# Bearded Dragon or Blue-tongued Skink for wheelchair user?



## cyanidebaby (Nov 30, 2013)

First off, hi, I'm new here. My name is Laura and I hope to become an active member of the RFUK community 

I've wanted to own a bearded dragon ever since I was 14 (I'm 23 now) but it's tricky, my manual dexterity isn't the best and I couldn't guarantee I'd be able to remove crickets from their tank, and being a wheelchair user, if I dropped the crickets (or God forbid the lizard) I couldn't pick them up until a carer arrived (which just spells disaster.)

Now, I know what you're probably thinking, bad idea, don't get a lizard, but my carers come three times a day and stay overnight, so I'd be looking to handle it then (on my table with big ledges so that it couldn't fall off or get hurt.) I also would ask carers to remove it from the tank to get rid of any risk.

Although I love beardies, I found the skink. It's bigger, slower (correct me if I'm wrong) and seemingly quite docile. It eats a much more versatile diet so insect infestation seems less likely. I want to be a GOOD owner and I don't want the carers to end up having to take responsibility for my pet.

The beardies I have held seem more patient and less likely to wander off, they've also got great little personalities. For cleaning, I figured beardies might be easier for me to do (or help carers do) because you can use lizard carpets and they don't burrow, whereas skinks need shavings.

Which species do you think would be best? Do you have any other recommendations of suitable diurnal lizards?

Thanks 

Laura


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## Tanzer (May 13, 2012)

Hi!

Welcome to the Forum and I hope you do become a regular member 

I think its great you have put so much thought into your soon to be pet! (Hopefully)

If I were you I would go with the skink. They are such intelligent and docile reptiles -if you happen to let one wonder round it's not going to scurry off. You can also house break them which would be great when it comes to cleaning him/her out. Establishing a routine for them is a great way to bond and these smart little lizards are going it quickly recognise when its feeding time! They also adjust well to handling, taming them enough to lay on you lazily will take no time at all with regular handling  

Don't get me wrong I like beardies I just think blue tongues as lazy, tame, inquisitive which would be great for your situation!!

Pics please when you decide


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## cyanidebaby (Nov 30, 2013)

Thanks 

What's the breeding season for skinks please?

I should also mention I have a harmless but very curious dog. Will he freak the skink out by peering through the glass? I know beardies puff up but then don't mind after a while.


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## Jeffers3 (May 18, 2010)

My daughter's cat spends a lot of time sitting in front of my beardie's viv. Neither seems more than curious about the other, but I wouldn't risk that without the glass there!

If you get a beardie, there shouldn't be too much of a problem, but I'd suggest that it might be a good idea to stay clear of a very young one. As youngsters, they are very fast and flighty. They also eat small (fiddly) insects. As adults, they can be given larger insects to eat - try morioworms, which are a bit easier to avoid escapes. As adults, they also eat a lot of veg.

As well as skinks (which I think are great btw!), there are lots of options. There are water dragons, lots of agamas, geckos - you may even want to consider a Bosc's Monitor or a Tegu, but this will depend a bit on your confidence.

Is there any reason why you haven't thought about a snake?


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## cyanidebaby (Nov 30, 2013)

My friend recommended a snake, but are they really that fussed for human contact?


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## Marc2013 (Aug 5, 2013)

Not Experienced but had 2 snakes in past and foud they only want to be fed.


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## Jeffers3 (May 18, 2010)

cyanidebaby said:


> My friend recommended a snake, but are they really that fussed for human contact?





Marc2013 said:


> Not Experienced but had 2 snakes in past and foud they only want to be fed.


Depends on the snake. I'm not sure many reptiles actually want human contact. Most of my snakes are happy to come out. My burmese python is the snake who seems to like human contact the most - he will climb onto me, if I open his viv door.

My leopard gecko is the reptile that seems to like contact most out of any of my reptiles. She "paws" at the glass every night to let me know she wants to come out.


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## Marc2013 (Aug 5, 2013)

As A snake lover I had a albino corn snake up at glass to be out so when out i fed it and thats it once fed would go back and not want o be held.

Had Mexican kingsnake and again same things wanted to be out to be fed then when fed went back.

If im honest this was approx 10 years ago and i only got really into reptiles 5 years ago so lack of experience was real short fall.

But since getting into Geckos and Beardies I'd never go back to snakes Lizards all the way for me!!!


