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Pet for new reptile owner? KZN
My little brother (Age 13) is thinking that he wants a reptile for a pet. Preferably a frog or lizard of some sort, perhaps a snake.

I'm willing to help him take care of it, but I'm not really experienced in keeping reptiles, so can /an/ give me some advice and suggestions? What's a nice reptile for a person new to keeping them? Something not extremely expensive to keep, and preferably something sociable or at least something that can be carried around without problems. Something "hands on" instead of something better for just watching (like fish.)

Any ideas, guys? If it's possible, I'd also like to know if there are any reptiles that are either herbivores or don't require live feed (I'm a bit squeamish when it comes to bugs, and I'd rather not handle dead (or live) mice.)
>> Anonymous
Crested gecko.
You can feed them liquid formula.
>> Anonymous
Prepare to have the lizard dumped on you once your brother starts chasing ass and yelling at your parents instead.

A Russian Tortoise would be good. They're herbivorous.
>> KZN
>>263398
>>263400
Thank you for the suggestions, I'll look into those two animals...

Oh, I forgot to put it in the OP post, but I've heard a lot about reptiles carrying tons of diseases and shit. Is this true?
>> Anonymous
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Mali Uromastyx
Vegitarian
Mine is the tamest lizard I've ever had though he would rather walk away to check things out then chill with me
i would go 3ftx18inx18in in the cage
alfalfa pellet or sand on the floor( not calcium or vitamin sand ,seriously I'll kill you if you do)
they like it hot basking temp should be around 120 cool end of the cage 80ish
main part of mines diet is collard greens and grated squash

bearded dragons are okay, very skittish when their small but usually turn into couch potatoes as they get older. they eat plants and bugs but you don't have to feed bugs. best to not get a baby to avoid feeding insects but I've raised them on greens and rep-cal juvenile diet just fine. minimum cage size 3x2x2 ft
basking temp about 100 cool end 70ish

both need UVB lights fluorescents like reptisun replaced every 6 months, mercury vapors ex. powersun replaced yearly
>> Anonymous
>>263402
the only thing you should be able to get from a reptile is salmonella, wash your hands after touching, dont wash their stuff in the kitchen
10+ years with up to 35 reptiles at a time and I've never gotten sick from them

tortoises are not for beginners and need a lot of room btw
>> Anonymous
Frogs are amphibians; is he interested in them as well as reptiles?
>> KZN
>>263403
He likes lizards a lot, so one of those might be good. How big do they get?
>>263406
All right, just checking, because I've heard a lot about people catching terrible diseases from things like turtles.
>>263408
Yeah, reptiles or amphibeans, either one is fine really. I just kinda grouped them together.
>> Anonymous
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>>263411
Mali Uromastyx can get to 14inches i think, mines 10 years old and only 9 inches
beardies grow 18-24ish inches

as far as froggys, toads( real ones ,lumpy brown things, not firebellys ) tolerate handling pretty well, but they eat bugs and worms, and they eat lots of them
but an american toad can live in a ten gallon, 6 inches of dirt, shallow waterpan and a cave or two, no heat light ( they like it cool) and don't need UVB lights
>> Anonymous
Oriental fire belly toads look cool, aren't too expensive and are hard to kill.
Snakes are cool but require feeding, my rosy boa ate three mice every two weeks and he would only eat live ones.
No worries of salmonella with either that I am aware of but washing hands after handling is always a good thing.
>> Anonymous
>>263411
I've got a turtle, all turtles pretty much carry salmonella, but it's rare that you'll catch unless you're a young child(like your brother) or very old.

So yeah, just wash your hands.
I keep a little bottle of anti-bacterial soap(the kind you dont need water for) next to my turtle enclosure.
>> KZN
Well, I'm leaning towards the Mali Uromastyx...any information Anon can give me about them? Your experiences, etc?
>> Anonymous
>>263402

If you get salmonella, you get it from your kitchen, not your reptile. I don't think I've ever heard of a case of someone getting salmonella specifically from a reptile. Usually it's because they prepared food where raw meat or something was.

If you want to get salmonella from a reptile, start shoveling their shit into your mouth and maybe you'll get the chance to experience it reptile-vector style.

>>263406

Russian Tortoises don't need a lot of room and are hardly difficult to keep as long as you give them calcium/D3 supplements.
>> Anonymous
>>263468
They're almost entirely herbivorous desert reptiles. Avoid the biggest mistakes a lot of new reptile keeprs make by doing reseach on their diet and the UVB light you provide (it's a NECESSITY and incandescents don't work; fluorescent is the best choice), provide vitamin and calcium supplements, and don't think that you can feed them on lettuce and salad mixes.
>> Anonymous
>>263472
http://www.webmd.com/news/20080124/pet-turtles-cause-salmonella-outbreak?src=RSS_PUBLIC

The salmonella in your meat and on reptiles comes from the same source; feces. Because turtles defecate and swim in the same water they carry the bacteria on their skin and can transmit it to human beings who handle them and then eat without properly disinfecting their hands. Iguanas also tend to be the source of infections in humans, especially younger farmed specimens from crowded conditions.
>> Anonymous
>>263475

I know it's possible to get it from reptiles, but it's extremely unlikely. It's a given that you should wash your hands before eating. Those that don't are dumbasses.

I've been keeping reptiles for around 6 years now. Never once got salmonella. But that's because I'm not into reptile scat fetishes.

I was talking about tortoises though. Aquatic turtles are irrelevant and dirty.