How to Choose a Reptile Pet for a Child

Different reptiles have very different care requirements. Some are suitable pets for children, and are easier to care for than a dog or cat. Others are only for experts, or might not be best for your family for a variety of reasons. When you choose a reptile pet, there are some basic questions you should consider.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Decide what kind of food you and your child are comfortable with. Are you willing to handle live crickets to feed them to a reptile? Are you too squeamish to feed a whole mouse to a snake? If so, be careful to choose a something like a tortoise that lives on fresh produce and pelleted food.
2. Determine how much space you have. Make sure to consider the adult size of the animal: reptiles are often sold as juveniles which will increase greatly in size and need bigger and bigger tanks or cages.
3. Be sure that you have a place to put your reptile pet's cage that is not drafty or in direct sun. Many health problems in reptiles result from improper temperature.
4. Think about how much time you have to spend on pet care. A snake can be kept in a simple newspaper-lined tank, and because it doesn't eat very often, it doesn't need to be cleaned very often. On the other hand, an aquatic turtle needs to be kept in a filtered tank which needs water changes and filter maintenance, which is much more time consuming.
5. Learn a little about your choices in advance and see if the pet store staff gives you the correct answers to your questions about care--this will give you a hint about how well the reptiles have been cared for while they're in the store. Ask them if they can recommend a vet that specializes in reptiles--if they can't, you know that they don't provide vet care to the animals that they sell.
6. Ask your pet shop if there is a health guarantee for your pet reptile. It's not reasonable to expect to get your money back at any time, but if the animal dies within the first week and you've followed their care instructions, a good petseller will refund your money or replace the pet.

Tips & Warnings

• Reptiles can also be adopted rather than purchased. If your local shelter doesn't handle reptiles, there are many privately run foster organizations that adopt out reptiles that need new homes. Be prepared to answer questions about whether you can properly care for your new pet--rescues want to make sure their reptiles get a good home.
• Always wash hands after handling a pet reptile.