can't choose! Bearded, Leopard, or Crested!

[danibug23]

well i just went to petsmart to get some new fishes for my moms tank. then i saw baby bearded dragons, leopard geckos, and a crested gecko!! they all were sooo cute!!! i would not buy one from there but just seeing them makes me want one. but which one?? any suggestions? which are easier to maintain? and do the females of these lay eggs without mating with a male just like female chameleons? i hope to hear a bunch of different stories of each one thank you

 

[fluxlizard]

I've bred all 3 of these species quite a bit.

Crested geckos are the easiest. No heat and no light required in most normal homes. Can be fed commercial crested gecko food so no bugs are necessary either (although they do enjoy them as a treat if you want to do that). require a little more room than leopard geckos (20 or 29 gallon high aquarium is OK- they like to climb and jump). But the easy requirements more than make up for the room. This is probably a little better for handling than a leopard gecko, although both are OK.

Leopard geckos are also easy. They do best with some sort of heat source (like a heat pad or ceramic heater or night heat light). They are insect eaters, and require supplements like chameleons. They can be kept in a 10 gallon tank if you want (but larger is always better). They require a humid hiding place of some sort.

Bearded dragons are the most involved- they require the whole 9 yards- large enclosure, omnivorous diet (although adults do very well on rep-cal pellets with greens and insects for treats), full spectrum lighting and heat lights. They eat far more than the other 2 species resulting in far more waste to pick up. BUT- they are far more interactive and sociable with people. This is the beast to choose if you want a true pet lizard that will sit on your lap while you watch TV and look you in the eye and crawl over and lick your hand to say hello and can be put out on the floor to hang out with you and not just a terrarium animal that you can handle now and then like the other 2 you are interested in.

All 3 species lay eggs and females of all 3 will lay infertile eggs (females of most animals tend to do that when they cycle)- but the bearded dragons are far more likely to do this perhaps than the geckos.

The solution to that is simple- only purchase a male. If you are looking for a female- that can be a little tricky because sometimes males don't show sexual characteristics until later than at other times. But if you are looking for a male, usually one or more can be identified out of any group of lizards.

 

[amanda509]

one of each!!

 

[danibug23]

your information is always so great thank you so much for taking the time and helping me! thats what my concerns are is the laying eggs thats why I'm going to go for a male . i remember reading a lot that the crested females can but i didn't know about the leopard gecko or bearded dragon

 

[danibug23]

one of each!!

i totally wish!!!! you get one and i will get one! then we can switch off and on! haha

 

[amanda509]

i totally wish!!!! you get one and i will get one! then we can switch off and on! haha

there we go!

 

[danibug23]

Well I did narrow it down between the 3 now its between a crested and a leopard. I dont think I can handle another huge cage in my house

 

[amanda509]

Well I did narrow it down between the 3 now its between a crested and a leopard. I dont think I can handle another huge cage in my house

personally, i think cresties are cuter and more exciting than leopards, but thats just my personal opinion..

 

[Olimpia]

What about African fat-tail geckos as well? They're along the same lines at leos but more humid. I'm actually thinking about selling my albino boa and getting a small colony of these again, since I regret having gotten rid of my two a year ago. They're pretty darn cute as well, but lazier.

Both leos and cresties are really neat. Cresties are soft, which makes handling them more of a neat experience. I liked watching my leos walk around though, their faces remind me of tiny raptors.

It'll come down to personal preference. They all come in such neat colors and patterns, you may want to search the classifieds and see if there is a morph or color of one or another that you fall in love with.

 

[mbondy]

You should also look into Gargoyles. They look like little raptors and require just about the same care as creties. Mine is very active and friendly. I also keep creties as well and have an incredibly sweet female. Just depends on your preference.

 

[danibug23]

I'm going to look into african fat tails now thank you olimpia! which ones do you think are more active at night? because i know they are nocturnal. and which ones do you think tolerate being handled more?

 

[Olimpia]

I'm going to look into african fat tails now thank you olimpia! which ones do you think are more active at night? because i know they are nocturnal. and which ones do you think tolerate being handled more?

Leos will be more active, in my experience and from what I've heard, AFT are pretty lazy geckos lol But they still remain some of my favorites. Both can be pretty docile so both will be pretty easy to handle. Again, my AFTs were so lazy that I'd pick them up and they wouldn't really care lol Some of my leos were less happy, but most were pretty calm on your hand.

 

[fluxlizard]

I think if you want something that can be handled- maybe go for the crested gecko. They are easy to handle and a lot more fun to handle than the leopards. They feel nice too, and have a sticky tail tip to go with their sticky toes.

Leopards are more fun to watch though- especially when feeding. They have gorgeous eyes and really move dinosaur like- complete with a cat-like tail wriggle when hunting.

 

[whereswaldo]

beardie!!!! i love mine

 

[danibug23]

sigh.. this makes it really hard to choose. they both seem like really great geckos.. screw it i will get one of each!!! haha i wish so with the leopards and the fat tails since they eat crickets and etc would they have to be fed at night??? or still during the day?

 

[Olimpia]

Sure, at night or in the afternoon. Mine would come out at evening, so I could feed them around 7-8. Although they aren't in comas during the day either, if I put food in their cages during the day they'll come running out to eat and then go back to their warm hides to sleep and digest.

 

[hallenhe]

I have a leo and a gargie (gargoyle gecko), which is very similar to a crested in terms of behavior and temperament (both Rhacodactylus). In my experience, the gargie is more active and I see more of him; he's also more likely to sleep in the open. Any of these geckos is quicker than a chameleon, so be aware if you are handling them - cresteds (and gargies) will jump and they can climb walls, so you've got to be a little careful when you take them out, but you can get them to walk/jump from hand to hand and then they'll often settle down.