had enough money i’d get a motel room & put her in an empty dresser drawer & hunt crickets for her! love/loved her so much ❤️❤️ rip ferocio

[@Lummmlee]

Speaking from experience it’s also not an Iguana lol. I can’t believe my parents let their 10 year old try to keep an iguana in Michigan. RIP Spike I’m sorry you didn’t have a very comfortable life :(

[@kylieshaye6562]

Aw that's so sad. My parents got me a pet bunny when I was 6. There are some pets that shouldn't be taken care of by kids. RIP Spike ♥

[@leafystreet]

Rip spike :(. its scary easy to get iguanas its crazy

[@budisoemantri2303]

​@@leafystreet true, baby green iguana around 30-40 cm costs less than 10 usd here in Indonesia they're so cheap because it's very easy to breed them here in tropical climate

[@amaturearcadia]

That's crazy my best childhood friend had an iguana at like age 10, also named spike. His parents are some of the worst pet owners I've ever known

[@littlejackalo5326]

I had an iguana. I don't know why he's acting like they're so hard. I had mine when there was no internet to research how to take care of them. I fed him fruit, bugs, and hibiscus flowers. He lived from when he was like 6 inches long to like 4 feet long when he got too big and we gave him to the pet shop. He had a tank with a heating rock, and the tank was open. He just loves in my room, and he went back into his tank to take a dump. Never went outside the tank. Never had any issues. Maybe I got lucky. But I feel that animal care was far easier before the Internet when every "expert" has to insert their opinion on the care.

[@hi_tech_reptiles]

Gargs are awesome, and can regrow a tail unlike Cresties. I have an enclosure that's begging for a Garg lol. I also recommend Leopard Gecko's or African Fat Tails if you are a little more experienced and don't mind insectivores (Dubia roaches are easiest to keep alive for food lol)

[@leafystreet]

Dubias for the win. crickets make me so mad lol. for about 5 minutes, their call makes me feel like im in the jungle but it gets real old real fast

[@danielled8665]

​@Leafy Street I wish I was legally allowed to keep Dubias but Canada has very, very restrictive and unreasonable roach laws that seem like they were designed by a bunch off boomers who don't care about species or temperature needs and just went "ew roach no."

[@cospaws8810]

@@leafystreet Especially when it’s just *one* cricket singing the song of their people at midnight. Plus they die fast and stink bad. Roaches all the way ✊

[@snowballil3133]

Whenever I have to get crickets i pull/cut there wings off, I hate chirping crickets.

[@carafurry7862]

My dad had a female iguana when I was little, and she had a bad habit of laying unfertilized eggs all over her enclosure then going on an Easter egg hunt and eating them.

[@BartholomewFrederickTheThird]

Unlimited food glitch 💀💀💀

[@amber4068]

Also to anyone getting a beardie (or any lizard) from a petshop, do NOT take their advice for care. It's 99% wrong and you'll make them sick. Take the time to research their care, find support sites and just... pet shop owners are not very well informed to the right care of 'izzards.

[@themotions5967]

Depends on the pet shop. Your local chain store is a big no no, but any legit locally owned small businesses, or even specialty reptile and amphibian shops are usually a good source as the people working there are typically hobbyist keepers.

[@alexw.7097]

For Big Box Stores, absolutely, but if you have local reptile/exotic shops the owners and staff can be incredibly helpful. That being said it's always good to check multiple credible sources for your information!

[@Daddy_Floompers]

Luckily I researched all the information that a worker at PetSmart gave me before actually taking his advice because most of it was shit advice like how he told me to get my new Beardie kibble to feed her throughout the day... Which would have been very bad for her health

[@delaneykeller1389]

This goes for any animal from pet stores, I think. Ive had a couple different rodents in the past and the employees do not give correct care instructions. Cage size and diet and just about anything else they tell you is not right.

