Reptiles are not cuddly pets, but these tolerate calm, occasional-to-regular handling better than most. Always keep sessions short and read the animal's body language.
A dwarf monitor with real intelligence and personality; active, food-driven, and can become tame.
The friendliest first lizard: bold, diurnal, and genuinely interactive, but needs strong heat and UVB.
Dog-tame, curious and omnivorous; a chunky, ground-dwelling lizard with tons of personality.
The classic first snake: hardy, docile, a great eater, and available in endless colours.
A calm, heavy-bodied boa with beautiful earthy patterning that stays a sensible size.
The classic first gecko: tolerant of handling, ground-dwelling, and simple to keep.
Small, slow and famously docile, a lovely snake to handle, if you can find one.
Calm and slow-moving, though shy and famous for the occasional hunger strike.
Iridescent and gorgeous, but demands consistently high humidity to thrive.
Active, alert and a strong feeder; a bold escape artist that needs a secure lid.
Found one? Set it up in baskr and it tracks temperature, humidity, weight and more against the species ideal ranges, and coaches you through the first weeks.
Start freeThese are commonly-recommended starting points, not the final word. As experienced keepers always say, the best pet is the one you are most passionate about, have researched fully, and can provide for completely. Confirm any species with up-to-date care sheets and an exotics vet before you buy. baskr provides husbandry guidance, not veterinary advice.
Want to filter by your own preferences? Use the species finder.
More starting points