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.
That reminds me of my Bearded Dragon named Tank. She's a big lizard, even for Bearded Dragons and one day we left her by the window to sunbathe while we were cleaning the house. We forgot to check on her for a little bit and she vanished so the 6 of us started looking the entire house for her and after half an hour of not seeing Tank we were all freaking out, then when we went to go check the Christmas tree again we actually found her all the way at the top of the tree sleeping. Tank climbed our Christmas tree and decided to snooze while giving all of us a heart attack 😂
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
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.
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
wait, for real though? Im genuinely curious cause Id really love a leopard gecko but im scared i wont be able to keep it well enough cause Im on the move a lot and situations can be unpredictable sometime. If you made it through all that with a Leo then they might just be resilient enough for that kind of liefstyle huh?
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'
I kinnda have a pet lizard so there is a male green lizard in my garden and he hangs out near some plants and he eats insects and i sometimes feed him (ants and betles) and he is really frendly but i dont plan to take him in my house (i live in central romainia and we call them gușter and they eat everythingh but mostly insects )
What do you think about the crestie pre-made foods that are on the market as "bugless" alternatives? Serious question, I'd love answers to, as I want one one day but don't wanna starve it y'know?
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.
Not every person can, but breeding dubia roaches is very easy and they have pretty much no smell to them like crickets, and if they escape, they will normally die within a week from the wrong temps and starvation due to them mainly eating fresh foods like fruits and veggies, though there are also gain diets sold for them as well. They have 36% protein vrs a crickets 16% and a mealworms measly like 2 to 5%. They all around are a very good option😊
@@SRCReptiles yes, I don't breed dubias, but it is very easy to buy and take care of 1-2 months worth of dubias. They don't smell, don't die quickly like crickets do, and are silent.
Is that actually better? I like doing all that maintenance stuff. I don’t want a pet just to say I have it. I’d rather just do the work for what I really want.
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.
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.
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.
Depends on the pet shop. Your local chain store is a big no no, but any legit locally owned small businesses, or even specialty reptile and amphibian shops are usually a good source as the people working there are typically hobbyist keepers.
For Big Box Stores, absolutely, but if you have local reptile/exotic shops the owners and staff can be incredibly helpful. That being said it's always good to check multiple credible sources for your information!
Luckily I researched all the information that a worker at PetSmart gave me before actually taking his advice because most of it was shit advice like how he told me to get my new Beardie kibble to feed her throughout the day... Which would have been very bad for her health
This goes for any animal from pet stores, I think. Ive had a couple different rodents in the past and the employees do not give correct care instructions. Cage size and diet and just about anything else they tell you is not right.
Yeah my dad tried to convince me to get a rug substrate and a 20 gallon tank for a baby one to get started because the worker told him it would be good I told him no and 300 bucks later I’m building my own 40 gallon tank it’s going well I just need some more clay he’s gonna have a mountain
THANK YOU! My first reptile was a bearded dragon and as an 11 year old I was not prepared for the amount of cage cleaning and taking care of crickets that came with having a bearded dragon.
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.
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 :(
@@leafystreet true, baby green iguana around 30-40 cm costs less than 10 usd here in Indonesia they're so cheap because it's very easy to breed them here in tropical climate
I had an iguana. I don't know why he's acting like they're so hard. I had mine when there was no internet to research how to take care of them. I fed him fruit, bugs, and hibiscus flowers. He lived from when he was like 6 inches long to like 4 feet long when he got too big and we gave him to the pet shop. He had a tank with a heating rock, and the tank was open. He just loves in my room, and he went back into his tank to take a dump. Never went outside the tank. Never had any issues. Maybe I got lucky. But I feel that animal care was far easier before the Internet when every "expert" has to insert their opinion on the care.
I got my first lizard! A leopard gecko I named Bumblebee. He's just a baby, but already he's getting used to me and ate a cricket from my fingers just yesterday! He's so sweet, I love him dearly.
I’ve got a crestie as my first reptile. So easy to care for and while he wasn’t handleable at first, he has chilled out a lot in recent months and doesn’t mind being held. Love that little guy, he’s so stupid
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.
Gargs are awesome, and can regrow a tail unlike Cresties. I have an enclosure that's begging for a Garg lol. I also recommend Leopard Gecko's or African Fat Tails if you are a little more experienced and don't mind insectivores (Dubia roaches are easiest to keep alive for food lol)
@Leafy Street I wish I was legally allowed to keep Dubias but Canada has very, very restrictive and unreasonable roach laws that seem like they were designed by a bunch off boomers who don't care about species or temperature needs and just went "ew roach no."
@@leafystreet Especially when it’s just *one* cricket singing the song of their people at midnight. Plus they die fast and stink bad. Roaches all the way ✊
Blue tongued skink. That was the best pet ever. Would eat basically anything, (there are a couple things to look out for) loved being handled but was happy chilling in her vivarium, beautiful looking animal too. Loved her to bits and would recommend to anyone that is happy for a pet with a long life expectancy.
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.
My first and only lizard was a Beardie named Lizzie. I miss that old girl… didn’t take the best care of her, but I was young and hadn’t done my research, so now I’m taking better care of my two chinchillas, even made sure to think about it for a while and do plenty of research.
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.
Thank you on the bearded dragon! I knew a terrible pet owner who got them for her kids that were too young for them and when they got old enough lost interest. It was a bad time all around.
