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My daughter wants a lizard!

7 replies

balabusta · 23/06/2026 10:09

My 11 year old has said she wants a lizard for her birthday! She's leaning to a crested gecko but also talking about leopard gecko or a bearded dragon.

I don't think this is going to happen but not going to say no out of hand, happy to consider it but wondering if anyone here has any experience or advice?

I'm thinking maybe crested gecko as I'm not sure about the idea of having to keep live insects for food.

Or to push her towards gerbils or hamster 😀We already have 2 dogs and a cat so we're not without pets. She's previously had a sweet hamster who died after a couple of years and a fish who unfortuantely didn't survive our house move. She definitely doesn't want anotehr fish and I'm with her on that one as that was actually a lot of work for little return wth the constant changing and checking of the water (which was also a bit stressful too if it wasn't quite right). Defintiely don't want another pet which is so difficult to get right in terms of living conditions (still a bit traumatised by the move killing it - that was on me and I clearly messed up!)

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KevinsSignatureShortdeads · 23/06/2026 10:14

We bought 2 leopard geckos about 2 years ago for our children.

One of them is utterly delightful and loves being handled. I adore him. The other is completely anti social.

They are relatively low maintenance but having to keep on top of the live food is a chore, I will admit. The lovely gecko only eats locusts and they don’t live very long despite us looking after them well. I have to factor in going to the specialist pet shop every week / every couple of weeks to buy more. That being said, the geckos burmate (hibernation of sorts) during the winter, so they rarely eat for months at that point.

They can live for 20-25 years so they’re a long term commitment.

CraftyNavySeal · 23/06/2026 10:15

I would say no.

If she really loves animals then ask her why a gecko would want to live in a tank in England when it should be living in the jungle.

They see these animals on tiktok and think they are cute without thinking about the reality of caring for them.

balabusta · 23/06/2026 10:17

CraftyNavySeal · 23/06/2026 10:15

I would say no.

If she really loves animals then ask her why a gecko would want to live in a tank in England when it should be living in the jungle.

They see these animals on tiktok and think they are cute without thinking about the reality of caring for them.

We live in a hot country, not England.

But, yes, exactly the reality of caring for them is what I'm asking and to discuss with her...

We have experience with other pets.

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balabusta · 23/06/2026 10:19

KevinsSignatureShortdeads · 23/06/2026 10:14

We bought 2 leopard geckos about 2 years ago for our children.

One of them is utterly delightful and loves being handled. I adore him. The other is completely anti social.

They are relatively low maintenance but having to keep on top of the live food is a chore, I will admit. The lovely gecko only eats locusts and they don’t live very long despite us looking after them well. I have to factor in going to the specialist pet shop every week / every couple of weeks to buy more. That being said, the geckos burmate (hibernation of sorts) during the winter, so they rarely eat for months at that point.

They can live for 20-25 years so they’re a long term commitment.

Yes, those are two factors which put me off.

The live insects and the lifespan.

I can see her going off to uni in 6-7 years and us being left running after crickets to feed to the gecko for another decade😅

She has said we can look for an adult one to adopt (which is generally more preferable anyway) but still...

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KevinsSignatureShortdeads · 23/06/2026 10:28

Ha, I have exactly the same thoughts re: uni 😂

I would definitely get an adult one that perhaps needs rehoming and that you know enjoys being handled (if that’s important to her). We had the anti social one as a hatchling so I thought she’d be really chill, but no.

Good luck with whatever you decide. Also important to consider that initial set up is in the region of £600 for the gecko itself, vivarium, light & heat sources etc etc.

Peoniesallgone · 23/06/2026 18:57

We adopted an iguana that someone could not care for. Please do not think of getting one. They grow big, can be aggressive and need more than most people can give. Not sure of other lizards

balabusta · 24/06/2026 03:04

Peoniesallgone · 23/06/2026 18:57

We adopted an iguana that someone could not care for. Please do not think of getting one. They grow big, can be aggressive and need more than most people can give. Not sure of other lizards

No, iguana is not on the list for exactly those reasons!

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