Lizards are known as cold blooded creatures, and the sight of one makes most of us squeamish.However, these rad reptiles can make great pets. You just have to find the best species for you!Lizards are great first pets for children and adults alike. They are small and do not require much space, have an easy and affordable diet and are much more low maintenance than dogs and cats. They are also quite easy to bond with, and make great reptile companions as they can be very long lived.Taking care of these cool critters is a blast, and they make a great conversation starter for sure. There are a large number of lizard species, all of which vary in size, shape and care needs. The best lizards for handling are the bigger species of lizards, which are docile and friendly. They are friendly and very easy to care for, making them great pet choices for beginners. The Savannah Monitor is the biggest lizard which you can keep as a pet, making it a gentle giant.If you enjoyed this article, do check out our pages on frilled lizard facts and best pet snakes.What’s the friendliest lizard for a pet?Lizards can make a great first pet due to their small size, easy tamability and friendly nature. Though among lizards, there are some beginner lizard species that are friendlier than others.A few of these reptile species are bearded dragons, ackies monitors, Chinese water dragon, leopard gecko, crested geckos and the African fat-tailed gecko.What is the best pet lizard for beginners?There are a large number of lizard species, all of which vary in size, shape and care needs. Here are some of the best pet lizards for beginners, which can be easy to care for. Read on below to find the best reptile choice for you and your family!African fat-tailed geckos: these lizards are very friendly and docile, and are very open to being handled. They are adorable in appearance, with their stout bodies and cute beady eyes. They are named after their thick tails, which are almost as wide as their bodies! They are medium sized lizards, growing to around 9 in (22.9 cm), and can live for up to 20 years!African fire skink: these beautiful bright red lizards are quite popular among reptile lovers for their unique appearance. They are quite low maintenance, making them a great choice for beginners. Though African fire skinks can be shy at first and need to warm up to being handled, they are very active and entertaining to watch. This species can grow up to 15 in (38.1 cm) in length, and live for up to 15-20 years.Ackies monitor: the ackies monitor lizard looks like a mini komodo dragon and is known to be a good choice for beginners. Though they grow up to 30 in (76.2 cm) in length which can feel quite big, they are very gentle and docile in nature. They also love to bask, and must be provided with adequate heat and a basking spot and light. They can live for up to 15-20 years.Bearded dragon: widely known and a very popular choice as a pet, bearded dragons are larger lizards known for their fun loving and sociable nature. They are very easy to bond with and take care of, and are quite good mannered as well. They can live for about 15-20 years.Caiman lizard: the caiman lizard can grow up to 5 ft (1.5 m), and is known for its beautifully colored scales. They have red heads, with the color progressing to green along their bodies. They are very well behaved and can be trained easily, however trying to handle them takes some patience. One downside to these pets is their large size, meaning they need to be provided with large tanks and suitable accommodation. They can live for up to 10 years.Chameleon: everyone has heard of chameleons and their ability to easily change color. These shy creatures do not do well with being handled, however this makes them quite low maintenance, which is good for beginners. They are very docile in nature, and are small, hence they do not take up much space. They can live for up to two years. However, do not catch any chameleons from the wild and only buy ones bred in captivity, as their population is swiftly declining.Chinese water dragon: the Chinese water dragon is one of the easiest lizards to train and handle for beginners. It is very friendly in nature, however they do require large enclosures with a built in pool and humidifier. They can live for around 15-20 years.Long tailed lizard: the long tailed lizard, true to its name, has an unbelievably long tail which amount for 8 in (20.3 cm) out of its 12 in (30.5 cm) body length! It is a very fast lizard, and can be seen scurrying around its enclosure at full speed, its long tail whipping behind it. It is also easily startled, and will whip its tail around when afraid. It will take some time and patience for this lizard to become comfortable around you.Blue tongue skink: these large lizards are known for their bright blue tongues. Though heavy, they are very friendly in nature and are easy to train. They love affection and being handled, making them a great choice for beginners. Blue tongue skink reptiles can live for around 15-20 years.Leopard gecko: one of the more popular and easily available species of lizard, these small bright yellow-orange lizards are covered with black and brown spots, which is where they get their name from. Unlike most geckos, leopard geckos are not fond of climbing as they lack sticky pads on the base of their feet, and spend their days resting or running around their enclosures. They love being handled, and can be quite noisy when they are hungry, making them a great choice for beginners. These pets live for about 10-15 years.Green anole: the green anole is a species which is popular among kids, and is often seen in classrooms all over the country. They are native to the United States, and can be spotted quite commonly in parks and backyards. These bright green lizards are very easy to take care of, only requiring a small tank with a few climbing accessories. Green anoles are known for their bright pink dewlaps, which they inflate to attract mates and ward off intruders.Savannah monitor: these large monitor lizards are easy to tame, and can live up for 20 years. They are good for beginners as they like being handled, and are well behaved. They do however require a larger enclosure, with plenty of sandy substrate provided for them to dig and bury themselves inside.Uromastyx: the Uromastyx lizard is very docile and friendly. It is easy to feed as it is a herbivore, and requires a warm, dry climate. It does not do well in humid environments, so non-moisture retaining substate must be provided for it to dig around in. Being a relatively new species to the lizard pet trade, this beautiful lizard is quite rare, and a very interesting one to look after. Though they do not like humidity, they do like to bask, and plenty of basking area with