View Full Version : My nephew
gulogulo82
11-06-2008, 16:33
My 9 year old nephew spent the day with me at the Puyallup show and had a great time. He lives with my parents and really wants his own pet herp now. They said they were ok with it if I set him up and helped him out, but I need some advice on whats a good choice for a 9 year old that wont me under my supervision. I'm not sure if snakes are an option, my ma said no way, but I wont write them off just yet. Ideas? Suggestions?
dalvers63
11-06-2008, 16:37
If snakes are an option, we have a couple of cornsnakes that might work out for him. Being adults they are much calmer than babies and being corns, they won't hide as much as ball pythons. They also need less in the way of high temps and would be easier for a 9 year old to keep.
if you're looking for lizards, there are quite a few bearded dragons available from the Society, both babies and adults. Though they take more daily care, if you think he's up to it, they would make a great pet for him.
Would he have any help from parents?
I think a beardie might be a bit advanced for a 9 year old. Maintaining a temperature gradient, ensuring adequate UVB lighting (and being strict about changing out the bulb every 6 months), paying close attention to the calcium to phosphorous ratio of what you're feeding...
Aimee had a great idea for her nephew: a crestie! Super cute, super easy to keep. Plus, I think we know where he could get one....:D
I can't recommend Crested Geckos highly enough.
They need no heat or special light, they are tolerant of being handled, they are hardy, they are active and cute, the prefer a tall set up rather than long so they don't take up alot of floor space, and they eat a powdered diet specially formulated for them that smells like bananas or roses, so if insects are a problem, they do not have to be fed insects, though crickets can be a nice treat for them every so often.
All thats really required once they're set up in a cage is nightly misting, keeping your house temps at around 68-75 degrees, and feeding the Repashy Crested Gecko diet.
Low maintenance, cute, relatively small, hardy and tolerant, what more could you ask for in a herp??:D
gulogulo82
11-06-2008, 19:33
I think a beardie is even to much for me right now, so probably not gonna work for him. I think a corn snake would be great, but I never really knew cresties were so easy. What is a good price to pick up a non breeder? The pet stores are always overpriced. Do they do ok solo or in pairs?
They should be kept solo unless you're breeding them, but you can of course sometimes keep two females together if the enclosure is big enough. Males are territorial.
Gender doesn't make much difference in how friendly or handleable they are. (I have a male that will sleep in my pocket, he'll eat with me, hang out on my computer monitor, etc. He's very mellow! Monster has a big female that is an excellent outreach animal, and that crestie tolerates small children handling her.)
MissKiwi has some going for very reasonable prices, (she's in Oak harbor) I believe, and Julie (Monster) has some available as well, (Everett) try PM'ing either of them?
Whenever some parent asks me for a good starter reptile I always answer "leopard gecko". Relatively inexpensive, eats insects, lives in an easy-to-maintain 10 gal tank. Others might disagree, but leopard geckos are a good bet.
I agree Scott, definitely for being handled a lot and cheaper cost of the actual animal. But they need a hot dry environment, so they need UTH's and/or heat lamps, and the insect factor can be an issue for lots of people!
(though I personally like bugs!)
i think because of the nightly watering, cresteds can be seen as high maintenance for kids. they can't be watered every other day, it really is something the parents would have to enforce. if the 9 year old & parents can feed and water, then they are pretty much bulletproof.
one of my co-workers has kids who are responsible for the family leopard gecko and they do a great job. i think the son is 5 and their daughter is 9.
and another vote for a corn snake.
...so pretty much what everyone else has already said :rolleyes:
ok it wasnt tooo long ago that i was 9 years old well 7 years but hes going to want to hold it ALL THE TIME and cresties arent the easiest thing to hold in the world unless you have a freakishly calm one like sallie = ]. i think a corn snake a leo or a BP would be his best bet just help him take care of them cause he probably wont do it by himself
BlueSilver
11-07-2008, 09:16
I CANNOT highly stress enough that Velociraptors ARE NOT a good starter pet for a 9 year old.
I CANNOT highly stress enough that Velociraptors ARE NOT a good starter pet for a 9 year old.
Oh, come on! They can be great playmates! Think of the endless hours of hide n' seek!
http://design.osu.edu/carlson/history/images/small/jurassic_kitchen_raptor.jpg
Hey, what about a small tort? they're tough and can be fun as long as they're set up properly!
I do agree, Leos and even African Fat Tails are fantastic geckos for kids. I actually find my African Fat Tails to be very calm, even more calm than many leos I've experienced, but they are just a touch more delicate than the leos and need a little bit more humidity.
