Suggestions? looking for new Reptile to add

[rikkitiger]

i want to start off by saying this. i am a thirteen year old who has five american green tree frogs, a white german shepherd, and many responsibilities. I LOVE reptiles though. I had three turtles for a while, but they got an infection and died a short while after i got them. i later learned they came with the infection. i have since done a lot of research and saved a lot of money and now i have had tree frogs for a month. I would also like to add that i have a 25$ allowance PER MONTH. adding up money that i make from odd jobs, i would say i get about thirty five dollars a month. I spend about ten dollars on crickets every two months.

point is that my parents have no problem with me getting reptile and amphibians and fish as long as they are my responsibility, i dont slack off with my dog or school, they stay in my room and they dont get too big. So i really love reptiles, and i am looking for one that is not too expensive to save up for or keep. i dont mind about 150$ to save up for not counting tax, but when it gets to the 200$-250$ range i dont really like it.

So my question is does anybody know of a reptile that is cheap to house properly and feed properly? or one that sounds good for my situation? i dont really like leapord geckos though just putting that out there. OR SNAKES. no snakes. period.

thanks for reading!!!! i really appriciate your help and i love the frog forum. please comment or post, i love getting them.

[Lija]

well, frogs can get expensive to keep, frogs themselves are not that expensive, but everything that you need for them might be pricey and if something goes wrong and you need vet...

anyhow, let's see, you don't want snakes, you don't like leos, do you like cresties? or tarantulas? or roaches? or centipedes/scorpions?

[COOCOpUcHoo]

I say start a dubia colony and breed crickets, and maybe night crawlers. It would save a lot. Do some yard work for $,£,¥,€, etc

[Sasha]

I think that it's great that you are 13 and you can handle the responsibility of school and caring for all your animals. You've only had your frogs for a month now, I would hold off on getting anything else right away. You will want to save up your money just in case one of your frogs gets sick as your turtles did. A vet bill for a sick frog is no different than one for a dog or cat, it can be expensive. Although you can never tell when a frog will get sick, usually the first few months of ownership is the critical time. That's why it's recommended when introducing new frogs to a tank you keep them in quarantine to make sure they are not carrying diseases or parasites.

Now on to your question, I agree that geckos are not a good idea. I personally like bearded dragons but you would really have to start breeding your own crickets or dubia's. Bearded dragons are great lizards but in the first 6 months or so they eat 25-50 crickets a day! You would also have to save up your money to buy a big enough tank for it.

[Mentat]

Cograts on been responsible and able to plan expenses at you age ! Think the idea about the Bearded Dragon is good one. A new 40 breeder with dome and heat lamp will be within your planned expense, specially if you find a nice used one. Beardie's have come down in price recently (at least locally) and have seen nice colored 4-6 in. baby leatherbacks for around $50-60. Do start a Dubia colony ASAP if thinking about one.

Another option would be one of the lower priced Veil Chameleons. Again will need to get a screen enclosure but maybe get lucky and find one in good shape at Craiglist or similar. Study hard, take care of your Pets, and have fun !

[Striped marsh]

I'd have to agree with the bearded dragon, as there are very interesting pets yet easy to look after.

[Psychotic]

Bearded dragons are good and the ones at pet shops usually don't cost too awful much. However initial set up will be expensive. Minimum tank size is a 20 gallon for an adult. However I think they are too cramped and prefer a 40 gallon. You will need a heat lamp and heat bulbs. May need another heat lamp with a lower wattage night light for night time if temps fall below 75f during the night. You will need a desert UVB light. The strip lights are generally preferred. The UVB light will need to be replaced every 6 months or so (the UVB output will weaken over time). You need to have thermometers to measure the temperature. Personally I prefer a temperature gun as I can check the temperature anywhere in the cage. None of these things are very cheap so you might be saving up for quite a while before you can afford it all unless your parents are willing to help pay for it.

You have to feed a bearded every day. Babies should eat three times a day. They eat tons of crickets or roaches which will become expensive. My little guy eats 100 crickets a day. The cheapest I can find them is $8.00 for 100 crickets. So, that is $56 each week. Breeding your own feeders is cheaper. However you will also need to feed the feeders.
Once the beardie is around 6 months old they should start being introduced to vegetables and the protein intake will lessen. You can't just go out and buy a bag of salad mix though. Lettuce is bad for them. You should do some research on what veggies they can or can't eat. It can really add up. Nutrition Content has some really good nutritional info.

There are also pellet foods available but many bearded dragons will not eat them. Like most frogs, they are attracted to movement.

Yes bearded dragons are relatively easy to care for if you know what you are doing. However I do not consider them a cheap pet to own. I've spent more money on my bearded dragon than all my frogs and snakes combined.

Personally most reptiles are not cheap to care for (a lot of them have to eat every day). Except for snakes but you don't want snakes. Compared to other reptiles and amphibians I own, snakes are by far the cheapest lol!

I would suggest some sort of gecko, such as a crested or gargoyle gecko. They can be kept at room temperature. They need high humidity which can be achieved by misting. They also need a special gecko diet. Prices vary depending on brand and amount. But it isn't too bad. I can get a pound of repashy for $21.

Sorry for the long winded post. But I didn't want to see someone make the same mistake as me. Everyone told me how easy bearded dragons were and so I did some research and got everything ready. Got my bearded dragon. But then the cost of food really started adding up quick. If I had really thought about how much I would be spending on food, I probably wouldn't have got him. Breeding my own feeders have helped a bit though.

[nok1888]

Just a wee question. Bearded dragons can live 12+ years, snakes 20+ years so what happens in a few years when you decide to go to college or uni? No trying to put a dampner on you or nothin but they are long term commitments and I've seen too many adverts from people not wanting their pets because going to uni etc.