[@CreepyKiller0202]

Yeah my dad tried to convince me to get a rug substrate and a 20 gallon tank for a baby one to get started because the worker told him it would be good I told him no and 300 bucks later I’m building my own 40 gallon tank it’s going well I just need some more clay he’s gonna have a mountain

[@huipps]

I got my first pet reptile about 2 months ago, it was a gargoyle gecko and I love them. So cool looking and don't seem to mind handling

[@chrilleman16]

Had a blue tongue skink, he was a sweethearth and so easy to handle he lived for 26 year had him since I was born. Very calm most of the time

[@yuki_1130]

Leopard geckos are great too, they really just eat meal warms and you can feed then other stuff too, and if your cleaning out their tank and your cat jumps in they can hiss

[@karahb.1256]

I completely agree with this! Crested geckos and gargoyle geckos are the best beginner reptile. I think they are way easier than leopard geckos because leopard geckos need live feeder insects, heat, more space, more humidity, and they tend to be picky eaters. Whereas crested geckos usually do well in the average household temperature, they eat a dried nectar you just mix with water. And they don’t need as much space.

[@victorcabrera456]

i completely agree. I work at a petstore, and i love being able to introduce new people into reptiles using New Caledonian geckos. it sparks their interest and reptiles, and if it’s not for them, then they don’t have something huge and hard to take care of.

[@backwoodsjunkie08]

Leopard geckos are pretty good lizards as a first pet! Pretty cheap to maintain and their great to get the feel for the hobby

[@corneliusdenise]

This gecko is beautiful

[@carascott1219]

Like created I always recommend crested geckos as first reptiles

[@nicks_wild_life]

Bearded dragons actually are good first pets if you do your research and buy the proper setup, the only issue is that it's difficult to get small quantities of greens that won't go bad before they can eat them. My grocery store only sells huge ass bundles of collards so I have to find different ways to preserve it for as long as possible. Otherwise they're extremely rewarding little babies

[@lemonlizard1]

They're really rewarding for sure but, in my experience, they're a lot harder to care for than a crestie or leo. I would say, care wise, they're equivalent to a cat. Still super rewarding little cuties

[@themotions5967]

Oh they aren’t bad at all, I just wouldn’t call them a typical “beginner” animal compared to a lot of the smaller species we commonly keep. They are great as far as husbandry goes, just not as amazing when it comes to convenience of weekly maintenance and up front expense

[@BillyBobBrockali69]

Freezer, you can also make a blend of stuff kinda like reptilinks and freeze that, then put in a bag and put in hot water for feeding

[@BillyBobBrockali69]

Also, roaches and isopods can eat most scraps, and a compost can make really good soil

[@masters1977]

I have a female bearded dragon that lays 2-4 clutches a year of infertile eggs and requires me to have an extra 4x2 bin full of a 50/50 soil sand mixture just to lay eggs. Her breed also originates from Australia and she starts brumation in February-March. When I first got my bearded dragon she was actually a male but some(not all) Australian dragons have the ability to change their gender based on the temperature in their climate and this behavior still isn't fully understood. In conclusion, I don't recommend dragons as beginners because of this possibility and extra care required if this is the case. The only exception is buying from a breeder that can give you all the information about your dragons health and genetic inheritance.

[@X3Boss]

I could not have the gecko! I'd die from the cuteness

[@Jay-ei4cr]

I have two leopard geckos and they've been absolutely a joy to have, i love my lil geccs 🥰

[@emileeharmon4403]

My first pet lizard experience was a 5 ft green iguana. Space is definitely the hardest part about keeping them. I take care of beardies now too. Beardies are easier to keep but you need to not listen to petco/pet smart for advice on keeping them because they will give you a ton of bad information. Also they keep their beardies in terrible conditions.

[@Mxrinqq]

When I was 12 I did 7 months worth of straight saving and research to get my first reptile, whom I still have today, shes the sweetest bearded dragon that I've never had any issues with and shes truly a gift from God 💕

[@Mxrinqq]

She is a lot to care for but she was no problem for 12 year old me, even though I had a lot of other pets to care for at once :)

[@the-potato-warrior]

Leapord geckos are super chill. They never run and you can pet em like cats

[@Hamptereatscorn]

then i got a different kind of leopard gecko! mine behaves like he is on steroids

[@Deutsch_Gamer]

my leopard gecko sleeps most of the time but when he’s awake he’s super chill.