You're right about the beardies. I love mine to death, but I am so glad he's over a year old now and not eating nearly as many bugs. If I ever got another one I'd get an adult instead of a baby.
My first pet lizard experience was a 5 ft green iguana. Space is definitely the hardest part about keeping them. I take care of beardies now too. Beardies are easier to keep but you need to not listen to petco/pet smart for advice on keeping them because they will give you a ton of bad information. Also they keep their beardies in terrible conditions.
Lol, my first lizard was a bearded dragon he was my best friend. I rescued him for a bad home, and he lived his best life with me until he passed in 2019
Bearded dragons actually are good first pets if you do your research and buy the proper setup, the only issue is that it's difficult to get small quantities of greens that won't go bad before they can eat them. My grocery store only sells huge ass bundles of collards so I have to find different ways to preserve it for as long as possible. Otherwise they're extremely rewarding little babies
They're really rewarding for sure but, in my experience, they're a lot harder to care for than a crestie or leo. I would say, care wise, they're equivalent to a cat. Still super rewarding little cuties
Oh they aren’t bad at all, I just wouldn’t call them a typical “beginner” animal compared to a lot of the smaller species we commonly keep. They are great as far as husbandry goes, just not as amazing when it comes to convenience of weekly maintenance and up front expense
I have a female bearded dragon that lays 2-4 clutches a year of infertile eggs and requires me to have an extra 4x2 bin full of a 50/50 soil sand mixture just to lay eggs. Her breed also originates from Australia and she starts brumation in February-March. When I first got my bearded dragon she was actually a male but some(not all) Australian dragons have the ability to change their gender based on the temperature in their climate and this behavior still isn't fully understood. In conclusion, I don't recommend dragons as beginners because of this possibility and extra care required if this is the case. The only exception is buying from a breeder that can give you all the information about your dragons health and genetic inheritance.
When I was 12 I did 7 months worth of straight saving and research to get my first reptile, whom I still have today, shes the sweetest bearded dragon that I've never had any issues with and shes truly a gift from God 💕
Tortoises are also pretty good first time reptiles too, i have a pet Horsfield tortoise named Freddy and he is just the most chilled out little fella ever! He makes little to no noise, he is small, his food is cheap to get and he is super cute too! I definently recommend tortoises.
Leopard geckos are great too, they really just eat meal warms and you can feed then other stuff too, and if your cleaning out their tank and your cat jumps in they can hiss
In my personal opinion leopard geckos are easier to take care of then the New Caledonia geckos because they are less flighty and you don’t have to worry about humidity but yes the New Caledonia geckos make great beginner pets
I agree for the most part. I loved keeping leos so much, but I think my only pause is their more demanding heating requirements and need for constant insects with no alternative. With my gargs, for basking I'm just running a low wattage halogen with no thermostat, so its quite simple. But you really cant beat the size/ calmness combo of a leo
My crestie was my first lizard and I couldnt agree more. So easy to care for, and she's still happy and healthy. Time is a huge thing though, too. I got her in middle school, and shes with me at college now.
My first lizard was actually a Chinese Water Dragon (probably the worse choice for me, who was a 11 year old at the time) but my mums friend was very passionate about lizards and he had a few Chinese water dragons himself in the past. So luckily with his help i able to keep my lizard happy and very healthy too. Because my mums friend kept me informed on how to properly take care of him :) Currently now my lizard (link) has a very big enclosure about over 6 foot tall enclousure with a lot of space and sticks for him to go on, the proper uvb, heating lamp, lights and basking lights and whatnot along with a big water tub he loves staying in. I will admit cleaning out the big water tub is quite hard at times but its worth it for him. He is a bit chunky currently but i'm working on feeding him some better proportions and some more veg and fruits. He is an absolute sweetheart and i often let him run around my room :))
Right? I was so confused by that comment. I think beardies are a great intro lizard. Mine was a class pet for two years before I “retired” him to my home. I was able to order a wide variety of bugs off Amazon to keep him happy, and I just added his veggies to my grocery list. 🤷🏻♀️ OTOH, three iguanas died on my watch (to be fair, it was the 90s, and they came to me with issues). My crested lived a cushy life until it seemingly turned into vapor and escaped its secure enclosure. Beardies are the best.
Their diets are pretty annoying actually specially bearded dragon diets considering multiple types of bugs can't be fed multiple types a week or not at all or else they could cause health problems and even death same with certain veggies like baby carrots
Got my daughter a crested gecko when she was in middle school. She was a great pet! Pangea had a bundle where you get a terrarium and a baby gecko. We miss her very much. There's a memorial stone for her in the garden
My first lizard was an iguana but not intentionally. He was dumped on the side of the road in a dog crate. A FULL GROWN IGUANA. My aunt found him and called my parents.. we had an iguana and he was great. Super chill dude, i loved him. We built him a huge enclosure in the basement with a giant heat lamp. We took him outside regularly to get that good uv. He never ran from us or tried to escape the backyard. He would just climb a fence post and bask in the sun. He would also hang out with us upstairs damn near daily for HOURS. iggy was awesome
i love my crestie to bits, he’s so goofy and doesn’t require a ton of effort or money, one $20 bag of food from amazon last me a year, and he lets me hold him whenever
Leopard geckos are my favorite, they don’t need humidity, don’t need a screened-in enclosure because they can’t stick to glass, don’t need fancy lighting, just a under tank heat mat or ceramic heater, some places to hide, and a place to get water. They eat mealworms, crickets, roaches, basically any bug that they can fit in their mouth. They don’t mind being handled, are very quiet, and don’t smell.
my first lizard was a bearded dragon and honestly he’s pretty good!! i’ve had him for about a year now since april 17 2023 and he’s been a happy boy! i got his cage and all the stuff including him for free from my friend because she couldn’t take care of him due to extracurriculars but now he’s happy with me and i love him❤️his name is craig
As someone raising a baby beardie, yeah, they’re a lot. Especially on the wallet. Getting enough bugs to sustain that ravenous diet isn’t cheap. Can’t say I’d change anything though. It’s full of personality and I feel nothing but joy when I look at it. My one regret is not having the money to spoil it more.
