Good first critter

Question
QUESTION: I work in a small office.  Our office pet fish recently died.  My coworkers are interested in something else, besides a fish.

So, is there a reptile or amphibian which would make a good office pet?  Something where poop removal is not too much of an issue?  We in the US get some long weekends, like 4 days in a row... so some critter which could go 4 days without food and not have it be an issue.

Snakes and spiders have been eliminated due to fear of some of the coworkers.  So, we are interested in frogs, turtles, tortises, lizards, and salamanders.

Thanks

Rick

ANSWER: Hi Rick, I have a couple questions for you that will help narrow down the available choices. What size tank do you have, or if you are willing to upgrade in size, up to what size approximately? You really do need at least a 10 gallon minimum to house some type of reptile or amphibian. Are your co-workers aware that frogs and most lizards are insectivorous and require live insects? Most pet stores sell feeder crickets  so availability is not a problem but crickets do chirp and there is always the possibility of crickets escaping. Also there is the "ick" factor for many people when it comes to bugs. Will your co-workers want to be able to handle the pet at all? A few reptiles (and even fewer frogs) tolerate some handling but most are better thought of as display animals only.  

Tortoises get far too large and even the smaller aquatic turtle species require a 30 to 40 gallon tank and maintenance such as filter cleaning and water changing that I can't imagine carrying out in an office situation. Salamanders stay hidden virtually all the time.

I do have a few suggestions for you if you can let me know the parameters.


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the reply.  Good questions, to which I will reply...

We have free access to a 10 gallon tank and a 30 gallon tank.  I would prefer the 10 gallon, in that I can't imagine where we would put the 30 gallon.

Concerning the live insects, those who volunteered to feed do not have an issue.  However, I am putting a "pro/con" before we buy anything, so that will be made very clear to the coworkers.  In fact, the "ick" factor (as you call it<G>) may ultimately be the deciding factor toward getting another fish (betta)!

As far as handling, everyone here is cool with the "display tank" idea.  In fact, that is preferred.

So, I do believe this answers all of your questions.  I'm not sure if I mentioned it, but snakes are off the list of options because of coworkers' fears.

I've been doing some light reading so far on the web... no one mentions poop management.  So, a followup question concerning the sugestions you are thinking of... how do you deal with the poop?

Thanks

Rick
Illinois

Answer
Hi Rick, Best fair to let you and your co-workers know that reptiles tend to be much more shy and cryptic then those little in-your-face, peacocks of the fish world.......male betta fish. We are definitely talking about much less "display" in any reptile display tank compared to that of a betta!
With that said these are a few of the species that would be suitable for your tank. The cheapest and most readily available would be green anoles (Anolis carolinensis), they are actually native to the south eastern U.S. You could house at most a sexual pair or a single of either sex. Reptiles are fine kept singly and two males will fight. Anoles are arboreal and diurnal (active during the day) and would require a planted terrarium with climbing surfaces. Brown anoles (Anolis sagrei) are another option, also readily available. They can also be seen in the same native range as green anoles but are an introduced species.
A single long tailed grass lizard, (an Asian species, Takydromus genus)  would also be fine and would require the same planted set-up as the anoles.
Your tank could also house one or a sexual pair of some of the smaller species of Day geckos (Phelsuma genus). The Ornate, Gold Dust or Peacock Day gecko species are three suggestions. These would be somewhat  more expensive and less widely available  then the anoles and grass lizards. All of these are diurnal and arboreal so accidental escape is far more of a possibility, just in case that is a determining factor. None are suitable for handling.

The next few suggestions are for ground dwelling, primarily nocturnal animals. They will tolerate some handling but again will seem very low-key and droll (dare I say boring) compared to your previous office pet.
Leopard geckos and African fat tail geckos are widely available in the pet trade, particularly leopards. They are both attractive, personable and quite charming. You could house a single one of either species in your tank. They will wake up and feed during the day if crickets are put in  but are primarily active at night. A third small species  of ground dwelling gecko that would be suitable is the Ocelot or Panther gecko (Paroedura pictus) although they are less frequently  available.

A White's treefrog (also called Dumpy tree frogs) would be my amphibian suggestion. They get about 3 to 4 inches in length but are not very active (and often not very arboreal either!). They are unusually calm and tolerate some handling (with washed hands). Also a very personable and charming species.

Once you narrow down your choice we can go over specific care requirements. All of these suggested species will require a heat source, either a light or heat pad as well as some calcium/ vitamin supplements in their diet.