The purpose of this content is to provide information and guidance for people considering getting a pet reptile, highlighting the benefits, top species choices, and essential care tips to ensure a happy and healthy companion.
Are you considering keeping a reptile as your new pet? If the answer is yes, it’s time to bring one to your house. Owing to their distinctive personality and docile nature, reptiles can make the ideal lifelong companions that you can enjoy for years.
However, you might get confused when searching for the best reptile as your pet. This is because there are limitless reptiles or snakes for sale on the market. Therefore, this article covers the top reptiles that are easy to handle and can be kept in your house.
Why Keep a Reptile as a Pet?
Before jumping into the best reptiles to enjoy as pets, you might wonder why I should keep a reptile and not any other animal. The answer lies in their attractive appearance, low maintenance requirements, and calm personality. Usually, reptiles are loved by pet enthusiasts due to their beautiful colourations along the length of the body. Besides, here are some other reasons why you can welcome a pet reptile in your living space:
- They have unique features, displaying attractive body morphs and elegant colour patterns. You’ll love the bands and different shades on their body. Reptiles come in a huge variety of colours, patterns, and textures that you won’t find with other pets like dogs or cats. Their scales can have intricate designs, vivid colours, and mesmerizing patterns that make them visually interesting.
- Most reptiles are shy or possess a calm personality. They are affectionate towards the owners and do not need much attention. Reptiles tend to be solitary creatures that don’t require constant social interaction or attention like some other pets. Many enjoy spending most of their time relaxing in their enclosures. This makes them good pets for people who want a calmer, less needy companion.
- They can easily adjust to your lifestyle and prefer to live in solitary or their allotted habitat. Thus, you can easily make a lovely bond with your adorable buddy. Since reptiles are independent and low-maintenance, they can readily fit into your existing lifestyle without much disruption. You can create a nice habitat for them and interact on your terms without having to reorient your whole schedule around them.
3 Best Reptiles to Enjoy as Pets
At this point, you’ve got a clear understanding of why reptiles can make a great companion; you might be excited to bring one to your house. To ease your search process, here are the top 3 reptiles that you can consider to enjoy as pets:
Leopard Gecko
Geckos can be a beautiful addition to your pet list. Why? They have a charismatic personality and are known for their unique physical characteristics. You’ll often see them in multiple colour patterns or morphs, including the most common albino leopard gecko and a patternless leopard gecko. On top of all, geckos have low maintenance requirements and need a small habitat with food and water availability.
Leopard geckos are some of the most popular pet reptiles due to their friendly personality, minimal care requirements, and wide variety of beautiful morphs. They come in a rainbow of colours and patterns, from albino to jungle to raptor phase. These terrestrial lizards only need a 10-20 gallon tank with proper heating and hide. They eat crickets or mealworms dusted with calcium and Vitamin D3. Just 10-15 minutes of handling per day is enough for these sociable geckos. Their docile nature and simple care make them ideal for beginners.
Red Footed Tortoise
Red-footed tortoise can be another great companion worth adding to the list of the best reptile species. With a medium baby size ranging from 2 to 3 inches, this tortoise can be a great option to keep in your house. Moreover, it has an omnivorous diet and feeds on vegetation and fruits. Hence, you can easily fulfil its care requirements and enjoy a great time with this little creature.
The red-footed tortoise is a smart, interactive reptile that displays an amazing range of personalities. These tortoises stay relatively small, only 10-14 inches as adults, making them a manageable size for pets. Red-foots are outgoing and will learn to come when called. They enjoy exploring their habitat and interacting with their owners. An omnivorous diet of greens, vegetables, fruits, and occasional protein means they are easy to feed. Providing the proper temperature gradient from basking spot to cool hide is essential for these tropical tortoises to thrive. Their moderate care needs and responsive nature make red-footed tortoises a treasured reptile companion.
Albino Ball Python
Here comes the most astonishing and highly attractive pet reptile, the baby albino ball python. This ball python morph is all you need for quality time, featuring a beautiful combination of yellow and orange colours on a white background. The best thing is it is easy to handle and does not demand much from you.
Albino ball pythons are breathtakingly beautiful with their white scales and peach-to-yellow patterned markings down the back. Their colouration is achieved through selective breeding to isolate the albino genetic trait. These gentle snakes make ideal reptile pets, only requiring a warm terrarium with hides, a water bowl, and regular meals of thawed frozen rodents. Though albino pythons tend to be shyer than normal ball pythons, they can become comfortable with handling over time. Their small size, maxing out around 3-5 feet, makes them manageable. Albino ball pythons are relaxed, low-maintenance snakes that are visual stunners.
Other Great Reptile Pets
While the previous reptiles make excellent starter pets, there are many other great options to consider:
- Crested Geckos – These small, tree-dwelling lizards come in a variety of colours and patterns. They only require a simple terrarium setup with live or powdered fruit meal replacement. Their unique appearance and simple care make them very popular.
- Bearded Dragons – These docile, medium-sized lizards have charming personalities. Their tank setup requires proper heating and lighting to mimic their native Australian habitat. Bearded dragons make friendly pets that can be handled regularly.
- Corn Snakes – The easy-going disposition and small size of corn snakes make them ideal for new snake owners. Their simple caging needs, low maintenance, and wide variety of colours/patterns add to their appeal.
- Blue Tongue Skinks – Blue tongues are outgoing lizards that enjoy human interaction. They have omnivorous appetites for chopped veggies, fruit, insects, etc. Their tame nature and fun blue tongues win over many owners.
Vital Reptile Pet Care Tips
While the reptiles listed can make awesome pets, providing proper care is critical to your pet’s health and happiness. Here are some vital tips for anyone considering a reptile companion:
- Research fully before bringing any reptile home – understand their specific care, diet, handling, and habitat needs. Reptiles are exotic pets with very different requirements from cats/dogs.
- Purchase from reputable breeders or pet stores – avoid wild-caught reptiles, which often carry diseases/parasites. Captive-bred animals adapt better to life as pets.
- Set up the enclosure first – have the fully equipped tank/habitat ready before purchasing your reptile. Proper housing is essential right from day one.
- Learn safe handling techniques – mishandling can stress or injure reptiles. Let them gradually acclimate before too much direct handling.
- Provide proper heating/lighting – vital supplemental heating like under tank heat pads simulates the warmth reptiles need to thrive.
- Stick to an appropriate diet – feed the proper foods and supplements needed for each species. Variety is key for optimal reptile health.
Following these important care guidelines will help ensure a happy, thriving reptile companion for years to come!
Final Verdict
Now you have a list of the best reptiles to enjoy as pets; you will find it convenient to choose the one as your new buddy. All of them are adorable, easy to care for, and do not require much time from their owners. However, when researching reptiles or snakes for sale, remember to check their feeding habits, habitat setup, and basic survival requirements. Providing the proper captive environment is key to having a healthy pet reptile.
With all their diversity, low-maintenance needs, and captivating beauty, it’s clear why reptiles make fantastic pet companions. By selecting the right reptile species and providing attentive care, you can enjoy a wonderful scaled friend. So consider welcoming one of these unique cold-blooded creatures into your home. The rewards of sharing your life with a pet lizard or snake are truly remarkable.