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## cyanidebaby (Nov 30, 2013)

I've looked into snakes a bit overnight, gut instinct says I prefer lizards.

The reason I say diurnal is there's more opportunity to get them out, I can check that it's eating and toileting properly, and monitor it's behaviour to make sure the husbandry is right. I can also see it roaming in the tank if when I can't handle it until someone arrives...but we're talking about the best fit for me as the primary carer of an exotic pet, so although I have my own favourites, I'm quite happy for you to suggest something that's nocturnal if you think it would be better. What time do nocturnals come out?

I'd consider snakes and mammals I guess, if it means I'd have less chance of screwing up, but ideally...a lizard.


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## SilverSky (Oct 2, 2010)

if you've fallen for lizards, then i say get a lizard, you'll only still want one if you get a snake.

i think you'll be fine, skinks are lovely, and shouldnt move too quickly, so you'll have plenty of time to control it if it panics, before it ends up on the floor.


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## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

Just wanted to say welcome to RFUK!

I think either lizard would be a good choice for you (I agree that snakes might suit your lifestyle but they don't really interact much). I think that you might get more pleasure from a beardie as they don't hide away so much. This means that, even at times when you can't get the lizard out, you would still be able to watch it in the viv.


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## cyanidebaby (Nov 30, 2013)

Thanks guys,

Another friend has recommended a leo or a crestie, but aren't they very very quick?  What's their temperament like?


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## Oxmonitor (Sep 9, 2013)

Hi, welcome to the forum :welcome:

I'm very much new to reptiles myself, we have just got a Leopard Gecko for our daughter and he is only 14 weeks old, tbh he doesn't move massively fast and is quite easy to handle but he can occasionally have a good turn of speed on him you need to be ready for so it may be tricky for you.

I also have a Blue Tonuge Skink on her way once I have her viv set up, a lovely 2 year old. I think one of these would be perfect for you myself, they are slow and do not suddenly take off and are extremely friendly and easy to house and feed. I was considering a Bearded Dragon and a Uromastyx (which I am still going to get at some point!!) but found the little blue tongue to have such a great personality and they look lovely too. Its nice as they are a bit different to what most people keep as a 'starter' reptile if you like and I think would be a very rewarding companion. This care guide I have found very useful:

Detailed Blue Tongue Skink Caresheet - BlueTongueSkinks.NET


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## Jeffers3 (May 18, 2010)

Leopard Geckos are dead easy to handle. Avoid a real youngster and you'll be fine.


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## cyanidebaby (Nov 30, 2013)

I need to do TONNES more research it seems, lizards are out unfortunately because I can't rely on being able to heat and light them properly without carers so it wouldn't do it to the animal.

My next research entails our friends the spiders, as far as I can tell so far, I could clean those and feed them readily, especially something slow moving and docile. I'll take a few months to look at what's best. I still want to own a lizard at some point in my life but I've only ever owned a dog so I've never maintained a cage. Therefore, I feel going for ANYTHING that needs more than a critter keeper as a starter exotic would be irresponsible. I might even see if I can clean out some of my friend's pets, see how I get on.

Right now, I'm researching Chile Flame spiders, I like tarantulas but I just assumed they all needed desert conditions and ate mice or birds...I need to find someone who has one and see how I get on though. Thanks for all your help guys. Do let me know your thoughts if you have any.


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

Welcome to rfuk, there is some fab advice here. 
I agree that either lizard would definitely suit your life style, and the ambition and passion to own a reptile, is something everyone can enjoy. 

I just wanted to pick up on one point, about the moving fast view, in my experience, all reptiles, including (bearded dragons, leopard geckos and skinks) can move at surprising speed if they want too, and though they rarely display that indoors, it is still worth keeping in mind, you could even do what you suggested and clean out some friends, or take a trip to your local rep shop and ask to handle one, pretty sure they will be okay with it, gain a bit of confidence with hands on etc? 

Both species you mention are very easily tamed, including the leopard geckos, all are great in there own little ways so which-ever you decide, your probably not going to be disappointed.

Best of luck with which-ever you decide.


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## cyanidebaby (Nov 30, 2013)

I just have to think about what would happen if NO-ONE was there, would I be able to care for it independently. With my dog, the answer is yes, I can feed him, walk him, pet him and make him content. If there's any doubt as to whether I can do this for a caged exotic...I shouldn't get it. 