So cute!! Sadly we can’t get them or most reptiles in Australia but I love to see all different kinds of cool and interesting gecko species that you can get around the world!😊 thanks!😊
My first pet lizard actually wasnt supposed to be my lizard. My brother got a beardie and named him spike, he didn’t take care of the lizard or show any interest in it so I took the responsibility for the lizard. It’s been like 2 years maybe since I’ve had him. He’s still doing great and happy. The days I’m not working or at school I open his enclosure and let him run around
My crestie is my first lizard and I love him dearly, they're easy to care for for the most part especially in a bioactive tank. Their tanks are also tall rather than longer, so they're more space efficient. I love my baby
My Leopard gecko is also really chill but I'm not sure if he likes pets, sometimes it seems like he does other times it doesn't? One thing is for sure, he's slow af will stare at something thinking for 10 minutes if he should move on it.
Yknow, i had been planning on getting a crestie one day...i might still eventually, love cresties, right now i have enough pets...and your channel made me look at gargoyles more, to the extent that i said "i can meet those care needs and doing so seems enjoyable" . So in due course i got a gargoyle gecko, and she is gorgeous. So thanks for that
my crestie was free (someone i knew had to rehome him) and he’s such a sweet little guy. zero thoughts in his head. I would love to have some other new caledonian geckos someday!!
My bearded dragon was my first ever lizard. He's now 7 had him since a baby and he's amazing. He's so tame and great to handle. I seriously would recommend a bearded dragon as a first lizard.
the first one i had was one of those random browm geckos that stick tp the walls as 'pests'. lil timmy was adorable back then, lived for a week, until my father used the slipper. you will be missed.
As a former corporate pet store animal care manager who owns a Leachie, I 1000% agree. Beardies are always front and center in the reptile habs, and they are almost always on sale. So much of the nice reptile imagery that adorns the reptile department depicts beardies and their habitats, and it's for good reason. You sell more sh!t with them for an initial setup and in the future than with a crestie, that sh!t costs more, and you sell so, so much more food and consumables over the lifetime of the lizard. Beardies need: light/heat/UV bulbs and fixtures, which are all disposable and are recurring costs, calcium supps and a shatload of veggies and bugs all the time, even stuff to breed and house those bugs because they'll need so many. 75 gallon tank at adulthood and everything that goes with that setup, which gets really expensive really fast, so people will almost always start with a 20 gallon and have to upgrade in the future (bingo, more supplies sales). They suck at shedding, so you'd better get some shed-ease. Rocks and basking spots, hides, sand, dishes, heat mats, extra care to prevent MBD especially at the hatchling stage they come to the store in, and so much more that I'm sure I've forgotten. Also, The smell. You can smell if someone has a beardie in their house or apartment as soon as you walk in. It's unmistakable. New Caledonian geckos need: tank, dirt, deco for cover, food powder, food and water dishes, and occasional misting. Maybe UVB? But it's still up for debate whether or not it's necessary. Maybe bugs to supplement or as a treat? But many just won't eat them, and if they do it may not be year-round. My Leachie loves frozen thawed pinkies, but that's just once every few weeks. She goes apesh't for superworms and has loved every flavor of Pangea that I've given her, but I understand she's an exception. Beardies are wonderful and I love them to death. Eternally chill, although exceptions do exist. They're very charming and intelligent reptiles, have tons of personality, and can be a very rewarding pet to keep for many years, but boy are they a lot more work than most new pet owners realize. Pet stores will always sell them because of their ability to generate return business, one 15-year-long commitment at a time. Respectfully, I'll stick with New Caledonians. My Leachie is just a squeaky trashbag with eyeballs. She's astonishingly stupid, but she's easy. Much like the 15 tarantulas I also keep.
SO happy you mentioned these geckos.. I am consindering my first lizard and doing my research led me to gargoyle geckos :D glad that someone reccomend them too
I jumped right in with a beardie and I had to learn by trial and error thankfully my boy never had any problems and now I have 2 of them both well fed and cared for with proper heating
Any gecko that eats cgd is an amazing starter pet! Tropical species are usually easier to keep at the right temp and humidity imo so I would look for something tropical.
I have relatives in the reptile business, mostly selling feeder crickets etc. I started with a savannah monitor, tbh a big lizard is fun but it takes a lot and if you get something wrong the lizard pays for it. Gekos are perfect for a first. FYI I had a lot of information and help (inc a massive space for him that was a pet store display) so Herman led a happy and healthy life.