I'd think long and hard before buying. Besides that $25 dollars a month won't buy the setup and then vet fees

2.0 Border Collies - Jinky and Chance
3.0 Cats - Monty, Dodger and Crunchie
1.1 Royal Pythons Orlina and Sedrick
0.1 BCI Boa - Aasia
1.0 Western Hognose - Hagrid
0.1 Bearded Dragon - iiara

[Lija]

no, beaded dragons are expensive, they need a big tank, high temps, UVB, other expensive things, your energy ( your parents) bill will go up by much, i doubt they're gonna be very happy and your room gets cramped because of a huge tank you'll have in there.
chameleons - as well expensive to keep, depending on where you live, but i wouldn't get one ever, to maintain humidity levels in a big screen cages in dry climates is a nightmare.

crested - easy and cheap to keep, you don't need heating. main expense is to set up the cage, so the tank itself, branches, foliage, i always use UVB though, but it is not really needed, repashy is cheap, one bag lasts long time if you have just one gecko, you will need to spray 2 times a day.

roaches - you can get giant peppered or hissers, very entertaining and very cheap to keep, you do need heating, but nothing else, you can always sell off surplus and get some $ back. dubia, I'm not sure if they're really fun to keep as a pet, but they breed easy and you'll have constant supply of food for your frogs and you can sell off surplus.
tarantula needs small cage and to be fed once in 2 weeks or so, cheap and easy pet.

hey, you know what- get tiger salamander, they're very very cheap to get and to keep, and they're fun, they're like puppies, very food motivated, will beg for food and follow you along the glass, you don't need a big tank or anything expensive. I think my tiger is the most interactive pet i have.

[Truffs1178]

I don't think you should get a Bearded Dragon. They are expensive. My bros beardie plus setup is over £300.00(about 450 dollars)

[poison]

I to would go with a crestie.

[rikkitiger]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I really appriciate it.

when i go to college in five years, every pet will go with me. I am extremely dedicated to this.

so here is the sorta new verdict:

My mom says no longer than a foot and a couple inches, so that rules out bearded dragons, and i say ABSOLUTELY no bugs. Period. I have a cricket colony so right now i am thinking of going twords crested gecko or another gecko, blue tailed skink, or veiled chameleon even.

Let me know what you think of these ideas, and if there are any other issues.

i already have a vet fund set aside for my frogs, so no need to worry about that.

[Mentat]

... hey, you know what- get tiger salamander, they're very very cheap to get and to keep, and they're fun, they're like puppies, very food motivated, will beg for food and follow you along the glass, you don't need a big tank or anything expensive. I think my tiger is the most interactive pet i have.

Hi Lija! I like those salamanders; but my house temps in Summer are between 80-85F and have read they need 70F or cooler. Aren't you worried they have been known to carry fungus and viruses that could infect frogs? Good luck !

[Mentat]

...i am thinking of going twords crested gecko or another gecko, blue tailed skink, or veiled chameleon even. ...

After reading other posts here and this one, now think a Crestie or other small gecko is your best choice .

[tameyourself]

Crested geckos are great, I have been breeding them for years.

[Jerah Teoh Yong Qiang]

Can I suggest a crocodile skink? They're rather much similar in setup as a tree frog in terms of cage decor and humidity, don't grow all that large and are not the most expensive of critters

[Lija]

[/COLOR]Hi Lija! I like those salamanders; but my house temps in Summer are between 80-85F and have read they need 70F or cooler. Aren't you worried they have been known to carry fungus and viruses that could infect frogs? Good luck !

yeah lol right now quarantine and disinfection is getting the whole new meaning to me my guy is good, he has been quarantined for 6 months, chytrid free, tested when we just got him, yes they like on a colder side, but now over the summer i haven't noticed him complaining at all, fat and begging for food as always, temps in a our basement are usually at 75, but over the summer about 80-82.

[Lija]

After reading other posts here and this one, now think a Crestie or other small gecko is your best choice .

agreed! crested gecko is an excellent choice, you can handle them too, most are very calm as adults, even some babies are okay to handle.

[poison]

Can I suggest a crocodile skink? They're rather much similar in setup as a tree frog in terms of cage decor and humidity, don't grow all that large and are not the most expensive of critters

Croc skinks are not arboreal. The only time I've heard of them trying to climb is when people set them up in an all water enclosure. They need lots of ground cover and you don't see them much. The majority of croc skinks are WC, they only lay one egg per clutch.

[Hypnotic]

agreed! crested gecko is an excellent choice, you can handle them too, most are very calm as adults, even some babies are okay to handle.

I've bought three babies which I let mature and sold two of those, a few things to keep in mind when buying a crested gecko:
You will need Crested gecko diet, this is the super food, live feeders are good as a treat once or twice a week and should be dusted if done. They need to be misted daily. They need alot of hides and plants to feel secure, chances of seeing a crested gecko during the day are really small. Terrarium should be spot cleaned.
Note, when you make CGD, you can use it for 2 days max (some geckos like it a bit fermented), they are extremely fun animals to own and docile to handle eventhough I had one of those rare biters.
Eventhough some caresheets will say you need UVB, you really don't aslong as you supplement right or use CGD. I've raised two of my girls on live feeders and UVB, and one of them without UVB and with CGD, neither of the three ever had calcium problems and I checked calcium sacks monthly.
My feeding schedule for my girl is as follows : monday & tuesday CGD, wednesday redrunners dusted with calcium+D3, thursday and friday CGD, saturday crickets dusted with multi vitamines, sunday either fruit porridge or some sundays I just skip feeding, since in the wild they won't find food daily either.