1. Anything that lives in a cage that can't be kept on a table is out or I can't get it out unaccompanied (yet!). Feeding live would be much easier if I could get right under a table and drop into in a viv from overhead

2. Anything where I can't get into the cage to clean it, and I couldn't guarantee I could maintain it. To do this, I figure if the worst came to the worst I'd need to be able to lift the petless enclosure up and scoop the substrate out.

3. Anything that's going to put up a MASSIVE fight or is in danger of dying when I attempt to get it out to clean it's cage...not too good for the animal, too much stress for it.


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

cyanidebaby said:


> I just have to think about what would happen if NO-ONE was there, would I be able to care for it independently. With my dog, the answer is yes, I can feed him, walk him, pet him and make him content. If there's any doubt as to whether I can do this for a caged exotic...I shouldn't get it.
> 
> 1. Anything that lives in a cage that can't be kept on a table is out or I can't get it out unaccompanied (yet!). Feeding live would be much easier if I could get right under a table and drop into in a viv from overhead
> 
> ...


You can order alot of your supplies and needs online these days too, easy, I do it myself, there is many vivarium designs, and I am pretty sure if you spoke to a vivarium builder, it would be pretty easy to build an enclosure with a lid for that purpose, sounds like a good idea that! 

It does sound you are giving it alot of thought, which is great! it is always a good thing to think ahead, but if you think you can manage it, then I say go for it! 

If you have carers who would be comfortable helping you out with that then that is even better. : victory:


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## Africandragoncorn (Sep 16, 2012)

Welcome to RFUK. I have a lot of respect for the thought you are putting into this. I think that beardies, skinks and leos are all fairly equal to one another. However i would not reccomend a crestie accounting for your own concerns as they are very small very quick and like to jump and you would be suprised how far they jump too lol. However if an enclosed vivarium is a problem for you why not consider a tortoise which can be kept in an open topped tortoise table, they are reasonably slow eat vegetation rather than insects and are literally no problem to handle.
Whatever you decide i hope you find your way happily into the reptile/exotic animal world. We all welcome you to it


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## cyanidebaby (Nov 30, 2013)

Thanks for all your support guys, I will definitely look into custom vivs and perhaps even draw some designs. I did consider a tortoise when I was first looking into owning reptiles but I discounted it because all the research I did into them suggested they were not for inexperienced owners. Besides that, I don't want a pet for 20 to 40 years, I have no idea what Ill be doing when I'm 40-60  Any feedback on this?


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## Africandragoncorn (Sep 16, 2012)

Not at all you do not to be experienced. You just have to be willing to do your research and judging by the thought you have put in so far i would assume that you are. There is no animal that a newbie absolutely can not keep as long as they are willing to put the hours in reading. They have superb temprements so you need not be concerned with aggression and actually once you have the set up correct its basically just a case of feeding and bathing maybe once a week. Hibernation is advisable but is not completely neccesary and in fairness hibernation simply means placing in a cool shoe box so its not difficult to achieve


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## cyanidebaby (Nov 30, 2013)

Thinking about it, the best kind of tank setup for me would be a slidey draw like you get in budgie cages in terms of cleaning. Not sure if a lizard would like that kinda moving floor though. That way I could remove the lizard the usual way, bring it to safety, then slide the bottom out where the substrate is, clean up and push it back in...even better would be a viv where the whole thing dissembles so you can reach right in and clean it piece by piece...that doesn't seem ideal for the lizard though does it?


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

cyanidebaby said:


> Thanks for all your support guys, I will definitely look into custom vivs and perhaps even draw some designs. I did consider a tortoise when I was first looking into owning reptiles but I discounted it because all the research I did into them suggested they were not for inexperienced owners. Besides that, I don't want a pet for 20 to 40 years, I have no idea what Ill be doing when I'm 40-60  Any feedback on this?


I recently rescued a tortoise, a leopard tortoise actually! he has some pyramiding going on around his shell, I think the most challanging thing for tortoise care is the diets, variety is quite the optimal word for these guys, and most keepers from what I have seen seem to agree that a wide and varied diet is better for them, this includes having to go weed picking alot, and growing some?


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## cyanidebaby (Nov 30, 2013)

I don't know what it is, but something about owning a tortoise worries me, they are a very long-term commitment that I'm not sure I could meet, they're also quite heavy and I'm not sure I could lift one if I ever had to get it out of harm's way.


