Easy Care Lizards That Are Awake During the Day

Some lizards make excellent pets and can provide children with hours of entertainment and instill them with a love of nature. Unfortunately, other lizards -- including some commonly purchased species -- can be extremely difficult to handle and may scratch or bite. Selecting an appropriate species requires some research into the temperament, activity level, housing and feeding requirements and common ailments of the species. Lizards that are diurnal, or awake during the day, and require little maintenance make the best pets.

  1. Bearded Dragon

    • Bearded dragons wake during the day and require little maintenance, and young children can easily handle them, making these docile lizards perhaps the best choice for a pet. Bearded dragons eat an omnivorous diet of insects and vegetables -- parents can provide a "mixed salad" when short on time or help a child to hand-feed special items to the lizard when time allows. Bearded dragons require little space but do need a clean, warm cage with a small shelter.

    Collared Lizard

    • Collared lizards require specific conditions in order to thrive and young children should not attempt to handle them as they move quickly and may bite. However, teens or pre-teens possess the coordination to handle these lizards, which will become tame with handling. Collared lizards eat a simple omnivorous diet, but require a large cage that mimics a desert environment, with shelters in cooler and warmer areas to allow the lizards to regulate their temperature. Watching these lizards provides hours of entertainment well worth the trouble of setting up their enclosure, and subsequent maintenance is minimal.

    Blue-Tongued Skinks

    • Blue-tongued skinks thrive in basic housing consisting of a large aquarium with aspen bedding, a moist shelter and a warm basking area. These lizards grow fairly large and are extremely docile, making them an excellent pet for children of all ages. Blue-tongued skinks eat an omnivorous diet of insects, vegetables and fruits prepared as a "mixed salad."

    Green Iguanas

    • Green iguanas are commonly perceived as low-maintenance pets appropriate for children, but this is not the case. Iguanas are diurnal and relatively easy to feed but require consistent, daily handling in order to remain tame and therefore do not make good pets. These lizards become extremely difficult to handle if not well-socialized and grow very large, requiring equally large cages. Iguanas have very sharp claws and may scratch children and are often linked to Salmonella infections. Parents should avoid buying iguanas as pets for their children, no matter how cute these lizards are when small.