Types of Lizards

Owning a pet can be an extremely satisfying endeavor, and so it is no wonder that millions of people around the world keep companion animals in their lives. The most common pets are by far, cats and dogs, however, the rising popularity of exotic pets has led to an increase of people owning snakes, lizards, rats, mice, and hamsters. Fish are also a popular pet for people who do not want too much responsibility. Studies have shown that owning a pet is actually beneficial to both the mental and physical health of the owner. In fact, there are now medically backed studies showing that therapy animals can significantly improve the well being of many patients.


In this free video series, our expert will teach you how to pick out your first reptile. Lizards can make great pets if you know what kind of reptile you are looking for and what kind will fit into your lifestyle. Learn about bearded dragons, leopard geckos and crested geckos. These three lizards all make great beginner lizards. You will get tips on nocturnal versus diurnal lizards, desert versus tropical lizards and picking the lizard you find the cutest. You will also learn what each lizard eats and how to consider price in your decision. If you are interested in owning a lizard as a pet, let our expert give you all the information you need to know to find the perfect beginning lizard.

"Okay, today, while we figure out what the right beginner reptile--lizard--for you is, we're going to be focusing on three different species. We're going to talk a little bit about bearded dragons, we're going to talk a little bit about leopard geckos, and of course, my friend that I had in my hands a few minutes ago, the crested gecko. Now, what's the difference between these guys? What makes one better than the other? They're all great beginner lizards, and they're great places to start. The first thing we're going to talk about, is handle ability; how easily one is to handle and hold, as opposed to another. Now, what we'll start off with is the bearded dragon, who of course, what we're looking at here is a baby, but he will get rather large, eighteen to twenty-four inches--though personally, for me, I believe that's a good thing, as far as beginner lizards go. He's too--he's going to get too big to really lose in the house, say if you have a smaller--a younger child, if he does happen to lose control of a larger bearded dragon, he's not going to disappear into a crack somewhere, and you're never going to find him again. Chances are, he's going to be--he's going to be around. Bearded dragons are a very, very, very handle able lizard; they tend to be very docile and easygoing. As you can see, this guy's just happy and content to sit on my hand and chill out. Very, very easy to work with. The second lizard we're going to take a quick look at here is the leopard gecko, and the leopard gecko, as you can see, is a little bit more flighty. This is a little bit, that while they are handleable, a little bit more of a look at animal. They're not going to enjoy being handled like the bearded dragon seems to enjoy being handled. Really, he wants to be left alone. And then lastly, we have the crested gecko, who--while they are a little jumpy, and do like to run a little bit, are very, very tame, and very handleable lizard. And personally, I feel, to be one of the best beginner lizards out there."