What Should You Know Before Choosing a Pet Lizard?

What Should You Know Before Choosing a Pet Lizard?

Usually, people think of dogs, cats, and birds as their pets, but some people keep lizards. If you love lizards and want them as your pet, do not forget to do some research before purchasing them. First, make a list of different lizards you want, and pick only from the pet lizards for beginners list. Doing this will ensure that you can provide the necessary care to the specific lizard over its whole lifespan. 

 Key Things you Should Remember While Keeping a Lizard as a Pet:

• Choosing a lizard as a pet implies that you are making a long-term commitment.
• The equipment needed for proper care for the lizard may cost many times more than the cost of buying the lizard itself.
• Find out how large your pet lizard will become when it becomes an adult. 
• All reptiles can carry salmonella, so better read all the risks associated with it.

Choosing Your Lizard

Choosing pet lizards for beginners is the most challenging activity to go through before keeping lizards as pets. After contemplating the above factors, you will get ready to choose the type of lizard you want to buy. Regardless of the species you choose, be sure to get it from a reputable breeder if possible. It is quite difficult to make wild lizards as pets as they are more stressed and prone to parasites and other diseases. 

What Kind of Lizard Should You Get?

If you are a beginner, start with one of the easier species of lizards that are easy to care for and handle. 

Lizards for Beginners

Some types of lizards suitable for beginners are listed below-

• Leopard Geckos – These lizards are small, easy to handle, and do not require special UVB lighting. 
• Bearded Dragons and Frill-Necked Lizards – These lizards are easy to handle, but they require a large tank and UVB lighting.
• Blue-Tongued Skinks – These lizards are usually docile, but they need a relatively bigger size tank and full spectrum UVB lighting. They have blue-tongue skinks.
• Green Anoles – They are small-size lizards, which are easily available, but they cannot be easily handled like other beginner lizards. Moreover, they don’t need a big tank, but they require UVB lighting.

Other kinds of lizards are a little challenging due to various factors like – setting up the proper environment, the size of space you require, ease of handling, and various other parameters. 

Lizards for Experienced Owners

Some types of lizards for more experienced owners are listed below-

• Day geckos 
• Iguanas
• Uromastyx 
• Chinese water dragons
• Black-throated monitors
• Long-tailed lizards
• Chameleons
• Tegus

Caring for Pet Lizards 

After deciding the type of lizard you want and where you will buy your lizard from, you need to ensure that you have the proper set up for them.  Some of the factors which need to be taken into consideration for their proper care are –

• Heat and Lightning – These are the two critical factors for the health of your pet lizard. As lizards are cold-blooded reptiles, they depend on heat, invisible UV rays, and the day and night cycle to function properly.
• Temperature- Reptiles require a range of temperatures to regulate their body temperature whenever required.
• Humidity- It is another essential environmental parameter you need to handle.

Like all other animals, lizards need to be handled with proper care. You should never pick them by their tail as it’s uncomfortable for them. Once you have made a proper set up for your lizard, you can finally pick up a healthy lizard and give it a good life.