advise on reptiles.

I'm after some advice on getting a snake or lizard or some sort.

The tank i'm shutting down from fish will be a 36x12 maybe 36x15.

I know basically nothing about them.

what and how much maintence do they require?

what kinda of size snake could I keep in that size tank/vivarium.

cheers for your help

oh and i always have cricktes, mealworms and super worms for my fish. 1 of the places i order from sell froozen rodents and chicks aswell.

If you're a newb to reptiles I'd suggest you start off with a leopard gecko or anoles. Both would fit well in the tank you mentioned

The leopard geckos can be hand trained (you can hold them), and they need a flourescant vitamin tube, UV light, and basking rocks as well as caves. Mine liked crickets as a main meal, try to get them vitamin dusted (for all lizards)

Anoles are very difficult to hand train, they are jumpy and seem more likely to escape than a leopard gecko. But, anoles are cheap

You could try a bearded dragon but they are more expensive, try to do a lot of google research on whatever you set your mind to. I'd give you more info but I'm sick and I haven't kept a leopard gecko in a while, and I know nothing about Bearded dragons. My anole eats, sleeps, and jumps around.

Here's lenny (Leopard gecko) He passed on in september He was a hand trained, full grown male

If you go with a lizard, I would suggest getting a Leopard Gecko. They are great lizards.
Here is a page I created when I had and bred mine:

http/www.geocities.com/elgecko1989/geckos.html

Everything Dwarfs suggested is good, except I would stay away from heat rocks.

Bearded dragons would be nice for your tank, although a 4 foot cage would be more suitable. Most people like to get them really small because they are cute but they get sick very easily at that size. The larger you can get them the better imo, plus they are usually already trained.

The place I work made a good care sheet on them.
http/www.catandexoticcare.com/references.html

I think your cage might be a bit small for a beardie. Leopard Geckos or anoles are good option; however, you will need a heat lamp/UVB lighting for them. A snake may be a little less upkeep; Ball Pythons are usually pretty nice as snakes go and they don't get terribly large. Whatever you do, don't get a reticulated python, or anything of that size!!

Here is a good place to go for more information on any snakes or reptiles; it's helped me out a lot in the past.

awww he's very cute dwarfs!

It looks like it's going to be a lizard as mum really is againast having a snake anywhere in the house

Thanks for the great links.

I would like something that I can handle and let climp over my shoulders etc


How often do lizards need feeding? once at a mature stage.

Right my viv would be a 36x18x18 after looking thorugh the catalogue at work today.

Or i might beable to squeeze a 4 foot in.

Would i beable to keep 2 leopards in a viv that size without them fighting or breeding?

I saw the ball python last night on a site that suggested it for my size viv, unless i had a very clever way to hide it I don't think i can get a way with one.

The bearded dragon looks very cool and spikey!! I would have to make sure i can fit a 4ft one in first, but that site link said a 4x2 which i can't get hold of easily or fit in.

Thanks for all the info.

chameleons are cool looking creatures they change their body colors depending on mood and environment

are they suitable for my size viv and i noticed there's a a few different types.

You would need 2 female leopards to avoid fighting or breeding My gecko used to eat every weekend, about a dozen crickets, he was a pig I would highly reccomend you get sand, my gecko died because he ingested a piece of gravel, stupid me

Chameleons are more difficult to care for, and can literally die of fright, or just from stress. You could try a chameleoon after you've done extensive research or after you try to keep some easier lizards first

This is another type of gecko you could try, it has similar needs to an anole but can't be hand trained

Steve, moorish or crocodile gecko

I think it's going to be a leopard gecko, they seem friendly enough and i don't need to extend my space limits.

only thing i was looking at prices and there's 3 different types here-

Albino Leopard Gecko's C/B 04 £35
Leucistic Leopard Gecko's C/B 04 £35
Blizzard Leopard Gecko's C/B 04 £35

any ideas what the C/B means? I gather albino is a horrible white colour which i can't stand in tropical fish!!

Whats there diet? I can easily just do crickets once a week or when ever.....

sands good i like it, any particular type to use/stay away from?

what decor do i need, a peice of bogwood for climbing is easy to arange. can i use slate for caves aswell?

also i was on a site and i saw they have air plants, i like my aquariums with plants so are these ok with leopard gecko's?- http/www.livefoods.co.uk/default.php?cPath=41

what do i do for hummiditity?

sorry for all the q's!! you can tell i know nothing!!

