Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

captainmerkin · Key Member Joined: 06 May 2007 Posts: 400

Afternoon all, I am very keen on getting into keeping reptiles and have a good range of experiences with other animals, but basically I am struggling on deciding what to start with.

Chameleons are my dream lizard, but on second third and fourth thoughts I dont just want to dive into something so delicate and sensitive to its environment.. and I want to get some experience first.

The missus really wants a snake as a friend of ours keeps some lovely pythons (which I really like too), but I would prefer to go for something else to start with (have been looking at milk snakes and corn snakes)

Also geckos seem to be fairly good as a starting block but I am unsure of the handling side of things here.

So basically I am looking at obtaining both a snake (docile, handlable) to get the missus and myself used to them and keep long term, and also some geckos perhaps for myself to gain experience with.

Both things need to be handleble and not too expensive... preferably I would like to buy 2 x 38 - 48 inch vivariums and plant them up with a nice forest based design with actively growing plants in them (would this be too big or too small?) and be able to keep at least a few geckos in one and 1 snake in other.

Any advice appreciated as I tend to just jump into things otherwise and usually succeed very well but I dont want any avoidable problems for both me and the animals.

On a final note any animals I have must be of no threat to cats as we have two cats which we both adore and there is always a slim as hell chance of them coming face to face and I would rather my cats did not die or get eaten Wink

(I am very careful but you just never know!)

thanks as always

aidan · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 4:49 pm Post subject:

bearded dragons are a good starter and more lively than a gecko but both have good characteristics and from your cats point of view a snake may eat a cat if it got out depending on what snake it was

hope that helps
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2.4. beardies
1.1 fire n uce beardies
1.1.0 yemen chameleons
0.0.1 corns
0.0.2 crested geckos

Cluster of chaos · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 5:02 pm Post subject:

Hey hey - if your thinking of getting a snake then I'm my honest opinion a corn snake is probably your best bet, their easy to handle, have a good temperament and are relatively easy to maintain as well. On the lizard side of things, I'd probably say leopard geckos are a good choice. Let us know what you decide to get and how you get on!! Wink

_________________
Soraya

Be who you are and say what you feel......those who matter won't mind and those who mind don't matter.

captainmerkin · Key Member Joined: 06 May 2007 Posts: 400

aidan · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 5:17 pm Post subject:

very good
Ive got 4 bearded dragons never been bit. been bit by my leopard geckos a few times, the bearded dragons are a bit bigger adult size 15inc to 20inc which takes about a year and they aren't nocturnal leopard geckos are nocturnal
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2.4. beardies
1.1 fire n uce beardies
1.1.0 yemen chameleons
0.0.1 corns
0.0.2 crested geckos

captainmerkin · Key Member Joined: 06 May 2007 Posts: 400

aidan · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 5:28 pm Post subject:

I'm a breeder but have none available at the mo about 2 or 3 weeks and then they will hatch but have a look at my site www.freewebs.com/beardeddragonbreeder but any local shop will have babies for sale and water dragons require more space and are not as easy to look after and more skittish
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2.4. beardies
1.1 fire n uce beardies
1.1.0 yemen chameleons
0.0.1 corns
0.0.2 crested geckos

aidan · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 5:34 pm Post subject:

IL upload some new pics l8er
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2.4. beardies
1.1 fire n uce beardies
1.1.0 yemen chameleons
0.0.1 corns
0.0.2 crested geckos

sushi · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 8:15 pm Post subject:

my first reptile was a bearded dragon, and i love her to bits , shes active and tamed also bearded dragons are very responsive compared with other lizards , ive had mine for about 17 moths now
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bearded dragon/ 0.1.0

crested gecko/ 0.1.0

Ailurus · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 8:33 pm Post subject:

good snakes are corn snakes (the best option), hognose snakes, king snakes and milk snakes.

the best lizards are bearded dragons, leopard geckos, crested geckos and rankins dragons.

in my opinion rankins dragons are a better lizard for a beginner than a bearded because beardies get quite large (40 cm) and require quite hard to handle and require large (48 inch) vivaria. Rankins only get around 20cm look very similar, and a single adult requires only a single 24 inch vivarium, and a group of 1.2, (meaning one male and two females) can live happily in a 36 inch vivaria, there care is identical to bearded dragons.

good luck with your choice and new reptile Very Happy

_________________
Tom

Snakes: :Pantherophis: :Coelognathus: :Lampropeltis: :Heterodon: :Antaresia:
Lizards: :Rhacodactylus: :Pogona: :Goniurosaurus:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Ailurus27