Arboreal, diurnal gecko for a beginner

[LittleMy]

My tween wants a draco volans. :yikes: Ha, ha, ha. With a little research, I helped him realize that was unrealisitc. So he wants a small, active, diurnal arboreal lizard more appropriate to a beginner. We have kept anoles (anolis carolinensis) before, so we have some experience with lizard keeping. The home would be:

- 20 gal tall aquarium or a 12x12x18 or 18x18x24 exo terrra
- House temps 65-70 in winter, 72-80 in summer
- appropriate lighting & heating (if needed)
- Hand misting a couple of times/week
- Vivarium forest -- cork background with lots of plants and branches for climbing. Possible waterfall down background. We will tailor the tank to the intended inhabitant.

My son has no expectation of handling the lizard -- he just wants to watch it. (He keeps fish so he is used to pets you just watch).

Obviously anole or house gecko is an option. L. williamsi looks really amazing but they are pretty pricey. Is there anything that is unusual or dragon-esque that we should consider?

 

[Aimless]

I would strongly recommend a Day Gecko species. it sounds right up your alley. there are SO many different species and some have easier care than others. probably something like a P m madagascariensis, P grandis, or P laticauda would be ideal; they have decent availability and tend to be pretty hardy. laticauda (Gold Dust Day Gecko) can be found pretty easily for under $75 and are really bright and colorful, and not too large.

 

[Drew's Geckos]

I would recommend crested geckos. Although they are nocturnal they don't mind being held and are really easy to take care of. They can be active during the day. They do live in trees so vines are necessary, they are really easy to take care of and only need to be sprayed directly once a day and the cage 3 times a day keeping the humidity in the 70's high 60's or you can buy a mister. Over all they don't drink much still water and mostly drink the dew off of leaves. I am 12 and I have a regular school schedule and I just spray mine in the morning, when I get home, and at night. As for food they eat CGD or Repashy which is a powder mixed with water (if you can't do insects). As for the temperate if it ever gets above 85 F put an ice pack in the cage or they can die(or spray them and cage with cold water). The cage can be 18x18x18. Don't worry if they lose their tail as they do not need it because it does not grow back. Mine is 6 years old and lives fine without a tail. They can stick to walls but when they shed make sure there is no stuck shed because they can't climb with shed on their feet. Baby's need to eat Repashy everyday (which you can find at any pet store) and adults need to eat everyday. Depending on where you live you can get healthy geckos with cages on craigslist(I got mine there and he is 6 years old and completely healthy) I know in San Diego CA (where I live) there are a ton of private breeders. As long as your house doesn't get under 50 F on a regular basis they they don't need a heat lamp. They can go a couple of days in cold weather. If you have a heater in your house then they will be fine (just feel their belles and see if it is to hot and use common sense). Over all they are easier than leopard geckos (I have one so I should know) and really fun easy pets. Look up photos of them we call mine little dragon sometimes lol.



P.S. I forgot to mention that they jump... watch out for that.

P.S. My gecko has jumped of my bed,which is 3 feet up, and was fine. If you have dogs,cats,ext. just be carful.