# Easy starter lizard



## Magpie (Apr 12, 2008)

In a few months' time I might be looking into getting a lizard. I'm looking for one that is good for a beginner (I've kept reptiles before, but no lizards). The sort of lizards I really love, however, are not the best for beginners ! My favourite ones are things like Madagascan day geckos, iguanas, bosc monitors, blue tongued skinks. In short, quite big lizards. I like bearded dragons and leopard geckos but everyone has them.
My ideal lizard would be most or all of these things (though I realise you probably won't get all in one lizard, so I'd settle for some or most !):

Not too expensive to buy or keep
Herbivorous
Handleable
Obviously easy for someone without experience to keep without too much difficulty - I'd read up and do loads of research on the beastie, but don't know anything about humidities, etc.
Fairly long-lived. I like emerald swifts but they don't live long at all, which does put me off a bit, I deal with too many animal deaths as it is !
Doesn't take up masses of space but isn't too small to handle comfortably - no grass lizards, dwarf geckos (cute as they are), etc.
Preferably would be nocturnal/not in need of fancy lighting equipment, to keep things simple
There are a few lizards that I've seen and am interested in, but don't know much about them - uromastyx (nice plant-eaters), tokays (are they completely unhandleable ?), fire skinks, maybe some others I've forgotten, so if anyone has layman's-termed info on these that'd be appreciated.
Any suggestions/ideas/advice for my perfect lizard based on the stuff I've said in the bullet points ?
Thank you in advance for replies.


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## Malky (Feb 24, 2008)

Uromastyx are herbivorous, relitavely big, handleable (well i'd say..), and that's it  not sure about the care though. And I've got no experience about the handling, i've just seen a few people holding them and they looked cool.


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## Magpie (Apr 12, 2008)

I don't know much about them but they do seem like nice lizards, but there's a few types of them as well, and I don't know the differences !

Also forgot to put that I adore white-throat monitors, chuckwallas and the thorny devil things you might have seen on the David Attenborough programme ? I don't know if they're sold as pets over here though.
I don't mind feeding them mice, rats, chicks, etc. (defrosted), I'd just rather stay away from the whole 'jumping live insects/worms that turn into beetles' thing if I can help it.


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## Johelian (Nov 25, 2006)

Chuckwallas would fit the bill - only thing that they dont correspond to is nocturnal, as these are desert-dwelling diurnal species. Very interesting little guys they are too! Uromastyx are similar - affectionately referred to by some as "African Chuckwallas"  Both species need strong UVB lighting and heating (think 125F for chuckwallas and somewhere between this and 150F at the baskign spot for uros), and a good herbivore diet - other than that are pretty easy to look after.

All of the species you mentioned are available from time to time here in the UK, though will vary greatly in price.


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## Lucifus (Aug 30, 2007)

In all honesty most herb only species are not good for beginners. Chuckwallas and Uro's are not good starter lizards. Full grown Egyptian Uros can put you in hospital if not tamed properly and you take a whack from its tail. However their are smaller species out there, i.e. Ocelated Uros. Also the lizard itself is going to be £145 plus your looking at another £300 for the set up.


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

Magpie said:


> My ideal lizard would be most or all of these things (though I realise you probably won't get all in one lizard, so I'd settle for some or most !):
> 
> Not too expensive to buy or keep
> Herbivorous
> ...


Herbivorous and nocturnal are two essentially mutually exclusive things; most herbivores are diurnal so they can find the leaves that look good.

If you like beardies and leos, why not consider them? They meet the majority of your requirements (leos are insectivores, but they meet the others; beardies eat some vegetable matter and some insects, and are diurnal, but otherwise meet the requirements)... 

You'll find it difficult to find a small reptile that is either completely herbivorous or completely able to live on vertebrate prey - most non-herbivorous reptiles SHOULD be fed largely on insects to prevent obesity and organ damage. However, you could try something that'll eat Dubia roaches - nonclimbing, nonflying, no smell, no jumping... and easy to breed yourself.

Desert Iguanas are another possibility (they're smallish herbivores), although they are not necessarily going to be cheap.


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## Cyberlizard (Apr 1, 2008)

I agree that it will be very difficult to find any lizard that meets all these ideal requirements!

Of the others you mentioned, Tokays are nocturnal and not as bad as their reputation, but are pretty much insectivorous. Fire skinks are beautiful but diurnal and insectivorous again.

I assume you were joking when you mentioned the thorny devil off Life In Cold Blood as these only eat ants (thousands at one sitting).

A smaller Uro might fit the bill, but again they are all diurnal. Also you will need a lot of heat and UV light for these lizards as they live in the baking, sun-blasted parts of the Old World. The cloacal temperatures of one species can reach temperatures in the upper 100s that would be near-fatal to a human being.

Most if not all of the herbivorous lizards come from similar very warm areas and require either high heat or much UV, or both.

