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what is the best reptile to get for a kid at age 122007-11-24 2:03:36Answers:

I think at that age you need to be concerned with something that is too high maintenance. I would steer clear of anything that has demanding temperature or feeding needs. As far as a snake i would say something like a corn snake, they get to be a decent manageable size, and they can handle larger temperature variations. I would not look at turtles, (different from tortoises) because most 12 year olds are not going to wash their hands enough and they can get funky stuff, plus in most states they are not legal as pets anyway. A tortoise is pretty cool and there are some that are easy to take care of, but they are not super exciting. I love bearded dragons and if they want a lizard that would be a good option, but temperatures and diet are a little more difficult.

The bottom line is you need to do some research and make sure you totally understand the needs of whatever animal you get and try your absolute best to meet those needs.

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leopard gecko or bearded dragon. pretty easy to care for, very friendly, and will last a while. durable little things.

i also wanted to add that consider what you have to feed these animals- most snakes are going to be eating baby mice(pinkies), baby rats (rat pups) full grown mice, rats, and depending on the snake they can even need bigger things. will you or your child want to feed things like this, whether frozen (recommended, safer and easier) or live? leopard geckos are good on insects and beardies eat mostly veggies and the occasional cricket or meal worm.