My son really wants a BTS but.....

[isis1311]

.....he has no space in his room for a large terrarium. I'm not sure if I put this in the right catergory. But, are there any suggestions for other lizards that are like a BTS that don't require a large enclosure?

Thanks for any suggestions

[mistyx]

You might want to try a Schnieders skink? They grow to approx 12 inches long & I hear they tame down nicely. You can find them the odd time at local pet shops or online if you really look around. It should be easy to google their care. Cheers!

[xxmonitorlizardxx]

leopard gecko

[amcurls]

Crested Geckos are good and don't require a lot of heat or lighting .

[Richard.C]

what size enclosure are you envisioning,a bluey would do fine in a 4x2x18 heigh enclosure as an adult,would cage have to be in his bedroom

there are lots of smaller species if space is a concern,eg geckoes,even smaller skinks,but they may not have the pet qualities of a bluey

[Joey1983]

I have mixed opinions regarding cage size for the BTS. I think a 36x18x18 is plenty big for them especially if they are handled daily and allowed to walk around. Most skinks..don't actually "walk around" the tank. They really like to burrow so depth of subsrate is important and daily handling is important as well. Obviously you can't use a 10gallon or a 20 gallon tank but anything 40gallons or bigger is best. ** word of advice be careful if you buy from a pet store.. mine had mites when I first got him about 3 weeks ago and I am in he end stage of finally eradicating them from th bts.

[Coomassie]

You might want to try a Schnieders skink? They grow to approx 12 inches long & I hear they tame down nicely. You can find them the odd time at local pet shops or online if you really look around. It should be easy to google their care. Cheers!

Schnider's skinks still require quite a bit of space. The recommended tank size last I checked was a 55 gallon which is by no means small.

[isis1311]

Thank you all for the replies!

I've been trying to convince him to get a leopard gecko but, he doesn't want one. We've been researching and he really wanted a Sudan Plated Lizard but, again, requires a large enclosure. He's really interested in a Red Eyed Crocodile Skink but, I said no because they seem too high maintenance with the requirements of high humidity.

The terrarium does need to be in his room and I am thinking nothing longer than 30" (24" would be ideal) x 12" deep (maybe 18").

[Nae]

30" long by 18" would in my opinion be ok (Including some raised hides would help to maximise cage space), but 24 x 12 I would consider that size definitely too small for a bluey, considering the Northerns, Meruakes and IJs (The only types one can buy outside of Aus without selling a liver.) can all reach upwards of 18".

I personally dont know much about them, so some research is definitely in order, but how about some pink toungues? I *think* they are partially arboreal, so may be able to be kept in a tank with a smaller foot print then a bluey, while still retaining the bluetongue look. But again, I know nothing.

[Richard.C]

thats actually another good option nae

[Spindown]

Most skinks..don't actually "walk around" the tank.

This can be true of some blueys, but definitely not all. One of my Notherns loves to wander around and is VERY active during the day, so is my Indo. Now, they are both males, so i'm not sure if that has something to do with this? However during the summer, my female northern can also be seen roaming around her 75 gallon tank and uses ALL the space.

Another suggestion would be to maybe make a second level? I know some people do this for snakes to make a bigger "footprint" or space available, and I would imagine a 2 level cage would take up less space than a longer cage to get the same amount of space?

[Fatal_S]

I would not personally use a tank less than 36x18, and that's for my less-active species (Tannies/Meraukes). For my Northerns and IJs I believe in more space since they're always wandering around. If you know you'll take it out all the time then you could stick with that minimum, but if the skink seems to want more space you'd have to be prepared for it.

Maybe a fat-tail gecko? I'm biased because I love them. They're like a leo, but brown (normal colour, there are morphs) and soft and adorable and super friendly.

[Bassman]

Humidity isn't so hard as long as you get the right substrate. Coconut husk works well, my friend uses it in his Dumeril's Boa cage, and then as long as you spray it everyday and keep a raggedy old towel over one side it will work just fine.

But anyway, you said no. Have you looked at Sandfish Skinks? They are really cool, desert species so very low humidity needs. You just need a few inches of sand for them to swim through and a little water dish. You probably wouldn't even need a hide. They get about a foot long and eat insects, they might need vegetables but I'm not sure, it's been a while since I looked at them. They can be kept in like a 12 by 12 by 24 though I would go bigger and if you ever decide to upgrade they live together in one tank very well.

[Spindown]

I'm so getting sandfish one day!

[supersnakeman101]

i know you did not spesifiy if yall can get a snake but they require less space then lizards generaly and make excellent pets EX: corn snakes, ball pythons ects. ( in all the animals we are talking abut 20longs to 30gallonL tanks)
but cresties are cool and so are leopard geckos

[Spindown]

Kenyan sand boa males do great in a 10, and females in a 20. I always recommend females for KSB noobs though, as they eat almost every time. My female has only turned down a meal once, and that was because there was a husbandry issue, which I immediately fixed.

There are way more snakes than just balls and corns that stay small and are good for beginners, but some people are snake people (me) and some people are lizard people (my bf). I like them both, but snakes will always be my first love. (O.O blasphemy I know!)

Also, snakes tend to escape way more than lizards because they can fit through smaller holes (usually).

Mourning geckos are super awesome, but they might be TOO small for what you are looking for. They are adorable though, and quite easy to care for.

[donkeybuff]

Rosy boas are very docile snakes, and they usually grow to only about 2 feet long. They do just fine in a 30x12x12 inch enclosure, and are pretty easy to care for.

[xxmonitorlizardxx]

They also live to 40yrs. Are you ready for such a commitment?

[Richard.C]

blueys can push that to ML

[xxmonitorlizardxx]

I thought that was only shingles?