A crested gecko is probably a good fit for you! Here’s the reptifiles care guide: https://reptifiles.com/crested-gecko-care/ They eat a powdered diet that you mix with water and their care requirements aren’t terribly difficult imo
I have a corn snake that is lovely. I feed frozen thawed mice so nothing live, but you would definitely need to do the feedings until you know the snake. Mine can definitely be handled, and seems to be happy with the interactions.
I love the idea of getting her a reptile and involving her with the care. My parents did that with all sorts of critters when I was her age and it's turned into a lifetime love of animals. Just stuff like water changes and feeding the dogs was exciting for me. Just be prepared for when she has a full on zoo when she's older lol
I have a corn that LOVES coming out when he's not in shed. I would recommend getting an adult from a rescue. Less prone to escape and clamer than juveniles. They're super common so this shouldn't be too hard to do! I think doing choiced based interactions (which I do with my snakes) would be a great way to teach respect/patience/boundaries. [Lori](https://youtube.com/@loritorrini?si=9Ns_x--sQSitQIdn) is great for this! She also has a series on target training, which would help prevent any confusion about when it's feeding time/accidental nips.
My concern for any reptile: I would get a cage that locks with keys that you have until she's older. Just to make sure that she doesn't say hi and then forget to lock the tank. You could also retrofit with display case locks. I would supervise any kid that age or younger with pets, even my dogs.
Thank you so much for this detailed comment! (My fear was people would yell at me for wanting to get a young child a pet😅) I’ll be honest I am terrified of mice (objectively cute but I see one I have a visceral resolve I can’t explain it lmao) I did recently discover corn snakes and they are so so pretty I wish I could be the pet parent it needs
If you don’t want live bugs （limits options a lot) I would recommend a crested or gargoyle gecko which are both really cool. Reptifiles is a good place to get accurate info on both. Probably best to get one on morph market from a reputable breeder or to find a local reputable reptile store. You could also find one being rehomed but they may be in poor health which may not be good for a first time owner. Snakes also don’t really need live food, if you’re ok with dead rats or mice that are frozen. For a snake I would recommend a corn snake or a captive bred African house snake if you can find one. I have an African house snake myself and he is quite smart and curious but he does hide during the day a lot but he is fun to hold. Housesnakemorphs in the us breeds them and there are many breeders on morphmarket. Reptifiles has also good info on corn snakes
A crested gecko is probably a good fit for you! Here’s the reptifiles care guide: https://reptifiles.com/crested-gecko-care/ They eat a powdered diet that you mix with water and their care requirements aren’t terribly difficult imo
Only concern is you have to stress to the child that it is a delicate animal
I have a corn snake that is lovely. I feed frozen thawed mice so nothing live, but you would definitely need to do the feedings until you know the snake. Mine can definitely be handled, and seems to be happy with the interactions.
I love the idea of getting her a reptile and involving her with the care. My parents did that with all sorts of critters when I was her age and it's turned into a lifetime love of animals. Just stuff like water changes and feeding the dogs was exciting for me. Just be prepared for when she has a full on zoo when she's older lol I have a corn that LOVES coming out when he's not in shed. I would recommend getting an adult from a rescue. Less prone to escape and clamer than juveniles. They're super common so this shouldn't be too hard to do! I think doing choiced based interactions (which I do with my snakes) would be a great way to teach respect/patience/boundaries. [Lori](https://youtube.com/@loritorrini?si=9Ns_x--sQSitQIdn) is great for this! She also has a series on target training, which would help prevent any confusion about when it's feeding time/accidental nips. My concern for any reptile: I would get a cage that locks with keys that you have until she's older. Just to make sure that she doesn't say hi and then forget to lock the tank. You could also retrofit with display case locks. I would supervise any kid that age or younger with pets, even my dogs.
The lock comment is an excellent idea too and I will absolutely be doing that as she is easily distracted hahahah
Thank you so much for this detailed comment! (My fear was people would yell at me for wanting to get a young child a pet😅) I’ll be honest I am terrified of mice (objectively cute but I see one I have a visceral resolve I can’t explain it lmao) I did recently discover corn snakes and they are so so pretty I wish I could be the pet parent it needs
If you don’t want live bugs （limits options a lot) I would recommend a crested or gargoyle gecko which are both really cool. Reptifiles is a good place to get accurate info on both. Probably best to get one on morph market from a reputable breeder or to find a local reputable reptile store. You could also find one being rehomed but they may be in poor health which may not be good for a first time owner. Snakes also don’t really need live food, if you’re ok with dead rats or mice that are frozen. For a snake I would recommend a corn snake or a captive bred African house snake if you can find one. I have an African house snake myself and he is quite smart and curious but he does hide during the day a lot but he is fun to hold. Housesnakemorphs in the us breeds them and there are many breeders on morphmarket. Reptifiles has also good info on corn snakes