The best beginner pet lizard

[kylieshaye]

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.

[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.

[nyxonthestyx]

I got a beardie as my first lizard and yeah, its super annoying. Not the requirements or anything, but the way he looks at me like I owe him rent for living in my own room

[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. 💕

[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'

[moderndaymedusa]

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

[natalieruegger]

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

[trippyinsomniac]

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

[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.

[carafurry]

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.

[tiffw]

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.

[The_United_Kingdom]

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

[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 :(

[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

[chrilleman]

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

[amber]

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.

[karahb.]

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.

[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.

[a-liyahs-ether]

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.

[victorcabrera]

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.