Leopard geckos are also decent beginners... I just got mine and besides not eating yet (I've only had her a day) she is generally low maintenance and I've been obsessed with making sure she isn't overwhelmed or stressed and making sure if she is ready to eat or not
Trade off is that bearded dragons are much more intelligent and rewarding to own as pets. Geckos are more wild and struggle to behave in a tame manner. You can train beardies to come to you and hang out.
I was told a bearded dragon or leopard gecko are the perfect beginner lizards. The beardie they told me gets easier to care for as it grows older, and they "change" their diet (more meat when young, then veggies when older). A friend of mine had a lot of them when we were young, and they were no problem to care for. They all lived good and long lives 🤔
I have a crestie! I always tell people she's so easy to take care of, she's like a more interesting house plant. The only real downside to these guys, is that they are nocturnal. I have a Wyze camera set up on a tripod to see what Rune gets up to at night. Her enclosure is bioactive and has a literal live tree inside it, so like... even though she's hiding and sleeping during the day, it is a really nice little mini-forest during the day.
I'd pick something that lives somewhere colder than a tropical island for a beginner. These colorful and interesting reptiles are always harder to care for
My first lizard was a Mediterranean house gecko and while fairly easy to care for and excessively cheap (it’s food is cheap plus I just sorta found mine) they are extremely fast and I even lost Orson for like two weeks at one point (I named him Orson Scott Card after my favorite writer). I and proud to say that through everything, Orson is actually still alive!
Leopard geckos are also very good. They rarely drop their tails. When they are adults, they only need to be fed a few times a week. They have awesome patterns. They are very easily handled. They don't need a heating lamp (it's better to use an electronic heating pad). Amd overall they are pretty cheap.
As someone with a beardy 100% agree lol. Super docile but it can be annoying maintaining their enclosure and diet. The best thing about them is how cuddly they are, literally writing this while mine is sleeping on my side.
THANK YOU!!!! So sick of people saying "Bearded Dragon". They are not easy to keep. I loved mine dearly but times got tough and he was expensive: $70 every 6 months to prevent Metabolic bone disease for UVB bulb, another basking light that kept BREAKING, and at least $30/ week in just BUGS. Super sweet and friendly, but I would say go with a gecko. They are sweet and can be friendly too.😊
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.
lol i love it. I have a photo of mine as a kid sticking to the tie die shirt i made at 5th grade field day
@@leafystreet please post the photo if you can. Sounds super cute.
@@kylieshaye6562 i agree
That reminds me of my Bearded Dragon named Tank. She's a big lizard, even for Bearded Dragons and one day we left her by the window to sunbathe while we were cleaning the house. We forgot to check on her for a little bit and she vanished so the 6 of us started looking the entire house for her and after half an hour of not seeing Tank we were all freaking out, then when we went to go check the Christmas tree again we actually found her all the way at the top of the tree sleeping. Tank climbed our Christmas tree and decided to snooze while giving all of us a heart attack 😂
Shrimp was planning betrayal
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
Lol
Yeah fr🤣
they really do have the best judgemental stare
This 😂
Bearded dragons have one of the most chill AF "f*ck you" stare out of any creature I have even known
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.
How old are you now
@@Blameashbro what 💀 that is such a weird question
@@Ruu-tp5tl lmao 🤣 I'm weird that's why
are you sure it wasnt a horned toad? theyre extremely similar to bearded dragons.
@@damond4346I had never heard of tjem before and oh my goodness they’re uglier spikier bearded dragons i love them i need twelve
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
Thanks I was gonna ask
@@GnatBlox It's kinda surprising how many people have this type of humor
@@BlueBamboo9 huh?
That a good thing or a bad thing
wait, for real though? Im genuinely curious cause Id really love a leopard gecko but im scared i wont be able to keep it well enough cause Im on the move a lot and situations can be unpredictable sometime. If you made it through all that with a Leo then they might just be resilient enough for that kind of liefstyle huh?
@@aliseotmane6112they are good because you can bring them anywhere and don’t need to feed them much. Very fun to be around.
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'
I kinnda have a pet lizard so there is a male green lizard in my garden and he hangs out near some plants and he eats insects and i sometimes feed him (ants and betles) and he is really frendly but i dont plan to take him in my house (i live in central romainia and we call them gușter and they eat everythingh but mostly insects )
I have three leopard geckos that were rehomed to me and let me tell you I love them so much they will live the rest of their lives with me
But leopard geckos need a lot of supplements that then need and have a higher risk of getting metabolic bone disease.
I had a crested gecko named toothless and he was an awesome lil gecko
What do you think about the crestie pre-made foods that are on the market as "bugless" alternatives? Serious question, I'd love answers to, as I want one one day but don't wanna starve it y'know?
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. 💕
How is a low IQ cute?
He died RIP Fuji
@@Frostbyte44 I heard, and I was crushed 😔 RIP indeed, he was a real one. He died as he lived, himbo style 💕
@@Violet-Storm RIP Fuji
GARGOYLE!!! They make me **so** happy! 😁 A gargoyle is what I have planned to get when the time is right. 🥰
theyre just the best, although they dont come off as super smart lol. its okay, theyre cute
Gargoyle
Oh…I was gonna have one for my birthday I have wanted one for ages😢
I had a bearded dragon as a pet until it awakened its inner spider-man and just started chilling in the ceiling
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.
Same but instead I had to go outside to get her food. I actually got pretty good at it.
Did they expect it not to eat or something?
