I need a new Reptile/amphibian

[Vazzaroth]

So, my first lizard, a bearded dragon, passed away the other day at the fairly ripe old age of about 9. I had her since I was about 10, but I now find myself with a large, empty tank, and I'd like to get another reptile.

I would like to get a tropical one this time, as I had a desert last time. I would like suggestions and pertinent links. I would sort of like a snake, but I don't think my family would appreciate it, they make them fear for their lives. I also am avoiding Geckos(everyone has those), Turtles(don't want alot of standing water), and Iguanas (Huge and same as Geckos. I live in CA, as far as legality goes.

Right now, Im thinking about a pacman frog or two. I also would like to know if anyone knows if African Pixies (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-dFxDQHWSY) are available in CA.

Come on, Reptile Experts!

[Serpentine]

Tuatara! :smallbiggrin:

[reorith]

i'd recommend anoles, but they're iguanidae, so you're probably not interested. you could always get into terrarium gardening... when i was younger, i kept a bunch of anoles. they were pretty legit, if not a tad boring. i would talk to them and i was convinced they listened and understood, but then i took psychology in high school and learned that reptiles lack developed prefrontal lobes making them incapable of emotion. that day, i was crushed by the bluntness of reality and the weight of my own stupidity.

[Vazzaroth]

Psychology does that to people. I was thinking about anoles at first, but I hear they are quite boring and/or mean.

I'm thinking about water dragons too.

[OwlbearUltimate]

I found that a chameleon is a great pet. They are a lot of fun between the color-changing, tongue snatching, awesome eye moving, and the tail curling. They are very delicate I learned, so you have to make sure it gets food, water, and the right heat. Now I miss my old chameleon....I think I'll stop at my local pet shop...just to take a look....

[Mauve Shirt]

My sister has a leopard gecko. He's actually kind of boring too, but he's adorable.

[Syka]

We had two leopard geckos, one evidently was wild caught. He was mean. He made the female mean, too. He bit me and drew blood. I hated him. As in, seriously despised the freaking thing. Biting us (he bit my sister, too, causing her to fling him across the cage, he was fine) was about the only interesting thing either of them did. Except step on each other, that was funny.

I also had a chinese water dragon for a short period of time when I was younger. I loved the thing, but it died after a couple months. Because 1. it had health problems I think and 2. the store did not give us the correct information about caring for it. I was heartbroken when it died, I was only 11 or 12. I thought about getting another one, but they require a lot in the way of humidity.

Snakes, all the way. Corn and rat snakes don't usually get bigger than 5 feet and most stick around 3 feet. They tend to be very calm. As with most snakes, they are escape artists but if you put something heavy (like text books) on the lid they can't get out. :) I want to get one again after I get my own place, or a bearded dragon. I want something other than the fish that I'll probably end up with.

Cheers,
Syka

[OwlbearUltimate]

I too had a leopard gecko. She was cool and all, but they can be pretty boring. Also, feeding mealworms can be a pain as they are wierd to hold, must be kept in fridge, and can burrow underground, so you need an escape-proof bowl. Cricket can also be a pain, as they can escape and multiply. And you can only get so many at a time.
I had a snake, it was pretty cool for the two months I had it. It was pretty tiny, so not much trouble
Turtles are pretty fun, they eat a lot and just kinda sleep and swim. Fun to pick up too. The chameleon is still my #1 choice.

[Dallas-Dakota]

I advice either Chameleons or snakes.

[Narmoth]

Have you considered troglodytes?

[Fri]

Personally, I like turtles.

Turtles are cool. I had one once. It was lost.

How in the world someone lost a turtle?

I don't even know how it escaped its box. Mind you it was lost twice. First time, I found it under the kitchen sink after missing for two days. The second time, it was missing for good.

Hope you lived a good live turtle...

[Trog]

Have you considered troglodytes?

On the care and feeding of your pet Troglodyte:
Troglodytes require dank caves or Taverns to properly grow. Be sure to pick up a proper bottle for your Troglodyte... preferably a beer bong or one of those hats that hold two cans with the drinking straw attached.

Be sure to stock up on fried stuff and cheese for food.

Oh... and porn. Don't forget the porn.


*stops typing and leans back to shout*

Thes! Trog's litter needs changing again. Shouldn't've made tacos the other night.

*Sips from beer hat*

[Project_Mayhem]

I'm gonna go with a Lamia. I saw a nice Japanese cartoon on /d/ that suggested they were great pets.

[Agamid]

Usually i'd fill this space with 20-odd lines about how wonderful bearded dragons are... but they're not really tropical.

