What pet lizards are there

The color of the chinese water dragon is beautiful, too. As adults, they take on shades of bright green to vibrant mint.

Interestingly enough, they develop this color over several years. Juveniles are usually more muted in tone, taking on a duller brown color. Another cool feature of the chinese water dragon is its third eye! Feast your eyes on this prehistoric beauty! Sailfin dragons are one of the more distinct pet lizards in the trade. As you can guess from their name, these reptiles have long fins that stretch along the back.

Typically, the fin starts on the head or just behind the neck. As adults, most will measure around three feet long. This can even occur in captivity! Caring for a sailfin dragon is no easy task. Thanks to their massive size and delicate fins, they need a large enclosure. Green iguanas are native to tropical and subtropical regions throughout North and South America. They are very widespread, which has led to their impressive availability in the trade. Many believe that the green iguana is one of the best and most commonly available pet lizards in the world.

In the United States alone, approximately one million are imported every year! Green iguanas can get very big. Adults can easily reach lengths of six to seven feet. As a result, they require massive enclosures. While many start them off in standard vivariums or reptile terrariums, they quickly outgrow those spaces. By the time they reach adulthood, they require larger habitats that are at least 12 feet long by six feet wide and six feet tall. But when they open their mouths, they display a beautiful pop of color.

The body of the lizard is usually light brown. However, there is some variation between the subspecies. You might see shades of orange, red, or gray. Whatever the case may be, all lizards have a vibrant blue tongue and mouth!

These reptiles have a very interesting body shape, too. They are large and heavy. Compared to their build, the legs are quite small. Pair that with the scaly skin and these lizards are often mistaken for snakes when buried. Native to the Amazon River Basin, the caiman lizard is a species that requires a specialized environment. You cannot keep these reptiles in basic vivariums or standard enclosures. They need to be able to submerge themselves in water at all times.

Owners often have to build specialty habitats to cater to this need. It seems like overkill, but this pet lizard needs access to water to stay happy and healthy. Another unique thing about the lizard is its diet. In the wild, it feeds on aquatic snails most of the time. They have powerful neck and jaw muscles that can make quick work out of a hard shell. Due to their unique care requirements, caiman lizards can be a challenge for novice reptile enthusiasts.

As their name would suggest, they are large creatures that require a ton of space. As an adult, the Argentine giant tegu can reach lengths of about five feet which puts them on the larger end of tegu lizards. They are very small as juveniles. But the lizards grow up fast and quickly outgrow standard enclosures. Argentine giant tegus also have a reputation for being a bit on the aggressive side. They will fight with one another if kept in the same habitat.

They may even show aggression towards humans. While picking between the best types of pet lizards can seem difficult at first, the process should be a whole lot easier if you stick to the recommendations on this list. Hunter Briggs is an experienced reptile breeder who has been keeping and raising various species over the past seven years.

What initially started as curiosity quickly turned into a deep passion for herpetology, and a connection with the reptile community as a whole. Reptile Direct. R Resources. Bearded Dragon One of the most iconic and best pet lizards to grace the herpetology world, bearded dragons are a joy to raise. Hunter Briggs Hunter Briggs is an experienced reptile breeder who has been keeping and raising various species over the past seven years. You May Also Like.

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They are docile lizards that are happy to be handled and easy to care for, provided that they have a large, tall enclosure that they can climb in. They typically grow to about 8 inches long and can live for up to 10 years. Gargoyle Geckos are native to New Caledonia and are ideal lizards for beginners due to their simple and easy caring requirements. These lizards will take a while to tame and may bite as youngsters, but once they become accustomed to their owners, they are fairly docile and fine to be handled.

They reach a maximum of 8 inches in length and can live for years in captivity. Unique among lizards, as they prefer to live in groups, Gidgee Skinks are easy-to-care-for, low-maintenance lizards that are ideal for beginners. They are comparatively large, though, reaching up to 10 inches long and need a fairly large enclosure. They are shy lizards that need some time and training to handle and are better housed with a partner. They have long lifespans of around 20 years.

The Gold-Dust Day Gecko is a beautiful lizard with striking green skin and gold specs. They are not hugely popular pets due to their easily stressed nature and sensitive skin. These lizards also do not enjoy being handled and are particularly shy and are best strictly for display.

They are small lizards that only grow to around 6 inches and typically live for up to 10 years. Green Anoles are known for the bright red dewlap under their chin and bright green body. They are active and somewhat skittish lizards that may take time to get accustomed to handling, but with patience, they can become relatively tame. They are small lizards that do not require a large enclosure and are easy to care for.

They are usually around 8 inches long and have an average lifespan of years. They are best kept in pairs or groups but preferably with only one male, as they can be quite territorial. They are active lizards that need a fairly large enclosure but are generally easy to care for. They reach a maximum size of around 36 inches and typically live for years. Green Iguanas are perfect for lizard novices due to their herbivorous diet. However, these lizards get big, require large enclosures, and are surprisingly powerful.