Not every person can, but breeding dubia roaches is very easy and they have pretty much no smell to them like crickets, and if they escape, they will normally die within a week from the wrong temps and starvation due to them mainly eating fresh foods like fruits and veggies, though there are also gain diets sold for them as well. They have 36% protein vrs a crickets 16% and a mealworms measly like 2 to 5%. They all around are a very good option😊
@@SRCReptiles yes, I don't breed dubias, but it is very easy to buy and take care of 1-2 months worth of dubias. They don't smell, don't die quickly like crickets do, and are silent.
Is that actually better? I like doing all that maintenance stuff. I don’t want a pet just to say I have it. I’d rather just do the work for what I really want.
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
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.
Not for me crested might be easy to kept but the one I have lost trust in me I guess never had that happen to me before lol
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.
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.
Depends on the pet shop.
Your local chain store is a big no no, but any legit locally owned small businesses, or even specialty reptile and amphibian shops are usually a good source as the people working there are typically hobbyist keepers.
For Big Box Stores, absolutely, but if you have local reptile/exotic shops the owners and staff can be incredibly helpful.
That being said it's always good to check multiple credible sources for your information!
Luckily I researched all the information that a worker at PetSmart gave me before actually taking his advice because most of it was shit advice like how he told me to get my new Beardie kibble to feed her throughout the day... Which would have been very bad for her health
This goes for any animal from pet stores, I think.
Ive had a couple different rodents in the past and the employees do not give correct care instructions. Cage size and diet and just about anything else they tell you is not right.
Yeah my dad tried to convince me to get a rug substrate and a 20 gallon tank for a baby one to get started because the worker told him it would be good I told him no and 300 bucks later I’m building my own 40 gallon tank it’s going well I just need some more clay he’s gonna have a mountain
THANK YOU! My first reptile was a bearded dragon and as an 11 year old I was not prepared for the amount of cage cleaning and taking care of crickets that came with having a bearded dragon.
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.
Unlimited food glitch 💀💀💀
Blue tongue skinks gotta my number one pick for best beginner pet reptiles hands down
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 :(
Aw that's so sad. My parents got me a pet bunny when I was 6. There are some pets that shouldn't be taken care of by kids. RIP Spike ♥
Rip spike :(. its scary easy to get iguanas its crazy
@@leafystreet true, baby green iguana around 30-40 cm costs less than 10 usd here in Indonesia they're so cheap because it's very easy to breed them here in tropical climate
That's crazy my best childhood friend had an iguana at like age 10, also named spike. His parents are some of the worst pet owners I've ever known
I had an iguana. I don't know why he's acting like they're so hard. I had mine when there was no internet to research how to take care of them. I fed him fruit, bugs, and hibiscus flowers. He lived from when he was like 6 inches long to like 4 feet long when he got too big and we gave him to the pet shop. He had a tank with a heating rock, and the tank was open. He just loves in my room, and he went back into his tank to take a dump. Never went outside the tank. Never had any issues. Maybe I got lucky. But I feel that animal care was far easier before the Internet when every "expert" has to insert their opinion on the care.
I got my first lizard! A leopard gecko I named Bumblebee. He's just a baby, but already he's getting used to me and ate a cricket from my fingers just yesterday! He's so sweet, I love him dearly.
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
I’ve got a crestie as my first reptile. So easy to care for and while he wasn’t handleable at first, he has chilled out a lot in recent months and doesn’t mind being held. Love that little guy, he’s so stupid
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.
My beardie recently passed in his sleep, been binge watching reptile content to make me feel better
Gargs are awesome, and can regrow a tail unlike Cresties. I have an enclosure that's begging for a Garg lol. I also recommend Leopard Gecko's or African Fat Tails if you are a little more experienced and don't mind insectivores (Dubia roaches are easiest to keep alive for food lol)
Dubias for the win. crickets make me so mad lol. for about 5 minutes, their call makes me feel like im in the jungle but it gets real old real fast
@Leafy Street I wish I was legally allowed to keep Dubias but Canada has very, very restrictive and unreasonable roach laws that seem like they were designed by a bunch off boomers who don't care about species or temperature needs and just went "ew roach no."
@@leafystreet Especially when it’s just *one* cricket singing the song of their people at midnight.
Plus they die fast and stink bad.
Roaches all the way ✊
Whenever I have to get crickets i pull/cut there wings off, I hate chirping crickets.
Blue tongued skink. That was the best pet ever. Would eat basically anything, (there are a couple things to look out for) loved being handled but was happy chilling in her vivarium, beautiful looking animal too.
Loved her to bits and would recommend to anyone that is happy for a pet with a long life expectancy.
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
Leopard geckos are pretty good lizards as a first pet! Pretty cheap to maintain and their great to get the feel for the hobby
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.
My first and only lizard was a Beardie named Lizzie. I miss that old girl… didn’t take the best care of her, but I was young and hadn’t done my research, so now I’m taking better care of my two chinchillas, even made sure to think about it for a while and do plenty of research.
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.
Thank you on the bearded dragon! I knew a terrible pet owner who got them for her kids that were too young for them and when they got old enough lost interest. It was a bad time all around.
You're right about the beardies. I love mine to death, but I am so glad he's over a year old now and not eating nearly as many bugs. If I ever got another one I'd get an adult instead of a baby.