rocks and sand is a must.Pygmy chameleon: this tiny lizard grows up to only 3.5 in (9 cm), and has a quite unique appearance. With its dull greenish brown body and flat shape, it can look like a walking leaf. It doesn’t need much living space either, being content with a small tank with plenty of climbable branches.Panther chameleon: this native lizard species of Madagascar is quite exotic, and is known for its vibrant color morphs. It is highly coveted by lizard collectors, having a lifespan of around 3-7 years. It is shy and reclusive, and does not like being handled, however its care requirements can be quite low when kept in the right conditions. It enjoys staying in its enclosure, being quite content in its surroundings.Frilled dragon: frilled dragons have been made quite popular by Hollywood, however behind their scary (not really) appearance lies an adorable personality! Though it takes time to gain the trust of these small lizards, once the bond is strengthened they will jump onto you and stay there! The bright flaps of skin around their head pop up when they are threatened or scared, in order to make it look more terrifying. However once this lizard becomes comfortable with you, you will be seeing a lot less of its frills, though they are quite a magnificent sight.Crested gecko: thought to be extinct for a while, this unusual species of geckos was rediscovered in the 1990s,m in their native New Caledonia. Crested geckos have unique eyes, which are large and gray with black slits down the middle. Their yellow bodies are covered with spiky yellow spines, which even constitute eyelashes! As long as these pets have a large, comfortable enclosure to lounge in, they are happy and well behaved, and very open to being handled. These beautiful sunshine-colored geckos can live for up to 10 years.Gold dust day gecko: this striking green lizard is quite small, and is covered with golden specks all over its body. They are good pets only for display, as handling them stresses them out and they are quite jittery. Gold dust day geckos can live for upto ten years, and are very low maintenance, making them a good choice for beginners who only want a display pet.Green basilisk: these interesting lizards are known as ‘Jesus Christ lizards’, due to their ability to run on water. These lizards are very active and need large enclosures to run around in. They must either be kept in pairs, alone, or in groups with only one male, as they can tend to get territorial. They can grow up to 36 in (91.4 cm) and live for around 8-10 years.Green iguana: the green iguana is a great lizard species for beginners as they are easy to feed (being herbivorous), tame and handle. They can grow to be quite large at 6 ft (1.8 m) and need large enclosures with pools, however they make great pets due to their docile and friendly nature. They can live for up to 20 years.Jewelled lacerta: this reptile, though large in size, is very lightweight. They are very easy to train, though they still remain very shy and are wary of being handled even after training. They can grow up to 3 ft (0.9 m) long which calls for a fairly large enclosure, and they live between 12-20 years.Veiled chameleon: this gorgeous chameleon is normally green, yellow and brown in color, however it can morph into a number of other bright colors to match its surroundings. They have a veil-like crest on their head, and a hump which helps to direct water towards their mouths. They are not very easy to handle, and prefer to be left alone. They are best observed in their enclosures, and they do not require much human interaction.Which pet lizards are best for handling?The best lizards for handling are the bigger species of lizards, which are docile and friendly. Most lizards can be trained to be open to handling with time and patience, though there are a few which remain wary and get stressed out by the human touch. The best pet lizards for reptile lovers who want to bond with their pets are bearded dragons, Chinese water dragon, leopard gecko, African fat-tailed gecko, crested geckos and ackies monitors.Handling a lizard can improve the bond between pet and owner, and more affectionate lizards enjoy spending time sitting on their owner’s shoulders or in their laps while they are lounging around the house. Though newly acquired lizards should not be handled excessively as they may be scared and can be stressed out by excess handling, patience and time can make these critters very comfortable and confident around their humansWhat are the best pet lizard for kids?The best pet lizard species for kids is the Green Anole, which is quite a popular pet reptile. This common North American lizard is quite adaptable and very easy to care for, making it a fixture in almost every elementary school classroom over the United States. It doesn’t require much space, only needing a small tank with enough space to move around and a few branches for climbing. It is also a most interesting creature, as it possesses a flap of skin called a dewlap which it inflates in order to attract females or look threatening in order to defend its territory. They are also the cheapest lizards due to their abundance in nature, meaning they can be bought to teach every kid responsibility, care and patience.Some more popular pet lizards which can be adopted by families are bearded dragons, Savannah monitors, Chinese water dragons and African fire skinks. They are friendly and very easy to care for, making them great pet choices for beginners. Out of these, the Savannah monitor is the biggest lizard which you can keep as a pet, making it a gentle giant.Can lizards learn their name?Lizards can learn to recognize their owners and create a strong bond with them. Lizards like bearded dragons can also learn to recognize their name if it is associated with training and feeding. Though they may not be able to associate their names with themselves as we do, they will learn to associate it with food if it is repeated every day at the same time (while feeding time) and in the same tone of voice.Repeating this process enough times will be sufficient for it to come to you every time you call its name, however, this will most probably be because it thinks that it will be receiving food. Though this may not seem very useful as the lizard may not know that the name is its own, it is a good way to call your pet to you and summon it in times of emergency and danger.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Best Pet Lizards: Ssseriously Cool Guide For Pet Lizard For Beginners then why not take a look at Can Dogs Eat Okra? Here Is Everything You Need To Know, or Are Maggots Flies? Fascinating Fly Life Cycle Facts For Kids?
Lizards are known as cold blooded creatures, and the sight of one makes most of us squeamish.