[@serenafisher8256]

I love my childhood leopard gecko. We got her from an independant pet store that had a teenager working there that made sure all the animals were well-handled so my gecko is super chill and social. She's 15 years old and still going strong!

[@nuroo0]

My Leopard gecko is also really chill but I'm not sure if he likes pets, sometimes it seems like he does other times it doesn't? One thing is for sure, he's slow af will stare at something thinking for 10 minutes if he should move on it.

[@camadellecat1010]

I know beardies aren’t the easiest of pets but my heart was set for a long time. My beardie is my best friend and I love her.

[@a-liyahs-ether4340]

Chinese water dragon takes a lot to care for them but it’s so worth it because they are the most friendliest, kindest, chillest lizards you can get. The only reason they nip at your finger is because they think it’s a pinky.

[@ashlyng2012]

My first lizard I got was a bearded dragon I named sol and he’s the sweetest thing ever and it’s quite easy to take care of him

[@theogrhino1144]

In my personal opinion leopard geckos are easier to take care of then the New Caledonia geckos because they are less flighty and you don’t have to worry about humidity but yes the New Caledonia geckos make great beginner pets

[@leafystreet]

I agree for the most part. I loved keeping leos so much, but I think my only pause is their more demanding heating requirements and need for constant insects with no alternative. With my gargs, for basking I'm just running a low wattage halogen with no thermostat, so its quite simple. But you really cant beat the size/ calmness combo of a leo

[@snowybookwyrm]

i just got a crested gecko the other day, my first ever lizard! he's a beautiful orange, and i love him dearly

[@ejkoscielski]

My crestie was my first lizard and I couldnt agree more. So easy to care for, and she's still happy and healthy. Time is a huge thing though, too. I got her in middle school, and shes with me at college now.

[@sociallyundead419]

I've had two beardies pass away from improper care from when they were little and rescued them a bit too late. I did the best I could but it was also my first time and there's so much wild misinformation... Thankfully my third beardie I got from a breeder and I know a lot more now. Aside from being a picky little booger that refuses vegetables (but will eat anything that's remotely shiny...) they're growing up strong!

[@petmashup2672]

THANK YOU! My first reptile was a bearded dragon and as an 11 year old I was not prepared for the amount of cage cleaning and taking care of crickets that came with having a bearded dragon.

[@northw.a.5251]

My crestie is my first lizard and I love him dearly, they're easy to care for for the most part especially in a bioactive tank. Their tanks are also tall rather than longer, so they're more space efficient. I love my baby

[@rSinful_]

their diet isn't annoying at all its just salad and bugs 😂

[@thehutch7728]

Right? I was so confused by that comment. I think beardies are a great intro lizard. Mine was a class pet for two years before I “retired” him to my home. I was able to order a wide variety of bugs off Amazon to keep him happy, and I just added his veggies to my grocery list. 🤷🏻‍♀️ OTOH, three iguanas died on my watch (to be fair, it was the 90s, and they came to me with issues). My crested lived a cushy life until it seemingly turned into vapor and escaped its secure enclosure. Beardies are the best.

[@nala6846]

Maybe his beardie was picky

[@Daddy_Floompers]

Their diets are pretty annoying actually specially bearded dragon diets considering multiple types of bugs can't be fed multiple types a week or not at all or else they could cause health problems and even death same with certain veggies like baby carrots

[@ILovePanta123]

I just looked it up and you guys definitely didn't feed your dragons and iguanas properly

[@ornithowlogist]

well, you’re making constant trips to the store to pick those up, rather than just one or two trips a month for cresties/gargoyles

[@s.8337]

It seems like a bearded dragon would be much easier to find, though. I’ve never heard of the gecko type you mentioned

[@thederricos4931]

My first lizard ever was a bearded dragon. I got him when I was eight and I still have him. He’s awesome.

