Lizards can make great first pets for children who like their pets cold blooded and scaly. However, not every lizard is suitable for children due to the amount of care they require, size of the lizard, environmental needs or diet. Choosing the right lizard for your child can make a difference in who ends up caring for your child’s new pet. To help you decide which lizard is a good match for your child here are my top five recommendations on the best lizards to purchase for children.
Top Five Best Lizard Pets For Kids
Leopard Gecko
Leopard geckos are a great first lizard for children. Their bright colors are sure to attract your child and their active and curious personalities will capture your child’s interest. The leopard gecko will grow up to eight inches in size and requires relatively easy housing. A twenty gallon terrarium filled with sand, a few rocks or small logs to climb and exercise on and a hide box for when your lizard wants to sleep are all that’s needed. Leopard geckos are nocturnal lizards and don’t require special UV lighting as some lizards do. A under the tank heating pad or a simple spotlight will provide them with the amount of warmth they require. Feeding is simple since these lizards thrive on a diet of crickets, wax worms and meal worms. Leopard geckos are readily available and can be purchased at most pet stores.
Fat Tailed Gecko
While not as pretty as the leopard geckos, the fat tailed gecko is a great choice for kids due to its docile nature.Fat tails are relatively easy to tame. Their larger size, up to 10 inches, makes them easy to hold, something children always want to do with their pets. Fat tails generally don’t bite or become wild if they aren’t handled regularly. If you do decide on purchasing a fat tailed gecko you need to be aware that these geckos have a long life span, 15 -20 years on average. There housing and feeding requirements are the same as the leopard geckos.
Bearded Dragon
This lizard is a favorite with many reptile owners due to its large size and friendly personality. Bearded Dragons can grow up to two feet so a tank at least fifty gallons in size is a must for these lizards. Tanks should be filled with large grained sand, tree branches and a place to hide. Bearded dragons do require UVB light daily and an under the tank heading pad to keep the sand warm. These lizards are omnivores and need to be fed a diet of vegetables, grains and insects.The life span of a bearded dragon is at least ten years, so make sure that you are ready to have a lizard in your life that long before you purchase one.
Berber Schneider Skinks
Berber Schneider skinks are a good lizard pick for children. They become tame quickly and without being handled frequently. Care should be taken when removing them from their terrarium since skinks are a little bit harder to hold on to than some of the other lizards. They are extremely quick and can squeeze into a crack or behind a piece of furniture in no time making them difficult to catch. Berber Schneider skinks grow up to 18 inches in length and live up to 20 years. They require UVB lighting for up to 14 hours a day and can be housed in a 30 – 40 gallon terrarium. Skinks are omnivores and can be fed a diet of insects greens, vegetables and fruits.
Water Dragon
Water dragons require a bit more care than the other lizards on my list so be prepared to help with their care if you purchase one of these striking reptiles for your child. They can be housed in a terrarium and need a large water dish that must be changed frequently, live plants and high humidity which can be hard to maintain.
Water dragons are omnivores and eat a diet of insects,greens, vegetables and fruits. These lizards can live up to 20 years and reach up to three feet in length. Because of their large size water dragons require a large enclosure which is at least 5 feet long and 2 -3 feet deep. This size of tank often has to be custom built and can be costly.
If you do decide to purchase a water dragon as a pet you will find this lizard even tempered, tame and easily handled by your child
