lizards

[sebastien]

The tank is only a 10gal, so i can only have something small..would like 2 of them...is there such a small lizard...??? also have a leaky 40g that i want to use for something.. ideas?

[Jacko]

As a beginner lizard I'd suggest either house geckos or anoles in a 10 gallon... There are others but they require more work generally.

I've got a mourning gecko in a 5.5 gallon, small lizard that I could probably have 6 in there given enough cover.

[rothenb1]

Green anoles would be OK in a 10 gallon for a little while. How leaky is the bigger tank? At some point they will need the bigger one, but they don't need to have the tank filled with water so I think you'll be OK :ssmile:

Keep in mind that many small lizards don't like to be handled.

[sebastien]

yea thats the thing..im looking for a lizard that wouldnt mind handeling..

[rothenb1]

Maybe a leopard gecko, but you'd need to get that big tank running asap. Bearded dragons love people but they get about 2 ft long and can live up to 10 years.

[sebastien]

would it be too hard to make a cage for a larger lizard?

[rothenb1]

Leopard geckos need at least a 2 foot tank. So the 10 gal is too small, the 40 would be ideal and you could even put two in.

Leopard geckos are pretty easy to care for, as far as reptiles go. The substrate should be either terrarium carpet or reptile sand. They need a hideout and a larger branch to climb. They aren't arboreal but will climb.

They like to eat crickets, mealworms, waxworms in captivity but in the wild will eat spiders and larvae, so it's important to vary their diet. Because the captive diet doesn't properly mimic wild diet, leopard geckos usually need a supplement of vitamins. Any local pet store should have this.

In the tank, the day time temperature should be 85-90 degrees F, but while night temperature as 70F to 75F. UV lighting is not required as they are nocturnal. Remember to get a night bulb or heat bulb for the nighttime hours, you don't want to keep a bright light in there 24 hours a day, that will mess with their circadian rhythms.

Hope this helps!