[@yippleman7636]

I had a crested gecko for about 13 years. He was absolutely the most mellow man in existence and could be fed with crickets and crested gecko food powder stuff. Just don’t forget to keep an eye out for calcium deficiencies and dust the crickets with a supplement occasionally. Most intensive thing is watering them 3-5 times a day but can be automatically drip. 10/10 would recommend. Rest easy speedy

[@maddiesmenagerie8853]

The easiest for me personally are leopard geckos because they don’t have such a strict humidity requirement and can go longer between feedings being desert animals. They tend to get obese easily tho and can have shedding issues so you’d have to examine them every now and then but I do that with any pet. Never had luck with cresties unfortunately :( it is really nice that the crestie food is pre-mixed though with the vitamin dosings and all that afaik.

[@Avocetexotics]

I have 3 cresties! They are awesome! I'd love to gargs in the future! I'd also love i keep eurydactylodes! New caladonian geckos are amazing!

[@tedlasso686]

I have a couple of eurydactylodes and they're cool. They seem prehistoric.

[@kyrkogrim511]

I got a crestie as my first lizard about 4 months ago. He's extremely chill most of the time, though he can have moments where he tries to Run, but his jumps are pretty predictable, so it's not an issue. He was the only one at the shop that still had his tail and luckily he's not dropped it.

[@ShevaSmash]

You can litter box train an iguana fairly easily, I figured out how to do it when I was 12. My iguana had free run of my bedroom once she consistently pooped in the box. Saved a lot of money and space on not having to buy a huge cage. I think she missed having a cage though. She constantly climbed into my birds cage to sleep (no, she never showed any interest in eating the bird)... I miss that weirdo.

[@Kokonuz_]

Blue tongue skinks are also really good if you want something bigger

[@leafystreet]

I wish i had experience with them, their proportions make me really happy

[@Augustueu]

Yeah bearded dragons are only for level 50 pros so any thing else wold be a good weapo-I mean starter lizard

[@The_United_Kingdom1707]

I had a bearded dragon as a pet until it awakened its inner spider-man and just started chilling in the ceiling

[@ianhirst7498]

That's the very first lizard I got! I got two, very red gargoyles, with tank, both lights, and a tank FULL of stuff (a nice ZooMed with the flip front doors) for only $50 (they were surrenders, I don't know why). Still have them to this day! The most beautiful creatures I've ever seen.

[@GerbestOfNerbs]

My first reptile was a fancy leopard gecko, which I got when I was around 10-11 years old. He’s still with me today and lives a happy life with me and my roommate :)

[@RavenStar..]

Leopard geckos are also decent beginners... I just got mine and besides not eating yet (I've only had her a day) she is generally low maintenance and I've been obsessed with making sure she isn't overwhelmed or stressed and making sure if she is ready to eat or not

[@geoffsails]

For me, one of the easiest lizards to take care of was a Savannah Monitor. They aren't picky, have iron stomachs and for the most part, very docile. Mine was Bubba, he was about 6-7 when I had to give him to my friend when I moved out of state. Had him a few months after he hatched. When he was young, it was just a diet of insects. Grasshoppers, crickets, roaches, etc. Then when he got bigger, it was usually pinky mice(then full grown mice) and scraps of meat I had leftover while cooking. After the first 2 years, I just let him out in my backyard. He made his home in a den in my garden and was smart enough to not go to the bathroom on the patio and only went in the grass, even though I never potty trained him. He was so sweet and gentle, even with the next door neighbor's 6y/o and all of my friends, even him growing to +6ft long. Under my friend's care, he lived to be 11 years old. Definitely recommend Savs for all reptile enthusiasts. I don't recommend Nile Monitors tho. Those fuckers are mean lol.

[@mamasass2229]

My first lizard was a brown anole I wound up with because he hitched a ride in a shipment of plants my hardware store got from Florida. He was great, and I miss him so much. We now have a fire skink and a veiled chameleon.