That said, aside from their "chocolate flavouring" (I'm talking about colour here) they are very very similar to Leopards in diet and care and ease.
However, I have seen Cresties tame down beautifully in the hands of the right kid. If the kid and/or the parents are diligent about misting, I still think a Crestie is a good choice.
gulogulo82
11-07-2008, 12:10
Thanks for all your great input everyone. Im gonna talk to my mom (his guardian) today and get a sence of what they are up to as overseers. I like the crestie idea and cornsnakes for sure, a lep gecko or a small breed of tortoise. We might even just go with a hands off tank of little guys or something. We'll have to way the pros and cons for everything. Just keep me in mind if there are any adoptiees that come along that would work.
gulogulo82
11-07-2008, 12:26
I like the crestie idea and cornsnakes for sure, a lep gecko or a small breed of tortoise.
I was just doing some research and I formally retract the idea of a tortoise. 75-200 years is a lot of responsibility.:D
hunterlight
11-07-2008, 13:06
; Im gonna talk to my mom (his guardian) today and get a sence of what they are up to as overseers.
Great idea! As the father of a 8 almost 9yr. old who is absolutely crazy about all our reptiles he surely isn't responsible enough to care for them without supervision. If your mother isn't 100% on board you might want to rethink this at this age. If she is :) there's a good reason corns are always recommended as a starter reptile. Easy to keep, doesn't require daily maintenance, hand-able, always eat, come in cool colors, ect ect.
Adams Family
11-07-2008, 13:55
I vote for leo. they are so easy and so fun to watch and when they eat...well there is nothing to make someone laugh than when that adorable tail goes nuts..:D
FIEND_FO_LYFE
11-07-2008, 17:24
my list...
leopard gecko
crested gecko
corn snake
maybe even a salamander if he wont handle it often
fire belly toad....
uhh....
MEALWORMS...
lol
yes he should have mealworms.
gulogulo82
11-10-2008, 13:38
What do you guys think about a Northern Alligator Lizard. I'm thinking about picking one up from CL for myself, but maybe that would work for him too. Temperate conditions, no special needs, simple diet. What do you think?
dalvers63
11-10-2008, 13:44
What do you guys think about a Northern Alligator Lizard. I'm thinking about picking one up from CL for myself, but maybe that would work for him too. Temperate conditions, no special needs, simple diet. What do you think?
Being as they are indigenous to the Northwest, unless the person you're getting it from can prove it wasn't wild caught you could have an issue with it being illegal to keep.
A crestie would be just as good and take less care as you wouldn't need to feed them insects unless they wanted to do so.
Adams Family
11-10-2008, 14:25
What do you guys think about a Northern Alligator Lizard. I'm thinking about picking one up from CL for myself, but maybe that would work for him too. Temperate conditions, no special needs, simple diet. What do you think?
ahhhh..NO.... don’t think it’s the right animal...just my opinion
Aren’t they illegal?
BlueSilver
11-10-2008, 16:21
ahhhh..NO.... don’t think it’s the right animal...just my option...
Aren’t they illegal?
Maybe an Alligator is. Don't think Alligator Lizards are..
dalvers63
11-10-2008, 16:42
Maybe an Alligator is. Don't think Alligator Lizards are..
They are illegal to own not because of their size or danger to keepers but because they are indigenous to Washington State. Even if they're captive bred and purchased somewhere else, unless you keep the receipt AND the authority questioning you believes you, you could have a problem on your hands.
Maybe an Alligator is. Don't think Alligator Lizards are..
Josh, I was gonna say the same thing. Then I remembered there were acutal, small lizards called alligator lizards. I wiki'ed them. Found out what Deb said...
They are illegal to own not because of their size or danger to keepers but because they are indigenous to Washington State. Even if they're captive bred and purchased somewhere else, unless you keep the receipt AND the authority questioning you believes you, you could have a problem on your hands.
Which is a shame, because I was gonna be such a smart-*** to Shauna, but then I just felt like a regular ***. :p
Yes, the Northern Alligator Lizard is indigenous to Western WA, Oregon, and into Northern Cal. I over-wintered one last year and re-released it this past summer.
They are fantastic little animals, beautiful coppery colour and rather nice tempered if a bit skittish, in my experience.
Cool fact: They give live birth!
It felt really good to re-release the one I had. I would stick with a leopard gecko or African Fat Tail, or a Crestie.
Adams Family
11-10-2008, 20:21
I thought I was told they were illegal from the zoo.
They are beautiful.. but illegal here in washington... I was told.
great lizard thou u can find them in cali and in oregon too
leo still my vote
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