My first pet lizard experience was a 5 ft green iguana. Space is definitely the hardest part about keeping them. I take care of beardies now too. Beardies are easier to keep but you need to not listen to petco/pet smart for advice on keeping them because they will give you a ton of bad information. Also they keep their beardies in terrible conditions.
Lol, my first lizard was a bearded dragon he was my best friend. I rescued him for a bad home, and he lived his best life with me until he passed in 2019
Like created I always recommend crested geckos as first reptiles
leopard gecko is the best starter lizard! easy to care for, loving, easy for pet sitters to handle. and the little attack tail wiggle
Bearded dragons actually are good first pets if you do your research and buy the proper setup, the only issue is that it's difficult to get small quantities of greens that won't go bad before they can eat them. My grocery store only sells huge ass bundles of collards so I have to find different ways to preserve it for as long as possible. Otherwise they're extremely rewarding little babies
They're really rewarding for sure but, in my experience, they're a lot harder to care for than a crestie or leo. I would say, care wise, they're equivalent to a cat.
Still super rewarding little cuties
Oh they aren’t bad at all, I just wouldn’t call them a typical “beginner” animal compared to a lot of the smaller species we commonly keep.
They are great as far as husbandry goes, just not as amazing when it comes to convenience of weekly maintenance and up front expense
Freezer, you can also make a blend of stuff kinda like reptilinks and freeze that, then put in a bag and put in hot water for feeding
Also, roaches and isopods can eat most scraps, and a compost can make really good soil
I have a female bearded dragon that lays 2-4 clutches a year of infertile eggs and requires me to have an extra 4x2 bin full of a 50/50 soil sand mixture just to lay eggs. Her breed also originates from Australia and she starts brumation in February-March. When I first got my bearded dragon she was actually a male but some(not all) Australian dragons have the ability to change their gender based on the temperature in their climate and this behavior still isn't fully understood. In conclusion, I don't recommend dragons as beginners because of this possibility and extra care required if this is the case. The only exception is buying from a breeder that can give you all the information about your dragons health and genetic inheritance.
"Diet is super annoying..." YES 😂😂😂😂
When I was 12 I did 7 months worth of straight saving and research to get my first reptile, whom I still have today, shes the sweetest bearded dragon that I've never had any issues with and shes truly a gift from God 💕
She is a lot to care for but she was no problem for 12 year old me, even though I had a lot of other pets to care for at once :)
I grew up with a Leopard Gecko. I love those little guys
My first lizard I got was a bearded dragon I named sol and he’s the sweetest thing ever and it’s quite easy to take care of him
Tortoises are also pretty good first time reptiles too, i have a pet Horsfield tortoise named Freddy and he is just the most chilled out little fella ever! He makes little to no noise, he is small, his food is cheap to get and he is super cute too! I definently recommend tortoises.
Leopard geckos are great too, they really just eat meal warms and you can feed then other stuff too, and if your cleaning out their tank and your cat jumps in they can hiss
Gargoyle and crested geckos are so adorable
In my personal opinion leopard geckos are easier to take care of then the New Caledonia geckos because they are less flighty and you don’t have to worry about humidity but yes the New Caledonia geckos make great beginner pets
I agree for the most part. I loved keeping leos so much, but I think my only pause is their more demanding heating requirements and need for constant insects with no alternative. With my gargs, for basking I'm just running a low wattage halogen with no thermostat, so its quite simple. But you really cant beat the size/ calmness combo of a leo
My crestie was my first lizard and I couldnt agree more. So easy to care for, and she's still happy and healthy. Time is a huge thing though, too. I got her in middle school, and shes with me at college now.
I have 3 cresties! They are awesome! I'd love to gargs in the future! I'd also love i keep eurydactylodes! New caladonian geckos are amazing!
I have a couple of eurydactylodes and they're cool. They seem prehistoric.
Leopard geckos are the best beginners I’d say. They’re much calmer
Blue tongue skinks are also really good if you want something bigger
I wish i had experience with them, their proportions make me really happy
My first lizard was actually a Chinese Water Dragon (probably the worse choice for me, who was a 11 year old at the time) but my mums friend was very passionate about lizards and he had a few Chinese water dragons himself in the past. So luckily with his help i able to keep my lizard happy and very healthy too. Because my mums friend kept me informed on how to properly take care of him :)
Currently now my lizard (link) has a very big enclosure about over 6 foot tall enclousure with a lot of space and sticks for him to go on, the proper uvb, heating lamp, lights and basking lights and whatnot along with a big water tub he loves staying in. I will admit cleaning out the big water tub is quite hard at times but its worth it for him. He is a bit chunky currently but i'm working on feeding him some better proportions and some more veg and fruits. He is an absolute sweetheart and i often let him run around my room :))
their diet isn't annoying at all its just salad and bugs 😂
Right? I was so confused by that comment. I think beardies are a great intro lizard. Mine was a class pet for two years before I “retired” him to my home. I was able to order a wide variety of bugs off Amazon to keep him happy, and I just added his veggies to my grocery list. 🤷🏻♀️
OTOH, three iguanas died on my watch (to be fair, it was the 90s, and they came to me with issues). My crested lived a cushy life until it seemingly turned into vapor and escaped its secure enclosure. Beardies are the best.