Green igs have a lot to recommend them to a serious keeper, but if you have (or plan to have) very small children then you may want to think twice in the light of the salmonella scare. If children are not a worry then you could consider letting a green ig having the run of a room, provided you keep an eye on it.

Hope this helps.


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## Magpie (Apr 12, 2008)

Thanks for all the input. I realise I'm not gonna find the perfect lizard that will fit every single one of my ideal requirements but like I say these are just in a perfect world, I'm willing to compromise on them for the right lizard.
I was after a nocturnal one because they don't require lighting (or so I was told in the pet shop, I don't know), so it just makes things simpler for a first-time keeper, but from what people have posted I might be better off with a diurnal one.
Is there a reason the insects have to be live when you feed them ? I'm just wary of some escaping and getting into the house.



> I assume you were joking when you mentioned the thorny devil off Life In Cold Blood as these only eat ants (thousands at one sitting).


Haha, no I wasn't, I don't know anything about them. I know some people have them as pets in Australia but that's about it.

About the uromastyx and chuckwallas, some have said they're good starter lizards, and some not. What would make them good/not good for a first-time lizard keeper ? I know where I can get ocellated uromastyx, and the only place I've seen chuckwallas for sale is on Exotic pets (don't know how good they are for livestock yet).

Ssthisto, it seems like everyone in the world owns a leopard gecko or a beardie at the minute, I'd like something a bit different. How much would you expect to find a desert iguana for, and are they easy to come by and look after ?

Cyberlizard, I'd absolutely love an iguana, and know of places where I can get one, but I've heard they're very much not for beginners (although I'm guessing that's maybe because of the size and the amount of people that are told they'll only grow to the size of their enclosure !). I don't have kids and am not planning on it so that wouldn't be a problem. Would they get all the heating and lighting requirements they needed with the run of a room ? Obviously it'd have a viv as well but I'm guessing it'd mostly want to be roaming if it were given free run.


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

Magpie said:


> Is there a reason the insects have to be live when you feed them ? I'm just wary of some escaping and getting into the house.


Yup, a big reason: Most insectivorous reptiles won't eat dead ones. If it isn't moving, they aren't interested. And the gimmicky vibrating dishes and tinned bugs aside, you won't find too many advocates of trying to feed them dead bugs either.



> Haha, no I wasn't, I don't know anything about them. I know some people have them as pets in Australia but that's about it.


Short-term captives maybe, but not pets... even zoos tend to have to release their animals regularly as the ants they require are not easy to get sufficient quantities of.



> Ssthisto, it seems like everyone in the world owns a leopard gecko or a beardie at the minute,


Probably because they're the easiest starter lizards and have loads of character, are simple to set up, easy to feed, handleable and cheap to get hold of - they actually do fit the majority of your options.

What about a Rankin's Dragon? They're a little smaller than beardies, a little less common... but very similar in terms of care. 



> I'd like something a bit different. How much would you expect to find a desert iguana for, and are they easy to come by and look after ?


I don't know to be honest - they're not a species I keep... there is someone selling one in the classifieds at the minute, though. 



> Would they get all the heating and lighting requirements they needed with the run of a room ? Obviously it'd have a viv as well but I'm guessing it'd mostly want to be roaming if it were given free run.


You'd need to set the room up as essentially a LARGE enclosure - basking areas throughout the room, climate controlled, with areas of greater humidity and so on. Not quite the same thing as having a spare bedroom with a free-roaming iguana, it'd be more like having a large walk-in iguana enclosure.


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## Cyberlizard (Apr 1, 2008)

Hi Magpie,

There's no harm in giving the ig the run of the room in that case, but you would still need to provide an area where it could get UV and extra heat. From my reading of the subject I believe some owners in the States for example set up a kind of platform (they love to climb anyway) with a heat lamp and UV set up above it. Normally one would expect the lizard to find its way back to that when it needs UV or extra warmth.

An enclosed area gives you the advantage that you can keep the humidity up without worrying about moisture on anything else, or you could have a big enough receptacle of water for it to sit or lay in when it feels the need. They are superb swimmers, apparently. Again it's really down to how you would want to set it up, safety and other practical matters taken into account.

I believe people have had varying degrees of success with "house-training" igs to use a litter tray.


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## bampoisongirl (Mar 28, 2008)

i'd recommend a spiny tailed monitor (varanus acantharus) nicknamed ackies. They are handleable, gorgeous, and eat insects. But it is better to keep them in pairs or trios. have a look at them


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## H3nry (Nov 11, 2009)

Personally i would say a beardie as it fits all of the needs you have asked for other than the lighting needs. If not a leo gecko?: victory:


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## Whosthedaddy (Nov 29, 2009)

Malky said:


> Uromastyx are herbivorous, relitavely big, handleable (well i'd say..), and that's it  not sure about the care though. And I've got no experience about the handling, i've just seen a few people holding them and they looked cool.


I'd have to say that Uro may well be my _next_ lizard. I think they are so different from anything else with the colour variations and such a sweet little facial expression.

Just to note that I've just started with a Bosc as a first rep.


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