My little cousin is 8 years old. For his first pet, he wants to get a leopard gecko.
Would a leopard gecko be a good pet for a kid his age?
If not, is there any other reptile/pet that would be more suitable?
Is a leopard gecko an appropriate pet for an 8 year old?
Posted July 21st, 2010 by admin
July 21st, 2010 - 7:29 am
yes that would be an awesome pet for him. when i was 8 i had 2 bearded dragons and a garter snake. i did not really have a problem with taking care of those.
July 21st, 2010 - 8:19 am
leopard geckos are great for him i got a leopard gecko when i was nine
July 21st, 2010 - 8:35 am
As long as your cousin isn’t too rough or hyperactive around it, it should be fine. My brother has 4 leopard gecko lizards and he breeds them; they’re very friendly! We actually say they’re like mini dogs haha, they sit on our hands and come to the glass of their vivarium when we’re near. Some can be a little fast at first, but once they get to know you, they slow down. I’m not a big reptile fan but I absolutely love my brothers geckos! I’m not sure if all geckos are as friendly and tame as ours, but I’ve never heard any complaints, and even the babies he breeds will climb on to his hand within a few days!
I think the only other reptile I’d suggest for an 8 year old, is a tortoise.
July 21st, 2010 - 9:01 am
I don’t agree with that. although leopard geckos are easy to take care of they need a lot of commitment, and usually, if you want a decent tank, a lot of money. i would suggest maybe a hamster or a gerbil, but a leopard gecko just isn’t suited for an 8 year old.
July 21st, 2010 - 9:26 am
No there not good pets for anyone under 16 i dont think. All my little cousins 7-13 can not handle feeding mine the live bugs they need. They only wanna handle them which is bothersome since babies are SUPER skittish and do bite and hiss. they arent affectionate either. Most that end up in childrens care either die or be forgotten then sold to someone elseD: I dount think your cousin can under stand the dusting they need and to keep it on a schedule ie. how much wihtout D3 how much with D3 what vitmans and minireal ext. plus cleaning its cage every day to every other day. they need it super clean to prevent mouth rot. To clean the water dish daily to prevent bacteria build up(which is fatal to leos). No dout the leo will end up under one of the parents caresD: I have 13 so i do know what im talking about and ones was rescue from a 9 yr old who got “bored” of herD: sweetest gecko! she had MBD! it was so sad. sadly she couldnt make it threw it and passed away….plus geckos live 20+ years. What will happen to the gecko when he goes off to collage? or is wokring full time?
appropirate pets for a kid is age are:
Gerbil-i have 2 of these cuties! they dont have stinky pee like hamsters and are super sweet and can be housed in groups.
Guinea pig- have 2 of these guys too. on the harder side to care for but are definatly worth it. with them comes a friend who talks back to ya lol
crested gecko- again harder and some arent handleable but they can serfice on the CGD and crickets a few times a week.
rat- SUPER smart! very affectionate and can be trained
ferret- neat hyper kitten like pets. They even sleep with there owners like kittens do!
Very few 8 year olds are ready for such responsiblities. Its a long term commitment. Check out your local craigslist i can garantee a good amount of people rehoming there smaller pets is coz there kids grew bored of them. People can disagree with me all the want but fact is leos are a lot of work for a 8 year old. they require live bugs which ate first is fun and ok with but crickets are the freaking pain! they escape and they REAK! you cant read about how bad they really do! and they need crickets or roachs end of story. a leo can not live off of only mealworms and i dout a 8 year old will deal with roachs(as a wicked mind pointed out there 12 and dont like them:/) seriously consider this before they get one ok? on crickets alone for 20 years is over 10,000$! its crazy!
July 21st, 2010 - 10:19 am
I have a leopard gecko and I would say yes. As long as he isn’t rough with it he’ll be fine. They’re pretty tame and good for handling. They do still need a lot of work, as does any other pet.
July 21st, 2010 - 10:53 am
Yes and no.
Leopard geckos absolutely cannot be held by their tails. They will drop them. It will grow back, but bulbous and ugly.
Also, leopard geckos require a fair deal of care: different kinds of special lights, calcium, live food, heating, humidity (which means constant misting) so you may want to consider that it may be a lot of work on the MOTHER. Kids don’t like to commit themselves. The parents usually take care of most of it.
A better pet would be something like a corn snake. Snakes are so much more fun and so much easier to care for. Don’t get him a turtle as they are one of the most high-maintinence reptiles there are. He may like an anole but they are pretty darn fast when it comes to handling, and bearded dragons require big tanks. Find something that works for the whole family before you buy something: there’s nothing worse than being given a pet that is just going to cause you tons of stress, money and work.
EDIT: I disagree with Lady Hyena. Anywhere over 10 is fine for leos. I am 12 (yes, go ahead and laugh, but it is true) and deal with dead mice on a weekly basis. Not only that, but I have grabbed spiders (for the fun of it, not to feed them to something) crickets, worms, etc. The only thing I won’t grab our roaches. I’ve brained a dead mouse and fed live. It depends on the kid.
July 21st, 2010 - 11:36 am
that would be excellent if hes not too hyper, excitable, or rough. otherwise the lizard may get hurt. hopefully hes not too noisy either as that could stress the lizard. they can be handled and wont bite unless if stressed. and they usually arent. another good lizard would be a green anole. they cant be handled but are easy to take care of. a bearded dragon may be nice as well as they are very gentle but grow to be very large and are quite costly.
July 21st, 2010 - 11:59 am
yes i got one when i was in my moms stomach.