Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

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Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby blueberriesryummy » Wed Jan 10, 2018 4:19 pm

is it easier to take care of bearded dragons than it is to take care of leopard geckos?
I've had two leopard geckos in the past-- but they were both very expensive to care for--so I ended up having to give both of them away...
I'm really interested in bearded dragons and I've been doing a bit of research... but I just would like to hear someone's opinion on how time costly and expensive bearded dragons are compared to leopard geckos.
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Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby Grimace » Wed Jan 10, 2018 6:45 pm

blueberriesryummy wrote:is it easier to take care of bearded dragons than it is to take care of leopard geckos?
I've had two leopard geckos in the past-- but they were both very expensive to care for--so I ended up having to give both of them away...
I'm really interested in bearded dragons and I've been doing a bit of research... but I just would like to hear someone's opinion on how time costly and expensive bearded dragons are compared to leopard geckos.
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How were you keeping leopard geckos that made them expensive? Mine are basically free to maintain.
Beardeds are going to be significantly costlier than leos.
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Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby Crum » Thu Jan 11, 2018 4:24 am

Yeah aside from costing way more to begin with (at least a few hundred for beardie, less than 100 for leo) it’s far more expensive to pay for a beardies food (if you are not breeding your own crickets/roaches/whatever)
I’ve only had my beardie for a couple weeks but he needs about $1 worth of lettuce a week and $5 worth of large crickets a week. My leopard gecko I buy small crickets in bulk for every few months for about $10.
Also, heat lamps burn out way faster than a heat mat will. I’ve only replaced a heat mat 2 times in 6 years. Haven’t even had heat lamps for a year yet and already needed a few. And they’re about $10 each.
Beardies also need a ton of attention and care and they can be noisy and messy and ugh
Starting to appreciate my leo even more now after having the beardie XD
But yeah basically you’re looking at around $10 a month on a leo and $30+ a month on a beardie. Leopard gecko or probably created gecko is the cheapest lizard. Although I find my tortoise is the cheapest to care for since he only needs $1 of veggies a week. Its mostly just the food that costs a lot. Herbivores will be much cheaper to feed than anything that eats live insects.
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Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby rose; » Thu Jan 11, 2018 5:43 am

blueberriesryummy wrote:is it easier to take care of bearded dragons than it is to take care of leopard geckos?
I've had two leopard geckos in the past-- but they were both very expensive to care for--so I ended up having to give both of them away...
I'm really interested in bearded dragons and I've been doing a bit of research... but I just would like to hear someone's opinion on how time costly and expensive bearded dragons are compared to leopard geckos.
-


Not at all, no. Beardies are often recomended as beginner lizards and I personally think this is wrong. They need very specific and expensive UVB lighting, large space requirements, and eat more bugs than a leopard gecko does. Set up cost is large, but if you breed your own dubia roaches, which are very easy, you can cut down food costs to a few dollars a month spend on other bugs for variety. UVB bulbs need to be replaced every 6 months to a year, and heat bulbs burn out every 2-3 months it seems.

Crum wrote:Yeah aside from costing way more to begin with (at least a few hundred for beardie, less than 100 for leo) it’s far more expensive to pay for a beardies food (if you are not breeding your own crickets/roaches/whatever)
I’ve only had my beardie for a couple weeks but he needs about $1 worth of lettuce a week and $5 worth of large crickets a week. My leopard gecko I buy small crickets in bulk for every few months for about $10.
Also, heat lamps burn out way faster than a heat mat will. I’ve only replaced a heat mat 2 times in 6 years. Haven’t even had heat lamps for a year yet and already needed a few. And they’re about $10 each.
Beardies also need a ton of attention and care and they can be noisy and messy and ugh
Starting to appreciate my leo even more now after having the beardie XD
But yeah basically you’re looking at around $10 a month on a leo and $30+ a month on a beardie. Leopard gecko or probably created gecko is the cheapest lizard. Although I find my tortoise is the cheapest to care for since he only needs $1 of veggies a week. Its mostly just the food that costs a lot. Herbivores will be much cheaper to feed than anything that eats live insects.


Please look into feeding your beardie something other than lettuce. Lettuce should be mixed into a varied diet to provide hydration, as it has little to no nutrients. Collard greens or turnip greens are a much bether option as a staple
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Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby Crum » Thu Jan 11, 2018 6:07 am

No worries by lettuce I meant collard/leafy/mustard greens. Same stuff I feed my tortoise.
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Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby Grimace » Thu Jan 11, 2018 2:26 pm

Crum wrote:(at least a few hundred for beardie, less than 100 for leo)

Where are you seeing them this expensive? if you don't want a specific morph beardies are like, maybe $20 now.
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Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby maninkari » Thu Jan 11, 2018 4:18 pm

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I was holding this snake absentmindedly and she crawled into my belt loop :lol: She's such a goofnoodle.
heck
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Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby rose; » Thu Jan 11, 2018 6:20 pm

Crum wrote:No worries by lettuce I meant collard/leafy/mustard greens. Same stuff I feed my tortoise.


Oh ok, good deal! I take lettuce literally as so many people do feed them just lettuce

Grimace wrote:
Crum wrote:(at least a few hundred for beardie, less than 100 for leo)

Where are you seeing them this expensive? if you don't want a specific morph beardies are like, maybe $20 now.


I think they mentioned in tial set up cost, not just animal cost
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Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby ♡ zilla ♡ » Fri Jan 12, 2018 8:18 am

this is my younger and newer leo, spumoni! ^_^ i got him from a family on craigslist who werent giving him enough attention.
working on getting his tail a little plumper. he's about a year old and is a little feisty :3 so cute!

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and this is my other leo, cannoli! ^_^ shes about two years old, and is super duper docile and perfect. she has this hide and loves to sleep with one half on the top and one on the bottom LOL, it depends which half is where sometimes

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pisces || artist || bi || they/she

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Re: Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

Postby Muffin_Wolf » Wed Jan 17, 2018 11:50 am

Hi! I hope this is relevant, but I’m thinking of getting a cornsnake. Preferably a Sunkissed Ghost Cornsnake. I think they’re so pretty. Tips would be helpful! Feel free to pm me or just reply here if that’s ok with the rules. And I just recently realized there are CS snakes so ima go get one... at least try. Haha! Thanks!
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