If Pen-dragon6 is looking to get a lizard, the best beginners, in my opinion, would be bearded dragons, leopard geckos, and blue-tongued skinks. My first lizard was a skink, and he is still going strong after four years.

If he wants a snake, though, I'd say a ball python or corn snake would do best. All the reptiles I've listed have fairly even tempers (depending, of course, on the individual) and are reasonably forgiving to mistakes any beginner might make.

Hope this helps!

Oh, and definitely stay away from an iguana or monitor until you have a lot more experience with reptiles. Those two are definitely not for beginners.

Depends on what you want, lizards or snakes;

If you want a lizard, I'd suggest going for leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius), these lizards are super friendly, and above all, easy to take care of, they need little humidity, but you might need a small heating system for winter, another good thing about this species is the food, they can eat mealworms their whole life, of course, you have to switch to the Bigger meal worms when they grow up, but the good thing is that when they grow up they don't need to eat daily. Of course I'd suggest giving them a varied diet (cockroaches, mealworms) but they're good with jug mealworms, it's also very fun to feed them!
Watch out with the tail tho, they can drop it, and it never grows like the original

If you want a snake, I'd suggest a ball python, like the gecko, they're a good starter reptile, they need more humidity and a heating system, but it's not that specific, of course, you feed them with mice when they're young and then move to rats as they get bigger; one advantage is that they don't need a huge tank, even I'd they're pythons, they're pretty docile and make great company pets!

Note: both animals are nocturnal, so you won't need UV lamps, or anything of that sort, also be ver careful where tu get your reptiles, DON'T, I repeat, DON'T buy reptiles at pet shops, they're usually captured and in a bad shape, if you want a reptile, get it from a respectable breeder, you can find them over the net pretty easily!
If you have questions just ask me!

Oh on a random note, I'll soon start breeding leos, so trust me, I know a lot about them

I personally prefer feeding crickets because they're more soft-bodied and have more nutrients, since mealworms are mostly just shell.  bierzun feeds his gecko exclusively on mealies though and it seems to do just fine. It's all due to personal preference, I guess ^^

Hmmm crickets ain't that nutritious, but they're good too, personally I think cockroaches are better x3

I always heard that they had more nutrients than mealworms. *scratches head* That's the problem with herp-keeping... there is SO MUCH mixed information out there, especially regarding the more exotic species that haven't been in the pet trade very long.

True xD what I know for sure is that the nutrients that pack will depend on how you feed them in a time before they're offered to the animal, I say cockroaches. Ecause they can store a lot more nutrients than crickets, of course this is if you also breed your reptile food too xD Ehich is something is say you should do too :3

Yeah I've always suggested to people to not just feel them mealworms. But as long as whatever it is that's eating it is doing well then whatever works I say.

*agrees with *


If you want a lizard, I'd suggest a leopard gecko, crested gecko, or a bearded dragon. As far as snakes go, ball pythons and milksnakes are good starter herps. Certain land tortoises make nice beginners, but I would avoid aquatic turtles if I were you. They're messy and usually require fairly big and elaborate aquatic / semi-aquatic terrariums.

Iguanas and monitor lizards are most definitely NOT beginner reptiles. Both can grow to be quite large, and iguanas are especially challenging because they require a huge amount of space in order to thrive, and a varied diet of leafy greens, fruits, and vegetables. I would avoid these guys until you have a few more years of herp-keeping experience under your belt.

Depends on what you mean by "best".

My niece's first reptile was actually an amphibian, but her first REAL real reptile was a bearded dragon.

I'm told Savannah Monitors are great reppies, but I never had one.

I had an iguana once, but they're pretty demanding, I found.

Otherwise, I'm fail at loaning opinion here. :/

Good question. I want a snake ideal for beginners

I would recommend king snakes or other colubrids for beginners.

They are reasonably cheap, usually quite docile and friendly, and pretty forgiving and hardy.

They do require more involved feeding than geckos though.

Admittedly, I have a fondness for them.

-Badger-