Not too sure what you can buy in America with regards to reptiles... but frogs, while they're really gorgeous and lovely, aren't really cuddly or 'sit on your knee while you play video games' the way bearded dragons are, far more display animals than what one generally considers a 'pet' to be.
I'd really advise getting a snake... my friend in North Carolina had two snakes (a corn and a ball), his whole family are ultra-conservative and religious and see snakes as 'creatures of the devil' but that hasn't stopped him from keeping them.
I don't know if you can get them in the states, but Carpet Pythons (Morelia spilota) are really lovely. I've kept them longer than i've kept beardies (so about 15 years), they're a bit snappy when they're babies, but the bigger they get, the nicer they get.

http://fc02.deviantart.com/fs9/f/2006/343/a/f/sassy_snake_2_by_Armenius.jpg
Care sheet-->http://www.reptilia.org/Care_Sheets/snakes/carpetpython_care.htm


I've heard good things about Anole and Chinese Water Dragons... if you were in Oz i could go nuts recommending tropical reptiles and amphibians, but i really don't know what's available over there...

[Player_Zero]

Get a mighty dragon so you can rule the skies and inflict terror into the very souls of the mortals below you! Punish the weak and exalt the strong from atop a mighty fortress in the sky! Control the world and bend it to your every whim using the dread-power of the ancient one... Darkness beyond blackest pitch, deeper than the deepest night! A king of darkness who shines like gold upon the sea of chaos! Let the fools who stand before you be destroyed by the power you and I possess! GIGA SLAVE!!

:smalltongue:

[Syka]

I was commenting about how beautiful a carpet python cross breed (I can't remember the other breed) was. I was then warned that carpet pythons are some of the most aggressive 'pet' snakes and unless you are experienced with snakes, it's not that good of an idea to get them. But that is just what I was told.

Cheers,
Syka

[Agamid]

I was commenting about how beautiful a carpet python cross breed (I can't remember the other breed) was. I was then warned that carpet pythons are some of the most aggressive 'pet' snakes and unless you are experienced with snakes, it's not that good of an idea to get them. But that is just what I was told.

Cheers,
Syka

Alright... just wrote this out before but internet hiccups made me lose it... almost cried as i lost a huge long email to a friend as well...

As i said, when they're bubs they're often snappy, but when they get bigger and older, and if you handle them, they get really very tame.

Children's pythons (Antaresia childreni) http://www.antaresia.com/antaresia_childrens_python.html Spotted Pythons (Antaresia maculosa) http://www.antaresia.com/antaresia_spotted_python.html and Stimson Pythons (Antaresia stimsoni) http://www.pilbarapythons.com/stimson.htm are good alternatives if you can't deal with having a bitey little snake.
These three snakes also don't get nearly as big as a carpet (that can get as big as 4m 13feet), so may be better as indoor pets.

[Vazzaroth]

Get a mighty dragon so you can rule the skies and inflict terror into the very souls of the mortals below you! Punish the weak and exalt the strong from atop a mighty fortress in the sky! Control the world and bend it to your every whim using the dread-power of the ancient one... Darkness beyond blackest pitch, deeper than the deepest night! A king of darkness who shines like gold upon the sea of chaos! Let the fools who stand before you be destroyed by the power you and I possess! GIGA SLAVE!!

:smalltongue:


Your right. Know where I could get an egg? No epic quests, please.

[InaVegt]

Your right. Know where I could get an egg? No epic quests, please.

Professor Quirrel could've helped you a hand here, too bad he's dead.

[Copacetic]

I suggest a snake. Because they feel really soft.

Sorry, no professional opinion here.

[Burrito]

Chupacabra - They are reptile(ish) and are easy to feed. Just throw them a fresh goat every week or so for them to suck the blood out of.

[phoenixineohp]

So, my first lizard, a bearded dragon, passed away the other day at the fairly ripe old age of about 9. I had her since I was about 10, but I now find myself with a large, empty tank, and I'd like to get another reptile.

I would like to get a tropical one this time, as I had a desert last time. I would like suggestions and pertinent links. I would sort of like a snake, but I don't think my family would appreciate it, they make them fear for their lives. I also am avoiding Geckos(everyone has those), Turtles(don't want alot of standing water), and Iguanas (Huge and same as Geckos. I live in CA, as far as legality goes.

Right now, Im thinking about a pacman frog or two. I also would like to know if anyone knows if African Pixies (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-dFxDQHWSY) are available in CA.

Come on, Reptile Experts!


Oooo! I am so glad I saw this thread. I love matching people with the right reptiles!

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your beardie. I am glad it got to live a nice long life though.