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

cyanidebaby said:


> I don't know what it is, but something about owning a tortoise worries me, they are a very long-term commitment that I'm not sure I could meet, they're also quite heavy and I'm not sure I could lift one if I ever had to get it out of harm's way.


There are small species of tortoise I am sure! you are probably best off making a thread in the shelled section to speak to some more of the dedicated and knowledgable tortoise keepers, I am sure they may be able to help, unfortunately tortoises are not really my strong point, I know a little about what I keep, my tortoise is my first, I never really was a huge fan of them, but this one here has definately won my love, hence I decided to take him, hes a right character too. :2thumb:


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## cyanidebaby (Nov 30, 2013)

After a few weeks of research and advice, I think the most sensible idea would be a gecko pending more research. Bearded dragons want a fifty five gallon tank to be comfortable at full size and I've never even cleaned and maintained a ten. I can always get a beardy later if I can handle the gecko in the little ten/twenty. Spiders I might kill by trying to get em out, snakes are too long and I couldn't unwrap them if they coiled, tortoises I'm not confident with, blueys need an even bigger set up than the beardies. So... choices I'm considering:

-Leopard

-Fat-tailed

-Gargoyle (


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## Africandragoncorn (Sep 16, 2012)

Based on those choices i would personally go for a leopard gecko. As with all animals they will require usually 1-2 weeks to settle. In which time they will not eat too more than absolutely necessary and you will be lucky to see them. However after this settling period they tend maintain their weight very well eating when they are hungry and not just because the food is there. They are very inquisitive and adventurous and handle very well once accustomed to it. However the does side is they are near enough nocturnal only really coming out during the very late evening/night time through to the very early morning. So you wont be able to watch them snooping around in the day time. But husbandry is very simple and can mostly be done with a small scoop to pick out the poo. Changing the substrate perhaps once a fortnight. However they are a groung species only doung very minimal in terms of climbing. Meaning if you did managed to get a floor that slides out. You would first have to remove the gecko(s).


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## cyanidebaby (Nov 30, 2013)

REALLY tempted to add in the Rankins because they're not
dusk dwellers but I may run into the enclosure issue again. What are your thoughts on these? By the way, I'm not skipping around from pet to pet on purpose...I'm just researching quite a lot of species at once because I can make comparisons better that way.


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## Africandragoncorn (Sep 16, 2012)

Rankins and beardies are practically the exact same animal. So exact same pros and cons


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## Jeffers3 (May 18, 2010)

Leopard Geckos are usually really tame. I also think they are stunning looking animals, which is often overlooked, because they are quite common. Mine, pictured below, is unbelievably tame and (I think) really beautiful. She comes to the glass in her viv every night and "paws it" to be taken out. She doesn't need to be picked up, as she will step onto my hand by herself.


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## Hardy87 (Apr 7, 2011)

If you want a Beardy get yourself one, i don't think you would struggle like jeffers said though in an earlier post maybe get a 'grown on' beardy (a little big bigger than a baby) because small crickets can be a pain, plus you want them to be eating more veg as they get older so bugs will only be half of their diet.

I've got 3 Lizards and 2 Snakes and I prefer my beardy who was my first pet more than the others although i do like my snakes more than my two gecko's but if you want something that will enjoy being handled then a beardy is definitely the one in my opinion they are surprisingly social for reptiles, or at least mine is.

P.S Welcome to the RFUK and i'm sure whatever you end up getting you will love them, reptiles are brilliant.


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

To make cleaning easier I would suggest looking at reptiles or amphibians suitable for bioactive enclosures. This basically means you load then with bugs that will naturally help to keep the enclosure clean. For example woodlice and spring tails. 

I noticed you looked at tarantulas so you're open to other pets so how about praying mantids?


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## Africandragoncorn (Sep 16, 2012)

I wouldnt suggest mantids at all. Everything is very small and fiddly food ridiculously so. Also in my experience they are incredibly tempremental insects. Only pro i can think of aside from the fact that i agree they are cool is that they live for only about 12 months so a short term commitment to test yourself but in this paticular instance i feel it would be phd test. Based on the concerns voiced by the poster themself.


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## Africandragoncorn (Sep 16, 2012)

P.s. the bioactive suggestion however, nice step outside the box that ones a keeper


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## Corfel (Apr 29, 2013)

If you wanted a beardie (or any lizard that feeds on crickets) I would just point out - yes crickets are a pain and would probably cause you some difficulty.

