Bearded Dragon or Leopard Gecko – which pet should you get?
Do you really want a lizard for a pet?
There are several that can make good pets. But most reptiles that can be pets aren’t recommended for kids. This is because they are poisonous, or can be dangerous, or they’re just harder to care for and keep healthy.
Most reptile pets aren’t good choices for beginning pet owners.
But there are two lizards that can be great pets for kids, with some help from someone older. This could be your brother, sister or a parent.
These two good lizard pets are bearded dragons and leopard geckos.
“Beardies” is what bearded dragons are often called by their owners. “Leos” is what leopard geckos are called.
Beardie or Leo – which one could be the right pet for you?
Though they are both reptiles, and both lizards, there are a lot of differences between beardies and leos.
Beardies have been called the “puppy dogs” of the reptile world. That’s because, just like puppies, they are lively and curious!
Here are two beardies in their tank. (Click on the picture to find out where to buy this tank).
They really like to be with people and are happy to climb up on your shoulder and hang out together.
Just like dogs, most beardies love going for car rides!
They also like being outside on a sunny day, catching some rays or relaxing in a kiddie pool.
Dogs love to play with balls and so do beardies! Give most beardies a ping pong ball and they are happy to roll it around the floor or their tank!
It is more complicated to have a beardie for a pet than a leo. Beardies need to have a heat lamp and a sun lamp hanging at the top of their tank.
Here are books to read if you want to learn more about pet care for beardies:
This book, written by Tristan and me, tells you how to get your beardie, what they eat, how to set up their tank, good beardie pet care. It also tells you about baby beardies so you can decide if you want a baby or adult pet.
The 3rd book is written for adults, so you might need some help reading it. It has lots of useful information about being a good beardie pet parent!
Little Leos are a shy pet!
Leos aren’t anything like puppies! They’re more like a very shy cat that mostly wants to be left alone in their tank. They aren’t a good pet for you if you want a pet you can play with.
But they are interesting little guys to watch. They are also more colorful than beardies!
Like beardies, they eat live insects. But leos are a lot smaller than beardies, so they eat a lot less!
You can learn all about having a leopard gecko for a pet here:
Leopard Geckos For Dummies is a book written for adults, so you might need some help reading it. It tells you everything a new leopard gecko pet owner needs to know about pet care, feeding, and baby geckos. This book also tells you how to protect your leo from other pets, like dogs or cats.