So I am guessing that you have a 40 gallon tank with screen or metal lid, desert heat pad on one side, desert accessories and the set up for multiple lamps? And you need to conform to CA's laws, which I am only some what familiar with. A no to water turtles, which I agree with. And a no to geckos (which would be a great tropical thing, something like a crested gecko) and iffy about snakes. Hmm.

And you want to go tropical.... Are you sure about that? A uromastyx could be cool and you are already set up for one.

How long do you want it to live? And what is your budget?


You could go for something like a greek tortoise or box turtle (they are mostly a land turtle), but those will live very very very long.

I don't suggest anoles. They are not good pets, hard to take care of, and are a no touch thing, etc.

The water dragons are an option. I don't know much about them but it would be a very different set up and involve water with pumps. I can't think of another good lizard aside from Cameleons that isn't a desert animal.

Cameleons can be hard to take care of and withstand little handling, but they are an option. That would be a big change in the care taking and set up.

I do not suggest the pac man frogs. First of all you can only have one in a tank. They will eat each other if they get a chance. They eat anything if they can get a chance. But they only need a 10 gal tank max. And they are wait and lurch hunters, so you just see a lump under the moss or dirt. I have one that is about 2 or 3 now and I'm not sure about keeping him or getting another. They are fun to feed, and cute in their own way, but they can be tricky. You have to watch the water quality, food intake, and mold issues. They are bacteria and mold's best friend, so the cage needs frequent cleaning and since they are amphibians, the water and humidity is important. They don't do well being handled (pee, etc) and you have to think about your hands and their skin again. So yes, it's a pet. Yes they are cute and fun, but as an interactive reptile that is easy to take care of? I don't suggest them. And they need a lot less tank than what you may have. The pixies and other large frogs are pretty much the same deal. And you may not want to deal with crickets forever again. Chirpy little *grumbles*.:smallwink:

Another option would be a blue tongued skink. They are great pets (yes Aussies, they are in the industry here) and can be handled. They are semi desert though. I've seen them set up as woodland, but you have everything you would really need for one (tank size, lid and lights etc). I actually would recommend you looking into this one more.

Other than that off the top of my head, we are into snakes. I think that they could be a great option for you, provided we can find something that settles with the family situation. You would likely be looking at something under 5 feet, so a corn snake, or the like. California King snakes are one type that is a great starter, and you may be familiar with them (for your location and their name I'm guessing). However, I bet that part of the legal thing is that you aren't allowed to keep native species. But Corn and Milk snakes and other King snakes are similar. Certainly not venomous or large constrictors, so the family could adapt and not fear them. Ball pythons are lovely but are prone to problems that a first time snake keeper may not want to deal with. Carpet pythons may get a bit big for the families nerves. I've thinking of the full sized coastal carpets. And not all of them are hand friendly, which has been mentioned. Although I like them, I don't suggest them as a first snake choice. So that's another reason why I've suggested the corn, milk and king lines. (Edit: All three species that Agamid listed and linked (though possibly good choices) are rather hard to get in the general North American pet and reptile industry. Just to let you know.)


Anyways, that should be a good starter to digest and think over! Let me know what you think and if anything there appeals to you. :smallsmile:

[Vazzaroth]

Thanks! Thats a big help. Heres some more info on what Im looking for:

-Semi active, I'd like to be able to occasionally pet it, but a super friendly animal is not necessary. I had my beardy, but I didn't take it out and have it hang out on my shoulder or anything like I hear some people saying. I also have a number of cats and other animals, so a "pettable" pet isn't a high priority.

- Anything thats not crazy is a good price. 100$ is probably the limit, but if there's something really cool maybe more. Not including set-up, of course.

-I have a 55 Gallon, I believe. I now have an empty tank with sand and rocks. I am willing to change out to a new substrate.


I do like skinks, way more than Geckos. I almost got a Monkey Tailed Skink before my Dragon. Wish I could find those again, but I'm pretty sure it was illegal...

[reorith]

I too had a leopard gecko. She was cool and all, but they can be pretty boring. Also, feeding mealworms can be a pain as they are wierd to hold, must be kept in fridge, and can burrow underground, so you need an escape-proof bowl. Cricket can also be a pain, as they can escape and multiply. And you can only get so many at a time.
I had a snake, it was pretty cool for the two months I had it. It was pretty tiny, so not much trouble
Turtles are pretty fun, they eat a lot and just kinda sleep and swim. Fun to pick up too. The chameleon is still my #1 choice.

when i kept my anoles, i only had to purchase crickets a couple times. there was enough room in the tank to let ecology take over.