What Pet is Right for You?

So you're interested in owning a reptile for the first, but not sure which one you want?  Continue reading this article to help you figure out which reptile best suits you and your home! 

The first thing to ask yourself when thinking about a reptile is; do you want to hold it everyday? 

If you do than the better options are going to be leopard geckos, bearded dragons and sometimes snakes! 

Leopard geckos are nocturnal animals (so they like to sleep during the day and be awake at night), but that doesn't stop them for wanting to be held!  Leopard geckos are wonderful beginner pets for any one that has children, especially if its the child that wants a reptile!

Bearded dragons have so much personality, and can be extremely friendly!  They are great as a family pet, but keep in mind these animals can be a little more picky when it comes to diet; unlike leopard geckos. 

The last animal are snakes, these animals can be extremely cuddly as well, but for snakes keep in mind that sometimes they don't want to be held.  And when they don't they will let you know!  This is just understanding your animals body language to figure out if the are in a good mood or not.  

Care level for each animal:

What about their enclosures? How much will that be, what animal is the cheapest to start out with?

Leopard Geckos are going to be the reptile that has the less requirements to ensure you have a healthy animal!  Their diet as well will be cheaper for their whole life. 

Bearded Dragons get a little more pricey, they require a special kind of lighting to ensure they have a health life as well.  Their diet changes as they grow, at first when they are little they eat insects.  The older they get, they become herbivores ( feeds on plants).  When these animals are young, getting their food is going to become a weekly stop at the pet store to get some crickets! 

Snakes have easier set ups, kind of like leopard geckos.  These animals DO NOT grow to the size of their tank, and you cannot stunt their growth either.   The older these snakes get, the longer/bigger they get.  Which means buying bigger enclosures for them throughout the years of having them.  Their diet is going to be pricey as well!  

What about iguanas or chameleons? 

These are more of a show pet, when they are young they don't like to be held or messed with.  Now we're not saying to not hold them, YOU CAN; just know they will give you some attitude and will be more likely to bite/whip their tale than the other animals will.  Their lighting and environment is extremely important and need to be spot on to ensure a healthy life for these animals.  They can be some of the best pets you can ever own, but they take a lot of time, patience and willingness to get them there.  

Here are more articles about the care and lifestyle of each animal: 

Leopard Gecko: Leopard Gecko Article

Bearded Dragon: Bearded Dragon Article 

Snakes: Snake Articles 

Iguanas: Iguana Article

Chameleons: Chameleon Article