With that in mind I would suggest locust as an alternative. They are slightly more expensive but they don't smell, they don't chirp and they are much more docile and easy to handle in my experience. I've had no difficulty removing these from my beardies Viv since I swapped to them. I can literally move them from tank to viv on the back of my hand and they don't try to escape (not always mind you lol)

I would never use Crickets again after feeding locust - obviously the only issue is they cost a little more.

I also recently acquired my first snake and I love her - she's a dwarf so will only grow 4/5ft max and I've no doubt there are other species that remain even smaller and "coil" less - I read you were worried about not being able to uncoil her.

Some snake experts on the snake section would probably be able to advise you better in that respect should you decide on a snake. There is also the fact that a snake can simply eat frozen (defrosted come feeding ) mice/rats rather than live food which might give you trouble.

I'm not sure your full situation with mobility etc but if it's within the realms of possibility I would highly recommend you visit a reptile store or even the reptile section in a zoo etc to see if they will let you handle various species - see what you're most comfortable with.

Not everything that makes sense on paper will transfer to your ability in the flesh, you might find you get on well with some of the more "difficult" species that have been discussed


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## Peck695 (Oct 13, 2013)

Hi, it seems people are giving you good advice and its good your putting alot of research into your potential new pet.

I would definitely use locusts as a primary feeder over crickets as they are easier to handle, keep, not as smelly or noisey, almost no chance of it biting your pet, best of all if you drop them they hop around aimlessly unlike crickets who will run under the closest thing it can find. 

Just to throw my animal advice that might be of some use to you, leopard geckos are very hardy, poo in one spot so easy to clean (I also keep mine on repti carpet which is very easy to replace and clean), dont eat a great amount) Draw back is they are nocturnal (mine gets up at 9pm and is often asleep again by the time I get up at 8am), they can be difficult to handle until you get used to them and they get used to you.

I love my beardie but they are very messy and require alot of food (also cant be kept on carpet due to their claws. Based on what you have said I wouldnt recommend cresties/gargoles, great to handle and play with but if it got away from you it would be difficult to catch.

Hope this helps, dont worry about asking lots of questions


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## HERPaddict (Dec 3, 2013)

I would recommend a Leo.
I have a leopard gecko who is about 7 months old. She seems to enjoy being handled and even falls asleep in the palm of my hand. I feed superworms which are very easy to maintain, and I'm in the process of breeding them. Cleaning is a breeze as she is housed on newspaper or paper towel and leos only poos in one corner so just put a a little piece of paper towel over that area and replace as necessary.
I see my Leo often because I just urn the lights off in my room where she is kept at about 6 pm while I'm still awake and she comes out of her hide literally like 30 seconds later lol. So she is out and about while I'm awake. And my light is on a timer so it turns back on at 6 am by itself so she still gets her 12 hour day/night period. 
So to sum it all up, I recommend a Leo because they are easy to handle, feed, clean(especially if you get a viv with sliding doors or a wide exoterra viv which has swinging doors, which would make it a lot easier for you to clean,feed, and handle) and they can be very active during the day.
Oh, and something to think about, Leo's and skunks can live to be upwards of twenty years old. But you said you don't want a pet for 20 - 40 yrs. Beardies can live for more than 10 yrs. 

Sent from my LG-LS860 using Tapatalk


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## Iulia (Mar 2, 2011)

hi and welcome.

Don't quite a lot of reptiles live a long time if cared for properly? My friend has a leo that is over 18 ... (but still not drinking lol)

Anyway - I don't have much experience with lizards so if it is question of WHICH lizard there are better people to comment - 

regarding snakes - one of the advantages I guess is they eat (and poop) way more rarely than lizards, so need much less cleaning and fussing with food.

So you probably could care for one without carer input (except perhaps full viv cleaning?)

I love dragons but they DO crap pretty much most days, and it needs cleaning up as it stinks. And they do need regular feeds (but a lot is veggie if they are adults).

On the plus, they are a hoot ! usually up during the day, and easy to handle. 

Whatever you decide though, make sure the animal interests you as well as suits your requirements .... 

if you really want a lizard try (as others have said) to find one that suits rather than going for something else.


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## Sioriwish (Dec 26, 2013)

Hello!