[@DEADLY_messenger]

My beardie recently passed in his sleep, been binge watching reptile content to make me feel better

[@nugget8967]

I’ve got a crestie as my first reptile. So easy to care for and while he wasn’t handleable at first, he has chilled out a lot in recent months and doesn’t mind being held. Love that little guy, he’s so stupid

[@capnsalt7102]

Blue tongue skinks gotta my number one pick for best beginner pet reptiles hands down

[@trippyinsomniac3667]

I will always lean towards beardies personally cause that’s the only lizard I’ve had cuddle with me before 😂 I love a good scaly pupper

[@bindisherd5923]

"Diet is super annoying..." YES 😂😂😂😂

[@qquinny_]

my first lizard was a bearded dragon and honestly he’s pretty good!! i’ve had him for about a year now since april 17 2023 and he’s been a happy boy! i got his cage and all the stuff including him for free from my friend because she couldn’t take care of him due to extracurriculars but now he’s happy with me and i love him❤️his name is craig

[@moi5219]

Thank you on the bearded dragon! I knew a terrible pet owner who got them for her kids that were too young for them and when they got old enough lost interest. It was a bad time all around.

[@lina9535]

I was told a bearded dragon or leopard gecko are the perfect beginner lizards. The beardie they told me gets easier to care for as it grows older, and they "change" their diet (more meat when young, then veggies when older). A friend of mine had a lot of them when we were young, and they were no problem to care for. They all lived good and long lives 🤔

[@iLoveranger22]

From my knowledge, bearded dragons have an easy diet. You feed them live crickets from pet stores and they just need a good lamp you get at pet stores as well. But with space, well……. That is expensive

[@Kong.012]

Another amazing pick from New Caledonia is the crested gecko! These little guys are so amazing with an incredibly simple diet of this special mixture and occasional crickets. They don’t take much space and don’t require a heating lamp. In my opinion they are the easier and best beginners gecko. They also enjoy being handled but can be a little skittish time to time. Ps my cresties name is Rexx

[@pnkrathrt]

I have a crested gecko. Got lucky with my man, Titus is a blonde and he is about 20yo now. Idk how much longer he’ll be around but he’s got the best personality and easy to take care of.

[@youthinkyouknowitall]

Leopard geckos are awesome as well. My boys got 4 of em they mad chill easy af to take care of. Good advice my guy

[@mycorner967]

leopard gecko is the best starter lizard! easy to care for, loving, easy for pet sitters to handle. and the little attack tail wiggle

[@Geckogirlguide]

So cute!! Sadly we can’t get them or most reptiles in Australia but I love to see all different kinds of cool and interesting gecko species that you can get around the world!😊 thanks!😊

[@madeofchaiandsilk]

mr. bug my bearded dragon is currently laying on my chest half covered with a blanket just being all warm & comfy and snuggling. he’s the best 🥰 🦎♥️ we do this almost everyday he loves it!! he’s my baby!

[@anamazingkobold1564]

My first was a Leopard gecko named Spike, named after the Gremlin. Had him for 12 years, loved him everyday.

[@happybee7725]

Chahouas are the coolest New Caledonia geckos in my experience. I just love how the blend in against wood and they are very easy to keep.

[@snowps1]

You're right about the beardies. I love mine to death, but I am so glad he's over a year old now and not eating nearly as many bugs. If I ever got another one I'd get an adult instead of a baby.

[@dannybarton794]

My very first 🦎 pet was a beardy, and I took care of her very easy full time job school kids. I don't think her ever turned black. She was a happy girl. Just died a few years back from old age. But there's nothing hard about dragens they can get tail infections and eat pebbles and silly shxt like that. Just use ur head and ul be fine.

