# New to lizards.... leopard gecko or bearded dragon??



## nicky2kuk (Jun 28, 2011)

Hiya every1,

Im looking to get a pet lizard. We curently have a turtle tank 4ft by 2ft by 2ft. I have been doing a bit of research on google to what it the best lizard to keep as a pet. By the sounds of it its sounds like a lepoard gecko or a bearded dragon is going to be by best option. 

I want a lizard that we are going to be able to handle, not to messy to clean (although this isnt such a big deal as we have a dog and had turtles). And just something that we can love and enjoy being with.

Advice would be great. thanks 

Also in our turtle tank we have a basking light and a uv light, could we still use these or would we need to purchase new lights with the stuff to keep it warm. thanks


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

hi and WELCOME! 

they are both very good lizards to pick  beardies are bigger, active during the day, leos are more nocturnal

both are great for handling generally, but tend to be a little skitty when young  
you can use the current equipment you have for them too, leos wont NEED the UV but i hear it makes them more healthy  

you may also want to look at blue tongued skinks  i dont think glass vivs are great for beardies due to the humidity thing, but as long as there is good airflow you shouldnt run into much trouble


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## nicky2kuk (Jun 28, 2011)

sorry for writting it twice. new to this lol


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## nicky2kuk (Jun 28, 2011)

imitebmike said:


> hi and WELCOME!
> 
> they are both very good lizards to pick  beardies are bigger, active during the day, leos are more nocturnal
> 
> ...


 
Thanks for the quick reply! . I think bearded dragons are slightly swaying me at the moment just coz they get bigger and my friends got 1 and seen lots of photos on facebook and he looks lovely!

The turtle tank lid is completely open. The top of its like a cage so do you think this would be ok for airflow? 

I will have a look at the blue tounge skinks, never really heard of them! 

Thanks for the great advice :2thumb:


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

that should be fine, but real problem is beardies can jump, you could end up waking up and your beardie could have escaped :O


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## nicky2kuk (Jun 28, 2011)

imitebmike said:


> that should be fine, but real problem is beardies can jump, you could end up waking up and your beardie could have escaped :O


it wouldnt be able to get out as it clips down quite securley and the holes in the top are about half an inch sqaure so i think this should be alrite. still got lots of research 2 do tho as want 2 give whatever i decide to get the best possible start. 

thanks again


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## Tricky&TheFox (Nov 30, 2008)

Never kept leos, but beardies make great pets - once the set up is right (which can seem quite a faff) they are pretty straight forwards.

All mine enjoy being handled, having baths, going out in the garden, and are very tame and chilled out even my toddler can have a stroke when they're out. I find they all have different personalities, likes/dislikes, i would definitely recommend them.

glass vivs arent good for keeping heat so you would be better with a wooden one, and with a mesh roof I think it would prove tricky to keep the correct stable temps - although i've never tried keeping a beardie in a set up like this. You can usually find a 4x2x2 wooden viv with some equipment for around £60-£70, also, a beardie would need a different uvb (presuming from my little knowledge that torts use 5%, please correct if i'm wrong!) the uvb for a beardie would need to be 10%-12% (i personally use arcadia 12%)

good luck choosing


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## imitebmike (Jun 22, 2008)

i think i read that wrong xD sounds fine 

a 4x2x2 is suitable for alot of reptiles  so maybe broaden your horizons as it was, -not saying anything is wrong with beardies/leos- but a reptile has quite a long life span, so you may as well look around and see if you would prefer anything else


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## thething84 (Apr 26, 2010)

as already said. glass tank are not ideal. alot of people struggle to keep the heat gradeitn required in the due to them being a poor insulator, also as said getting proper ventilation running through them is not all that easy either.


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## Bex_2011 (Jun 14, 2011)

Ive had both but i prefer geckos


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## nicky2kuk (Jun 28, 2011)

thanks every for your comments. Ive just placed an add to sell our tank so we can get a proper 1! thanks again for all your help and comments. much appreciated


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## iDomino (Apr 23, 2011)

komodo dragon?

they make lovely pets :2thumb:


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## misstiggins (Jun 9, 2011)

I have two beardies and the oldest one (he was 4 months when we got him) was my very first reptile pet!
I couldnt recommend them enough as they are so easy to handle and have such special little personalities and quirks about them hehe
After having Spike for a couple of months i decided to buy a baby Beardie (i'd bought Spike purposely bigger as i was worried i wouldnt be able to cope with a skittish baby one).
Drusilla was 8 weeks old when we got her and she is just the sweetest little thing. Unlike Spike, who is older and more calm and will happily sit on the sofa next to me for hours, Dru needs to be held and watched at all times or she'd leap out of my hand and run off under the sofa or dvd rack lol but she does seem to enjoy being held and as long as you pay attention they arent hard to keep hold of 

To sum up lol Beardies make excellent first lizards hehe i now have 2 water dragons which i couldnt have handled without some 'easy' dragons first hehe x


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## ianryan (Nov 9, 2008)

Got both - get a beardie much better and more sociable. Easier to handle.

Thats my opinion.


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## Jeffers3 (May 18, 2010)

The leopard gecko is the "easier" option, but not by much. Both are usually tame and interactive.

Two things you need to bear in mind, though. The beardie needs a basking temp of at least 40C and a gradient down to around 30C in the cooler end and will also need a high output UV light (12%, as already stated, is best). The other thing to consider is that they eat vast numbers of insects when they are young. Don't underestimate this - it could be at least £10 per week, or more (depending on how much they cost you).


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## JT92 (Jun 21, 2011)

nicky2kuk said:


> Hiya every1,
> 
> Im looking to get a pet lizard. We curently have a turtle tank 4ft by 2ft by 2ft. I have been doing a bit of research on google to what it the best lizard to keep as a pet. By the sounds of it its sounds like a lepoard gecko or a bearded dragon is going to be by best option.
> 
> ...


Hi, Id choose a leopard gecko because they are more easy to look after than a bearded dragon, They dont need the lighting that beardys do and they also need fresh veg and crickets everyday which becomes quite expensive each week.. we have a leo and all he needs is his heat mat, No lighting and we are feeding him meal worms, we just dust some and leave them in his bowl and he eats them as he pleases  their also very cute and nice to handle :2thumb:


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