I have health issues that affect my mobility, not quite in a wheelchair at the moment, but I do find it difficult doing stuff due to pain levels, so I can sort understand where you're coming from with the worrying about dropping them and putting them in and out of their Vivarium and cleaning, whilst having health issues. ( Basics just being replacing food/water and spot cleaning)

For the vivarium set-up of any reptile, I would suggest putting it on a table that isn't too high, so something that is small in height. Mine is on a low coffee table that I can access whilst sitting down, so even when I'm having a bad day of pain and not being able to move much, I'm still able to do the basics of what is needed to look after him without exhausting myself and moving around a lot. 

If you're thinking still maybe thinking of a Beardy, I would suggest getting an adult as their diet is mainly veg, so you can just place a food bowl in the morning of fresh veg, let them munch it throughout the day and then take it out at night and bin the excess veg. I keep both my food and water bowls near the glass panels so they're easier to get in and out.

As for feeding them insects, I've been told by the place I bought him from, that he only gets Locusts one day a week, and a limited amount of them. With feeding locusts, I've found that using a tall tub, like a spaghetti tub helps a lot, they can't jump out of it and it's easy to just tip it into the viv, and because i've been told to give my beardy a certain amount, I don't have to chase any around the vivarium to clean them up. On the other days, I've been told to give my beardy mealworms mixed in with his veg, so he still is getting some source of insect before locust day arrives. Mealworms are easy to handle, they haven't escaped once from his bowl and they don't require you to go chasing them when it's tidy up time. 


I'd suggest getting any reptile that has been handled a lot, so then it is used to being handled and won't freak out when being picked up. When I went around places looking for a reptile, I found that the smaller privately owned shops had reptiles that were handled more and were relaxed when I picked them up, compared to the big branded pet stores where they were more skittish and wanted to escape. I've found that my beardy is rather easy to handle as he just sits there when i'm picking him up, he doesn't scramble to get away from me, I haven't dropped him once, but I think this is due to his claws getting caught in my clothing often, no matter what I wear :lol2:, and obviously being careful when handling him, he is also just generally calm about being handled too, because he was handled a lot in store, meanwhile if I got one that wasn't, I think they would be much more difficult and I wouldn't even want to get them out of the vivarium because they could just run off unexpectedly, so my opinion is, getting one that gets handled often prior to purchasing will make a huge difference in the interaction between you and your reptile, but that's just my opinion, other people may have different views. 

As for cleaning, I've found it rather easy to clean my vivarium due to it being at the height I need it at and because it's quite big, being 4ftx2ft, so it's easy to reach in and spot clean. I keep a little disposal bin that's made for waste etc, just under the coffee table so I'm not having to go back and forth constantly from viv to bin, I'm going to be emptying this weekly, this may be an idea for you too . When it comes to the full clear out, or having stuff moved around, I would suggest assistance and doing it on a day your carer is there, so one of you can hold the reptile, and the other one can empty, clean, put the stuff back in.

Now I'm not an expert with reptiles, but this is how I'm handling things with my issues and keeping a beardy, and they seem to be working, they could also work with any other reptile I suppose . I Hope I helped you in some ways, and sorry for the wall of text xD


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## clumsyoaf (Oct 23, 2012)

Hiya!

I too would recommend a Leo, it would seem I'm lucky with my girl because she gets up at about 5pm and mooches around all evening/night. She is another one that scratches to come out and be handled and will climb on my hand if its close enough  Their poo/wee is a solid lump once it dries (which doesn't take long) so its really really easy to remove. they also ALWAYS go in the same place, so you can put down some loo roll or kitchen roll and just remove/replace as required. Once settled in they go every day, same time, same place. I would also vote locusts, not only do they love them, but they're less nasty than crickets. You could also feed mealworms, morioworms or other non-jumpy insects. as to your concerns about heating and lighting, my heatmat is on a thermostat and runs 24/7 so no touching required, and my lighting is on a timer, so again no touching required apart from to change the bulbs. 

I know you said you'd considered snakes but are concerned about size, but have you considered a hognose? They live in the same size minimum enclose as a leo, (2ft) and have very similar heating/lighting requirements. They only need feeding a frozen/thawed mouse every 5 days (or so, they could go longer tho if you have some problem it wont be the end of the world) being a snake they will only go to the toilet once every 1-2 weeks so although it'll be a sloppier leaving, its far less frequent. they are also active during the day. You can handle them, but they "bluff" and hood up like a cobra and headbutt you. they (probably) wont bite for real, but its up to you if you can handle their charade! they are mildly venomous, but you wont react unless you are allergic. If you do decide you fancy one, males are smaller than females, they're next on my list


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