[@williamstoneman6977]

Cresties are super easy to take care of. I've got one that's a crackhead that won't let anyone touch him and my other is a super chill dude that will just vibe with you

[@MondaysPandemic]

I have a crestie! I always tell people she's so easy to take care of, she's like a more interesting house plant. The only real downside to these guys, is that they are nocturnal. I have a Wyze camera set up on a tripod to see what Rune gets up to at night. Her enclosure is bioactive and has a literal live tree inside it, so like... even though she's hiding and sleeping during the day, it is a really nice little mini-forest during the day.

[@novalopez3068]

I love how far the eyes bug out from their head. Just too orbs poking out when viewed from the top lmao

[@eagelskater]

I had a common green anole lizard for a couple years and while handling them my mom started talking at me for a solid twenty minutes and my lil noley decided to hide in my hair. It took a while for me to remember that noley wasn't in his terrarium. My sister helped me find him by hysterically laughing at me and picking him up off the top of my head where be was acting like remy.

[@KeyBritto-ji4vc]

I one hundred percent agree, my first lizard was a bearded dragon named Darwin and he was so expensive for just a kid to handle as well as the diet being too much, now I'm older and have a very pretty dragon named queso and I'm finally able to give one the treatment they deserve

[@kyliebarnes1651]

Bearded lizards smaller ones (wild btw caught by my cat)are great fashion statements/broaches .. the well just sit on your shoulder as you go shopping... You end up meeting so many people who want to know if they are real or not... Always so funny watching them freak out when you pick them up and they move 😂😨 So much fun when i was a kid😅

[@Gronky152]

My buddy had some crested geckos for a couple years, they died last year but only because he left them with his sister and she didnt mist the cage, they ate once a week and where extremely low maintenance apart from the mist 3 times a day, which he did it around a school schedule. Definitely would reccomend as a first lizard 👍👍👍 Edit: they would also love bieng handled, everytime i came round his i got to see the gecks, he also had bunnies that he had to take care of at the same time so that shows how manageable they are, think of them like sentient plants that also need food once a week!

[@luacriaarts2610]

Can confirm. Roommate has a beardie We don’t have a living room, it’s the dragon’s bedroom lol

[@IristheInkWing]

my first ever reptile was/is a leachie! they’re very low maintenance but the only issue is the amount of space they need when they’re older- my little guy is around 4 months old, and is being kept in a little bin. (air holes ofc) we have his final terrarium bought so he can explore and get warmed up to the foliage.

[@Anti-furry7274]

i’ve had a bearded dragon years like 6 years, i got him when i was 10. he makes a great pet.

[@quessiant]

As someone who has never owned a lizard before, thank you for this ❤ Last year I really wanted a bearded dragon and did a lot of research. Then I figured out stink bugs are poisonous to them. Where I live, stink bugs are abundant 😅

[@madisonwhite4857]

My leopard gecko, Irving, is very social/likes to be handled. He will hang off the door when he wants to play and will always come out to greet ppl when we have guests. He's more social than our cats

[@shikiweeki7605]

Any gecko that eats cgd is an amazing starter pet! Tropical species are usually easier to keep at the right temp and humidity imo so I would look for something tropical.

[@SeraliaAerials]

My first reptile was a crested gecko, she’s amazing and while I love her and cherish her, Bibi has helped me realize that I am not a reptile person at heart. I’m glad I have her and not a more complicated reptile.

[@atomkuehne]

I find that my Uromastyx has been an amazing pet. Not a species I heard is the most handleable, but they can still interact with you. They don't need much in terms of space requirements, they're relatively small and easy to care for as well. I put mine on calcium sand because he likes to dig and he's unlikely to suffer from impaction. They do like it pretty warm so he's got a basking spot that's hot to the touch that he loves to chill on. His diet is primarily just leafy greens that I already buy: he pretty much will only eat lettuce but has eaten mustard and collard greens in the past. He's also fairly active and fun to watch, he'll stand around staring at me, follow my fingers, run across his tank, chill on his basking spot, dig around, and shadowbox his demons. I also hand feed him his first leaf every day. His cleanup is easy since they make relatively large pellets and being on sand makes it incredibly easy to remove. He was far from cheap and I definitely wouldn't try to make him hand tame. But he's fun to look at and easy to care for and has become my favorite pet that isn't a dog.

