What are the Best Types of Pet Lizards?
By Puppy Petite
Lizards are one of the most unique pets to own. Scaly and easy to care for, lizards are fascinating creatures that are fun to watch and easy to nurture. However, as with all wild animals, not every lizard makes a good pet. Some are rowdy and aggressive. Others require an expensive living environment. Still others are simply boring and do not accept human attention. If you have considered purchasing a lizard as a pet, here are some of the most popular lizards for beginners.
1) Anoles
Anoles are a small, calm lizard that is easy to care for and shy to human contact. As one of the smallest pet lizards, they require the least amount of food. They are not tremendously active, but they do thrive in groups of 4 to 5 (only one male) or more, which means that you have plenty of lizards to watch in your terrarium. Though the anoles may not be very active, they are inexpensive and they have very colorful skin that is hidden under their neck that they show off when they are scared or mating, making them more attractive creatures.
2) Bearded Dragons
Bearded dragons are social animals and interact well with humans. They are easily picked up and rarely aggressive when handled carefully. They also are not huge runners, so while they are interactive they are also not fearful or excitable. Bearded Dragons are much larger than anoles, so they require an equally large if not larger tank.
3) Leopard Geckos
Leopard Geckos are both great pets and less great pets at the same time. They are great pets because they are very friendly, very easy to care for, rarely aggressive and take up very little space. However, they are also nocturnal creatures, which means though the Gecko is a friendly and active lizard, it is more so active at night. If you do not mind missing their most active period, the Gecko may be your best pet. If you would prefer to watch them during their periods of heightened activity, they may be less ideal.
4) Skinks
With the exception of birds, smaller animals tend to have shorter life spans. When purchasing a pet for a child, an animal that is going to pass away in 1 to 3 years may not be ideal, because you risk having your child become attached to the creature just before it passes away. Skinks, particularly blue tongue skinks, have very long lifespans – many living to be as old as 20 years. They interact well, and though they require a bit more cleanup, they are still a friendly and enjoyable pet for most owners.
5) Iguanas
One final popular pet is the Green Iguana. Despite their very large size (they can grow to be as long as 6½ feet), Iguanas are friendly, very easy to care for, and easy to handle. They are large enough that you can take them out of their terrarium and observe them without worrying about them running away and hiding. They also do not require any living food – they feed solely on greens. They do require a very large tank with a lot of space, but for their size they are also fairly inexpensive animals.
Considering a Lizard
When people look for pets, they often overlook the benefit of lizards. They are easy to care for, they live longer than most other small pets, they can be very fun to watch and they are very easy to care for. It is important that you understand what the benefits and weaknesses of each animal are before you make your decision, but should you decide to get one of the above lizards, you will likely have a healthy and loving pet for years.
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