Maybe his beardie was picky
Their diets are pretty annoying actually specially bearded dragon diets considering multiple types of bugs can't be fed multiple types a week or not at all or else they could cause health problems and even death same with certain veggies like baby carrots
I just looked it up and you guys definitely didn't feed your dragons and iguanas properly
well, you’re making constant trips to the store to pick those up, rather than just one or two trips a month for cresties/gargoyles
Got my daughter a crested gecko when she was in middle school. She was a great pet! Pangea had a bundle where you get a terrarium and a baby gecko. We miss her very much. There's a memorial stone for her in the garden
Yeah bearded dragons are only for level 50 pros so any thing else wold be a good weapo-I mean starter lizard
My first lizard was an iguana but not intentionally. He was dumped on the side of the road in a dog crate. A FULL GROWN IGUANA. My aunt found him and called my parents.. we had an iguana and he was great. Super chill dude, i loved him. We built him a huge enclosure in the basement with a giant heat lamp. We took him outside regularly to get that good uv. He never ran from us or tried to escape the backyard. He would just climb a fence post and bask in the sun. He would also hang out with us upstairs damn near daily for HOURS. iggy was awesome
I have two leopard geckos and they've been absolutely a joy to have, i love my lil geccs 🥰
I've got a crested gecko. Love the little guy
Chahouas are the coolest New Caledonia geckos in my experience. I just love how the blend in against wood and they are very easy to keep.
i love my crestie to bits, he’s so goofy and doesn’t require a ton of effort or money, one $20 bag of food from amazon last me a year, and he lets me hold him whenever
I like Beardies cuz they're absolutely puppies. They're as affectionate as a tegu, only in a much smaller package!
Leopard geckos are my favorite, they don’t need humidity, don’t need a screened-in enclosure because they can’t stick to glass, don’t need fancy lighting, just a under tank heat mat or ceramic heater, some places to hide, and a place to get water. They eat mealworms, crickets, roaches, basically any bug that they can fit in their mouth. They don’t mind being handled, are very quiet, and don’t smell.
my first lizard was a bearded dragon and honestly he’s pretty good!! i’ve had him for about a year now since april 17 2023 and he’s been a happy boy! i got his cage and all the stuff including him for free from my friend because she couldn’t take care of him due to extracurriculars but now he’s happy with me and i love him❤️his name is craig
As someone raising a baby beardie, yeah, they’re a lot. Especially on the wallet. Getting enough bugs to sustain that ravenous diet isn’t cheap.
Can’t say I’d change anything though. It’s full of personality and I feel nothing but joy when I look at it. My one regret is not having the money to spoil it more.
i have had a northern blue tongue skink for 4-5 months now and "she" is the chillest thing alive!
lol
So cute!! Sadly we can’t get them or most reptiles in Australia but I love to see all different kinds of cool and interesting gecko species that you can get around the world!😊 thanks!😊
Most certainly agree with this- I own a red het hypo beardie, and they are very sweet how ever incredibly expensive and demanding on time.
My first pet lizard actually wasnt supposed to be my lizard. My brother got a beardie and named him spike, he didn’t take care of the lizard or show any interest in it so I took the responsibility for the lizard. It’s been like 2 years maybe since I’ve had him. He’s still doing great and happy. The days I’m not working or at school I open his enclosure and let him run around
I see a lot of love online for Cuban false chameleons! I’ve heard they can be very sociable and interesting to watch.
My crestie is my first lizard and I love him dearly, they're easy to care for for the most part especially in a bioactive tank. Their tanks are also tall rather than longer, so they're more space efficient. I love my baby
Leapord geckos are super chill. They never run and you can pet em like cats
then i got a different kind of leopard gecko! mine behaves like he is on steroids
my leopard gecko sleeps most of the time but when he’s awake he’s super chill.
My Leopard gecko is also really chill but I'm not sure if he likes pets, sometimes it seems like he does other times it doesn't? One thing is for sure, he's slow af will stare at something thinking for 10 minutes if he should move on it.
Yknow, i had been planning on getting a crestie one day...i might still eventually, love cresties, right now i have enough pets...and your channel made me look at gargoyles more, to the extent that i said "i can meet those care needs and doing so seems enjoyable" . So in due course i got a gargoyle gecko, and she is gorgeous. So thanks for that
my crestie was free (someone i knew had to rehome him) and he’s such a sweet little guy. zero thoughts in his head. I would love to have some other new caledonian geckos someday!!
My bearded dragon was my first ever lizard. He's now 7 had him since a baby and he's amazing. He's so tame and great to handle. I seriously would recommend a bearded dragon as a first lizard.
the first one i had was one of those random browm geckos that stick tp the walls as 'pests'. lil timmy was adorable back then, lived for a week, until my father used the slipper. you will be missed.
Can confirm.
Roommate has a beardie
We don’t have a living room, it’s the dragon’s bedroom lol
As a former corporate pet store animal care manager who owns a Leachie, I 1000% agree. Beardies are always front and center in the reptile habs, and they are almost always on sale. So much of the nice reptile imagery that adorns the reptile department depicts beardies and their habitats, and it's for good reason. You sell more sh!t with them for an initial setup and in the future than with a crestie, that sh!t costs more, and you sell so, so much more food and consumables over the lifetime of the lizard.