[@thejamesopedia7088]

Blue tongued skink. That was the best pet ever. Would eat basically anything, (there are a couple things to look out for) loved being handled but was happy chilling in her vivarium, beautiful looking animal too. Loved her to bits and would recommend to anyone that is happy for a pet with a long life expectancy.

[@notasovietspy8008]

As someone with a beardy 100% agree lol. Super docile but it can be annoying maintaining their enclosure and diet. The best thing about them is how cuddly they are, literally writing this while mine is sleeping on my side.

[@bluey.lizard15]

my first lizard was bluetongue lizard. I think they are good beginner pets as well. they are quite slow so you don't need to worry about them running away. they will hide under anything in their enclosure, which always gives me a fright when i cant find him.

[@silenthillfan01234]

I have relatives in the reptile business, mostly selling feeder crickets etc. I started with a savannah monitor, tbh a big lizard is fun but it takes a lot and if you get something wrong the lizard pays for it. Gekos are perfect for a first. FYI I had a lot of information and help (inc a massive space for him that was a pet store display) so Herman led a happy and healthy life.

[@LuckyFox171]

My older sister had to an albino one, and didn’t realize that the heating lamp was for only a part of the enclosure. I think you can figure out how Fred died.

[@benjaminjablonski1783]

A couple of years ago my family bought a bearded dragon and at first we thought she’d be hard to take care of but she proved to be pretty easy. Now present day we have 3 beardies and a crested gecko and he’s very low maintenance and you only really need to make sure the humidity is right and feed him when needed making them very easy to care for so I agree. Gargoyle geckos are basically the same thing, they just look different

[@crazycoolbanana1631]

My parents used to own an iguana before I was born! He had a whole bedroom and acted like the king of the castle.

[@Loralanthalas]

You have to stress what kind of gecko you're getting because so many are so delicate you can't touch them without taking their skin off.

[@themotions5967]

He did specify New Caledonian geckos. And Pretty much all New Caledonian geckos are fairly hardy in that regard. The most they can do is really loose a tail and as far as I know the only one that can’t regrow a lost tail is a crested gecko. Although there are other small lizards i would say are more hardy. Leopard geckos, fat tailed geckos, banded geckos, and many other small to micro sized geckos that come from semi arid to arid habitats typically are both hardy and fairly convenient to care for properly.

[@solismax65]

Northern blue tongue skinks are also up there. They’re so fun to watch and they’re super active. Easy care requirements. Sturdy lizards

[@user-kl4js5ct3e]

My first pet lizard was a bearded dragon and I dont have any trouble with lighting, sizing or food. Had him for 4 years now and he's happy and healthy in 16 now for reference.

[@blaqice5075]

my brother didn't have a lizard, but the Tiger Salamander is a good starting pet. it's a burrower and it eats half a worm per two days. But it has to have clean water everyday, not just to drink, but to keep moisture. Tora, was a good pet and friend before he passed away. He lived a good life in his 10 gallon terrium.

[@missbee6101]

I have a crested gecko and he is a monster when it comes to eating crickets. And loves to launch himself to the floor, or into the walls of his terrarium. The fact that he hasn't dropped his tail and seems to lack all brain cells, he has been one of my favorite pets and he is very easy to care for, unlike my fish LOL.

[@thegreenexperience9509]

I would go with a crested gecko. I work at a zoo in my spare time and we have them there. They’re super fun and sweet creatures. 10/10 recommend.

[@shelle9775]

I have 2 beardies. 1 panther chameleon and 3 crested geckos. Geckos are definitely easier, but the satisfaction of feeding my Panther Chameleon and beardies is so rewarding. We rescued our beardies and they are thriving. We.bought our Panther from a breeder. The lighting for those 3 is expensive. I'm always schooling people at pet stores on correct lighting for reptiles.

[@katefarms]

I see a lot of love online for Cuban false chameleons! I’ve heard they can be very sociable and interesting to watch.