Leopard Gecko? or Bearded Dragon?

[corvettefan]

I've also posted the same thing in the Bearded Dragon forum section. Which one do you prefer? Which one is easier to maintain, cheaper to maintain, and more fun to maintain? My little brother really wanted a leopard gecko so I gave him mine. I told him how to keep care of it, and if he did a good job I'd pay for supplies for his very own gecko. I was thinking of getting either a baby leopard gecko or baby bearded dragon. So what one is easier to take care of, cheaper, and more fun?

 

[Aikenreptiles]

bearded dragons need bigger cages

 

[corvettefan]

bearded dragons need bigger cages

That is one of the problems that I have. I'm not sure that I have enough room for a 40 gal. tank.

 

[herpencounter]

That is one of the problems that I have. I'm not sure that I have enough room for a 40 gal. tank.

20 gallon long is plenty for a bearded.

If you want low maintenance go with a leo.
If you want something you can hold more often and has a cool personality go with a bearded. Don’t get me wrong leos have awesome personalities to, but beardeds are different… I am sure others would say the same.

Later,
J!

 

[LizMarie]

20gallon long is good for a full grown beardie? I've heard 40gallon breeder.

 

[REPEtc]

Juvenile beardies can be housed in a 20 L but...
I have 3 adult beardies right now... I can't imagine any of them being comfortable in a 20L. They need something wider to be able to turn around in and be comfortable in. My male is kept in a 40 gallon breeder (36X18) and my 2 females live together in a 75 gallon (48X18). I wouldnt put them in anything smaller.

 

[snakegirl]

Na bearded dragons need Big tanks, my dragon stays in a 5 foot long tank. carpet and stuff to clime on. you need 2 kinds of lights heat/uvb and much more care. leo are MUCH easier. but its up too you!

 

[Astrael]

Bearded dragons are way more expensive overall. There's the initial costs of tank, lights, beardie, food (young ones eat MASSIVE amounts of insects). Then there's the price of using the two lights 12 hours a day, heater for at night. Water for bathing (my beardies swim in the bath tub two times a week), getting vegetables. To keep beardies, we also keep roaches which, while cheaper then buying bugs, still costs something. And yeah, they need space. They're a lot bigger, we let ours run around the house, swim in the bath tub, and they have a 40 breeder each.

Yeah, we also keep them in seperate rooms. So, if you wanted more then one, beardies shouldn't be able to see each other.

I love my beardies, but they do cost an arm and a leg, but I still want to get a leo on top of them. If cost is an issue, beardies are very expensive. And they do need more care as well. Just wanted you to have an idea of how much more seems to be involved.

 

[dewbert]

My beardie is a crab... leos are a much better match for me...

 

[herpencounter]

I figured I was going to get so crap about the tank. Lol! I am going off my experience with them… I do have “some” of my beardeds in a 50g breeder, and 8 others that have a floor print of about a 20g long. So that’s just my experience with them and have not had any problems. I do recommend a 40-50g breeder but they will live just fine in a 20 or 30g long…

 

[Obsidian Tears]

Hmmm...they may live just fine in a 20L...but then again there's also a difference between "thriving" and merely "surviving". If you know you'll have a problem providing adequate space for anything during its lifetime you should probably wait until you have that space available before acquiring them, no?

As for the original questions, beardies have an adorable personality (most of the time *smirk*) but like everyone else has mentioned, leo's require less maintenance. I'd go with a leo if your limited on space.

 

[herpencounter]

Hmmm...they may live just fine in a 20L...but then again there's also a difference between "thriving" and merely "surviving". If you know you'll have a problem providing adequate space for anything during its lifetime you should probably wait until you have that space available before acquiring them, no?

...

 

[Astrael]

The biggest (not only) reason for the tank size of beardies being recommended as 40 breeder and up I thought was because of heat gradient. Beardies seem to prefer having 100 degree basking spot (sometimes up to 110, usually for babies), but need a cool side in low 80s. It's hard to do that in a 20L. Not impossible, just very hard.

And that's so true, Obsidian. They do have adorable personalities. Nexus (our 3 year old) is a ham. He will show off his best colors in a crowded room. And as far as I know, most beardies love to nuzzle into their owner's necks. And they especially love sleeping on people. They seem to have the perfect nature for being spoiled and being pets. They thrive while being handled often, which surprised me before I'd experienced it.

Nexus was the first reptile we ever got. John insisted, because I'd had a heart condition at the time and we couldn't get any furry pets. I'd always had cats until then, and he insisted beardies made great pets. Within a month I'd stopped getting chest pains, and within 3 months the swelling around my heart disappeared. (Granted I'd also had changes in my diet, and was taking meds, but I really felt better after we got Nexus) So, they are worth the cost in terms of companionship, IMHO.

But the new leos we got are wonderful as well, and soooooo cute. Every reptile in this house is irreplaceable in my heart.

 

[RampantReptiles]

It would be ok to put a beardie in a 20L temporarily or if you handle them alot I suppose.
Like a 20 inch lizard is going to have a hard time turning around in a tank that is only 12 inches wide....

 

[EchoPet]

Easier to maintain? Leopard Gecko

Cheaper to maintain? Leopard Gecko

More fun? I think they're both equally fun to have and take care of.