What's the best starter reptile for a 11yr old?

[Jeox]

a crested gecko would be good they are very nice but are a little pricey($60-$250+) mine is very tame and loves to be handled...

I agree. Do a crested. =)

 

[RadleyMiller]

Another good candidate is the Mt horned dragon. They do get a little over your desired size limit (closer to 12") but most are fairly docile and personable. They look very much like a miniature brownish iguana but are actually in the agama family, like water dragons, beardies, etc. And they're insectivores. One would do nicely in one of those larger Exo-Terra cages.

Great personality, small size, overall coolness, and they are pretty easy to take care of. Unlike a lot of agamids, they don't need as much heat as the beardies and pyramids and all of those.

 

[pete620]

I agree that a crested gecko would be your best bet, and those tall exoterra cages are perfect for them.

 

[TheMightyOscar]

crested are incredibly easy to care for.

they can be kept at room temp as long as its in the 70's, they are docile, and they love baby food

 

[TheMightyOscar]

leopard geckos are also a great choice, and very easy to care for

 

[Aras118119]

I would go with a crested, leopard, or african fat tail gecko.

 

[guppy]

Too bad you want to stay so small, knight anoles make great pets, can be hand tamed, and run between $25-50. They do however reach 19-20" Here is a pic from Whozoo, this one is a little more colorful than most I have seen.

 

[lovespunaround]

I don't really have any experience with lizards and I can't recommend the two common beginning turtles, sliders and box turtles, because both need lots of room and neither is as easy to care for as most people think. Mud and musk turtles are small and sedentary and make pretty good pets but you'd have to use some other kind of enclosure; a twenty-gallon aquarium would be fine.

If you're willing to bend on the no-mice rule, corn snakes are really great pets. They get larger than previously stated; mine is a little over five feet, but he's very docile and inquisitive and loves to come out. And unless snake's cage will frequently get below the 60s, you don't need any heating equipment.

 

[dan the moose]

in the tall tank, a tree frog, or a few tree frogs would be cool. check out the red eyed green tree frog, it is a litle bit of work, but they are really cool.

and the tall tank would be perfect for them (ive been contempl;ating them my self, and that tank looks awsome for what i want to do.

 

[dan the moose]

wow, sorry about the ginormus picture size.