They can grow up to 6 feet in length and need a pool of water to bathe in but are fairly easy to tame and enjoy being handled. While they do need a fair amount of space and some time and dedication to care for, their docile nature makes them a good choice for beginners. Real commitment is needed with these large lizards, as they can live for over 20 years in captivity. The Jewelled Lacerta is a large lizard and can reach over 3 feet in length, but they are fairly lightweight for their size.

Panther chameleons Furcifer pardalis are an arboreal lizard found in the Eastern and Northern parts of Madagascar. They mainly live in the canopies of tropical forests and spend almost all of their time off of the ground.

These chameleons have become very popular in the pet trade as the males have very vibrant and contrasting colours.

They include greens, blues, reds, yellows, white and sometimes brown and each male has a slightly different colouration. They will grow to be roughly 1. They like a warm and humid environment so require a quick spray down each morning. They are complete insectivores and will only each dusted insects like locust or crickets. The Crested Gecko Correlophus ciliatus sometimes referred to as the eyelash gecko are an arboreal species native to New Caledonia. They inhabit the canopies of rainforests and can be found jumping from branch to branch at night.

They are a great pet to keep in captivity and can be expected to live for years with proper care. They tend to have a passive temperament but can be very quick when they are young. Their best feature is the fact that they can accurately jump from place to place.

It is not uncommon to have crested geckos who have learnt to jump on to their owner when the enclosure is opened. They are quite small staying around 8 inches in length making them a great choice for owners with little space.

There are a number of proven colour and pattern morphs with more coming out all the time. A standard crested gecko will be a yellowy brown colour. Email will not be published. Contact Us My Account. Being both strong and smart, their enclosure needs to be well built to keep them from escaping. These reptiles also like to dig, so they will need a substrate that allows for this.

Savannah Monitors eat mice, insects and other invertebrates. Like the Ackies Monitor, the Savannah is one of the more easily tamable monitors , and they can become very docile with regular, gentle handling. They have a slender, small body and only grow to 8 inches in size from snout to vent. They may not be very big, but they should have a gallon tank to accommodate their tail length, fast movements, and high energy levels. They need lots of leaves and branches in their enclosure, as their habitat in the wild is most commonly trees and forgery!

Naturally gentle and easy-going, they are the perfect pet lizard for beginners looking to keep a small species in a well-decorated tank. Though popular as pets, they do not always have the best time adjusting to life in captivity.

These pets require lots of special care to help them feel safe in captivity. Many beginners take on the responsibility of housing Chameleons, but they must understand the responsibility of caring for an easily stressed species. They are native to Africa, but like many species, are rapidly disappearing with deforestation.

Many in the pet trade are wild-caught, and so should be avoided by beginners. Chameleons are not aggressive to their owners, but are extremely shy and have little in the ways of defending themselves. Any handling stresses them. They vary widely in their size, depending on the species, ranging from 1 inch. For some beginner hobbyists, they can make a good first pet because of their docile nature. However, they are much harder to care for than other reptiles on this list.

They are known for their spines on their tail which they use to protect themselves from predators. They have a carnivorous diet that includes mostly insects and the occasional pinky mouse. However, some potential owners are concerned by their large size. They are larger than most reptiles on this list, ranging from inches long.

But, they are smaller than most other monitors. They are known to like their basking spots very hot, but their lighting and humidity requirements are relatively simple. Mostly green in color, they earn their name from the gold specks that develop on their dorsal side. They are a small lizard, averaging about 5 to 6 inches, but they should still have a gallon tank with lots of logs and branches to hide in. This will accommodate their shy nature. These branches will also allow them to enjoy their love of climbing.

What keeps some beginner reptile keepers from adopting this species is that they stress very easily and their skin tears easily. These lizards do best as a display pets with limited handling. They are suited to beginners who wish to learn about caring for a lizard without interacting with them very much. There are several species of water dragons; the most common for beginners are the Chinese and Australian water dragons.

Chinese Water Dragons are typically more popular than Australians. Water Dragons require large enclosures, closely regulated temperatures and a mostly insectivore diet, with some leafy vegetables.

One thing that is more difficult about caring for a water dragon is that they require very high humidity. Smaller than most water dragons, they must be socialized from an early age to become accustomed to handling. Once socialized, they are typically very friendly and enjoy handling. While they may have specific care and husbandry requirements, a beginner with the room and dedication can certainly care for a Chinese Water Dragon.

African Fat-Tailed Geckos are very similar to Leopard Geckos who rank 2 on our list and have very similar care requirements.

As their name suggests, these lizards are African natives and their tails are nearly as thick as their bodies. Like Leopard Geckos, they are very easy for beginners to care for. They have very easy husbandry and feeding requirements. They are generally friendly and docile.

What puts them much lower on this list than their leopard cousin is their popularity, and thereby, their greater lack of availability. Native to the Middle East, they are solid yellow-gray in color and ground dwellers. They have simple husbandry requirements, but because they are diggers, they need a substrate that they can burrow into.