Beardies need: light/heat/UV bulbs and fixtures, which are all disposable and are recurring costs, calcium supps and a shatload of veggies and bugs all the time, even stuff to breed and house those bugs because they'll need so many. 75 gallon tank at adulthood and everything that goes with that setup, which gets really expensive really fast, so people will almost always start with a 20 gallon and have to upgrade in the future (bingo, more supplies sales). They suck at shedding, so you'd better get some shed-ease. Rocks and basking spots, hides, sand, dishes, heat mats, extra care to prevent MBD especially at the hatchling stage they come to the store in, and so much more that I'm sure I've forgotten. Also,
The smell. You can smell if someone has a beardie in their house or apartment as soon as you walk in. It's unmistakable.
New Caledonian geckos need: tank, dirt, deco for cover, food powder, food and water dishes, and occasional misting. Maybe UVB? But it's still up for debate whether or not it's necessary. Maybe bugs to supplement or as a treat? But many just won't eat them, and if they do it may not be year-round. My Leachie loves frozen thawed pinkies, but that's just once every few weeks. She goes apesh't for superworms and has loved every flavor of Pangea that I've given her, but I understand she's an exception.
Beardies are wonderful and I love them to death. Eternally chill, although exceptions do exist. They're very charming and intelligent reptiles, have tons of personality, and can be a very rewarding pet to keep for many years, but boy are they a lot more work than most new pet owners realize. Pet stores will always sell them because of their ability to generate return business, one 15-year-long commitment at a time.
Respectfully, I'll stick with New Caledonians. My Leachie is just a squeaky trashbag with eyeballs. She's astonishingly stupid, but she's easy. Much like the 15 tarantulas I also keep.
SO happy you mentioned these geckos.. I am consindering my first lizard and doing my research led me to gargoyle geckos :D glad that someone reccomend them too
GARGOYLE GECKO???? Take my money!!! Thats the cutest animal ive ever seen😭❤️
I jumped right in with a beardie and I had to learn by trial and error thankfully my boy never had any problems and now I have 2 of them both well fed and cared for with proper heating
My honest reaction would be leopard geckos
The gargoyle ones are just so darned cute!
Any gecko that eats cgd is an amazing starter pet! Tropical species are usually easier to keep at the right temp and humidity imo so I would look for something tropical.
I have relatives in the reptile business, mostly selling feeder crickets etc. I started with a savannah monitor, tbh a big lizard is fun but it takes a lot and if you get something wrong the lizard pays for it. Gekos are perfect for a first. FYI I had a lot of information and help (inc a massive space for him that was a pet store display) so Herman led a happy and healthy life.
Leopard geckos are also decent beginners... I just got mine and besides not eating yet (I've only had her a day) she is generally low maintenance and I've been obsessed with making sure she isn't overwhelmed or stressed and making sure if she is ready to eat or not
i’ve had a bearded dragon years like 6 years, i got him when i was 10. he makes a great pet.
This encouraged me and I finally got one! Thank you so much!
Trade off is that bearded dragons are much more intelligent and rewarding to own as pets. Geckos are more wild and struggle to behave in a tame manner. You can train beardies to come to you and hang out.
I was told a bearded dragon or leopard gecko are the perfect beginner lizards.
The beardie they told me gets easier to care for as it grows older, and they "change" their diet (more meat when young, then veggies when older).
A friend of mine had a lot of them when we were young, and they were no problem to care for. They all lived good and long lives 🤔
This gecko is beautiful
I used to have some green anoles (one at a time), when I was a kid in the '60s and '70s. They are pretty mellow and friendly.
My parents used to own an iguana before I was born! He had a whole bedroom and acted like the king of the castle.
i just got a crested gecko the other day, my first ever lizard! he's a beautiful orange, and i love him dearly
My first lizard ever was a bearded dragon. I got him when I was eight and I still have him. He’s awesome.
I feel like owning a bearded dragon preps you for bigger reptiles. Yea the daily tasks can be tedious, but it’s well worth it in the end
I have a crestie! I always tell people she's so easy to take care of, she's like a more interesting house plant. The only real downside to these guys, is that they are nocturnal. I have a Wyze camera set up on a tripod to see what Rune gets up to at night. Her enclosure is bioactive and has a literal live tree inside it, so like... even though she's hiding and sleeping during the day, it is a really nice little mini-forest during the day.
I'd pick something that lives somewhere colder than a tropical island for a beginner. These colorful and interesting reptiles are always harder to care for
My first lizard was a Mediterranean house gecko and while fairly easy to care for and excessively cheap (it’s food is cheap plus I just sorta found mine) they are extremely fast and I even lost Orson for like two weeks at one point (I named him Orson Scott Card after my favorite writer). I and proud to say that through everything, Orson is actually still alive!
The way the crusted geckos standed i cant XD
Leopard geckos are also very good. They rarely drop their tails. When they are adults, they only need to be fed a few times a week. They have awesome patterns. They are very easily handled. They don't need a heating lamp (it's better to use an electronic heating pad). Amd overall they are pretty cheap.
What I think about geckos is that you have to be nice and clam with them because they're fragile
As someone with a beardy 100% agree lol. Super docile but it can be annoying maintaining their enclosure and diet. The best thing about them is how cuddly they are, literally writing this while mine is sleeping on my side.
THANK YOU!!!! So sick of people saying "Bearded Dragon". They are not easy to keep. I loved mine dearly but times got tough and he was expensive: $70 every 6 months to prevent Metabolic bone disease for UVB bulb, another basking light that kept BREAKING, and at least $30/ week in just BUGS. Super sweet and friendly, but I would say go with a gecko. They are sweet and can be friendly too.😊