YAy!
Another one interested in Leopards!
There is a debate with the sand vs not sand. I would recommend that with a baby or even a juvi use paper towel. Not the ones with any print, just plain boring paper towel (so the ink does not leak). Then when they get a little older u can use sand. Just gotta watch for them not to eat it. I don't recommend Calci-sand casue they will be attracted to it. I use the Dessert sand (or even heard of using playsand), just wash it and sift out all the big lumps.
You will also need to add a little dish of Calcium to their tank (I have some in a mealworm dish). I also leave Meal worms out all the time. She can "snack" any time she likes to.
Since I live in Canada (colder, brrrr) I have an under the tank warmer that is on 24 hours a day as well. During the day she has on a heat lamp and a uv light.
You will also need a moist hide to ade in shedding, a warm hide and a cool hide (the cool hide is up to you). Mine uses the cool hide as a bathroom. And that is also a nice thing about leopards, they use one area as a bathroom, not all over the place.
You can pretty much decorate as what you would like. They are not really picky.
Hmmmm, maybe I should show you mine.........
She is in a 15 gallon long (long is what you need not tall) and unfortuanetly is hiding. Why can't I take straight pics?
In the Parkay margarine container (she doesn't care what it looks like) is the moist hide with frog moss and paper towel.
You don't need to worry about hummidity, just keeping that moist is fine. You will also need a water dish, although mine uses it as a bathtub.

Thanks earth girl thats great.

what kind of size do you suggest using sand from?

how do i make each of the hides?

I think i'm going to get a heat mat with a thermo-stat attached. Will i still need a heat lamp?

Are the UV lights nessary?

also what kind of feeding do you do? any fruit/veg. or just bugs and the calcuim stuff.

thanks for the pic, helps alot.

or and 1 more thing!! My mate at work used to keep snakes and said front opening doors were important so they could see you coming, should i still go for front opening or not worry about it?

by the way i already feed my crickets this stuff- http/www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=106 and put a dish with saturated paper towels in there just water..

amd this stuff for mealworms and super worms- http/www.livefoods.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=225

oh and 1 more thing.....

could someone give me the low down on a bearded dragon if I was to get the 4ftx18" viv...??

is this a confortable size for them or still on the small side?

Hi Paul;

Wow, you sure are researching well, awesome!
As for Sand, not sure on the size, but the smallest grain size the best. Like I said I have this Dessert stuff that I bought from the pet store. If she does eat it, it should pass through ( ).
Hides, hmm, I bought mine from the pets store as well, but old containers work well, just cut a small opening in the front for them.
Heat lamps, the heat pad sound good, but depending on the temp of your house, you might need a heat lamp. The warm side should be approx 88 F.
The UV light is important for bone development and maintence.
That link for the bugs food, looks good. For the Meal worms, just use oatmeal or bran to feed them and for moisture, throw a piece of potatoe in the container for them. Trust me, unless you buy in huge quantities, you will not have them around for long. A good gecko will eat you out of house and home.
Not really sure what u mean by having something where they can see you coming. When you train the gecko to be handled, the best thing to do is let he/she come to you. They will be jumpy at first, but will settle down. Just handle 5-10 min every other day until, like mine, tries to clim the sides when she sees you coming at night. She like to come out and play. But some of them just might not want to be handled. Like my hubby says, "like a woman" No idea what he means
Here is a good Uk site that I use for gecko info
http/www.thegeckospot.com/index.html
(Hope I don't get into trouble for the link, but it is not a fish site )
Good luck in any decision you may make!

Yep, I like to know what i'm doing before i start buying the wrong stuff!

Oh i realise the hides were bought but you said all the different ones so i assumed that they have insulation or something to make it cooler or hotter??

Yeah the mealworm food is just wheat and bran based, smells nice...mmmmmmm

Well when approaching from above his snakes couldn't really see him coming as well but coming from the side they have a better veiw right?? So by approaching from the side doors his snakes weren't nervous.

I'm looking into the bearded dragons aswell at the moment.