January 18, 2024 · Matt J

Top 100 pet reptiles and amphibians by experience level

Quick answer: The best pet reptiles and amphibians for a first-time keeper are leopard geckos, crested geckos, corn snakes, ball pythons, bearded dragons, Russian tortoises, dyeing dart frogs and White's tree frogs. As you gain experience you can move on to day geckos, chameleons and thumbnail dart frogs, then to monitors, tegus and leaf-tailed geckos. The giant constrictors, crocodilians and CITES Appendix I species at the top end are for very few keepers, and many are restricted by Canadian municipal bylaws. The full list of 100 is below, sorted by level.

How this list works

This is a practical ranking, not a popularity contest. Every animal here is a real species that is kept and bred in captivity. Each one is placed in the level used by our species database, and every name links to its full care sheet with temperatures, enclosure sizes and diet.

The levels describe how forgiving an animal is and how much space, equipment and knowledge it needs over its whole life. They do not describe how "cool" it is.

Beginner: hardy, widely captive-bred, tolerant of small mistakes, and housed with standard equipment. A first animal for a careful keeper who has done some reading.
Intermediate: needs tighter control of humidity, UVB or temperature, more space, live food cultures, or has a defensive temperament. Best after you have kept a beginner species well for a year or two.
Advanced: large adult size, specialist diets, custom enclosures, fragile health or demanding breeding. Mistakes are costly.
Expert: giant, dangerous, venomous, extremely sensitive or legally restricted animals. Many need permits, and some are not realistically available to private keepers at all.

Price ranges for each species are on the individual care sheets. For the most costly animals and morphs, see our separate guide to the most expensive reptiles and amphibians.

Before you choose: three Canadian realities

Winter heating

Canadian homes get cold and dry in winter. Tropical frogs, chameleons and humid-loving snakes need reliable heat sources with thermostats, and many keepers struggle to hold humidity from November to March. Desert species are easier in that respect, but they still need strong basking heat. Our guide to keeping a bioactive terrarium healthy through a Canadian winter covers what to plan for.

Bylaws and permits

Many Canadian municipalities restrict venomous reptiles, crocodilians, large monitors and giant constrictors, often by species or by adult length. Rules vary from city to city and change over time, so check your local bylaw before you buy, not after. CITES-listed species also need proper paperwork to cross borders.

Never collect native wildlife

Several commonly kept species, such as gray tree frogs, garter snakes and painted turtles, also live wild in Canada. Taking them from the wild is illegal in most provinces and harms local populations. Every animal recommended here should be captive-bred, and nothing kept in captivity should ever be released.

Beginner reptiles and amphibians (1–30)

These are the animals we would point a first-time keeper towards. "Beginner" does not mean "no effort": every one still needs correct heat, light, diet and a properly sized enclosure. It means the animal gives you some margin for learning.

#	Species	Scientific name	Why it is here
1	Leopard gecko	Eublepharis macularius	The classic first reptile: small, calm, eats insects and does well in a 120 x 60 cm arid or semi-arid build.
2	Crested gecko	Correlophus ciliatus	Room-temperature tolerant, eats a complete powdered diet, and thrives in a planted vertical vivarium.
3	Gargoyle gecko	Rhacodactylus auriculatus	Close cousin of the crested gecko with the same easy diet; slightly more nippy with cage-mates.
4	African fat-tailed gecko	Hemitheconyx caudicinctus	A humid-hide-loving relative of the leopard gecko; slow, gentle and very forgiving.
5	Pictus gecko	Paroedura picta	Tiny, quick and fun to watch; keep singly or in pairs in a small semi-arid setup.
6	Mourning gecko	Lepidodactylus lugubris	All-female, self-cloning colony gecko for a tall tropical vivarium. Plan for numbers to grow.
7	Bearded dragon	Pogona vitticeps	Outgoing and handleable, but needs strong UVB, a hot basking spot and a large 120 x 60 cm minimum enclosure.
8	Rankin's dragon	Pogona henrylawsoni	A smaller, calmer alternative to the bearded dragon with the same arid care.
9	Northern blue-tongued skink	Tiliqua scincoides intermedia	Sturdy, omnivorous and tolerant of handling; needs floor space more than height.
10	Schneider's skink	Eumeces schneideri	Gold-and-orange burrowing skink that enjoys deep, diggable soil.
11	Long-tailed grass lizard	Takydromus sexlineatus	Small, active and inexpensive; best watched rather than handled in a planted tank.
12	Green anole	Anolis carolinensis	Cheap and colourful but skittish. A good "watching" lizard for a humid planted build with UVB.
13	Ball python	Python regius	Docile and modest in size; the main challenge is humidity and occasional fasting.
14	Corn snake	Pantherophis guttatus	Probably the easiest pet snake: hardy, a reliable feeder and active during the evening.
15	California kingsnake	Lampropeltis californiae	Bold, hardy and a strong feeder. House alone, since kingsnakes eat other snakes.
16	Honduran milk snake	Lampropeltis abnorma	Striking red, black and yellow banding; nervous as a baby but calms with age.
17	Kenyan sand boa	Eryx colubrinus	Small burrower that spends most of its time under loose substrate. Very low maintenance.
18	Rosy boa	Lichanura trivirgata	Slow, gentle and compact; ideal for an arid build with rocky hides.
19	Western hognose snake	Heterodon nasicus	Upturned snout and big personality in a small package. Mildly venomous to prey, not a risk to people with normal handling.
20	Children's python	Antaresia childreni	A small Australian python that stays under a metre and is easy to house.
21	Russian tortoise	Testudo horsfieldii	The most practical small tortoise for Canadian homes; needs a tortoise table indoors and loves summer time outside.
22	Hermann's tortoise	Testudo hermanni	Small Mediterranean tortoise with similar care to the Russian; graze-friendly plants are a bonus.
23	Common musk turtle	Sternotherus odoratus	A small aquatic turtle that suits a modest tank far better than a slider does.
24	Dyeing dart frog	Dendrobates tinctorius	Bold, visible and forgiving; the best introduction to dart frogs and fully bioactive vivariums.
25	Bumblebee dart frog	Dendrobates leucomelas	Yellow-and-black, loud calling and tolerant of slightly warmer rooms than most darts.
26	Golden poison frog	Phyllobates terribilis	Large, confident dart frog. Captive-bred animals are not toxic because toxicity comes from wild diet.
27	White's tree frog	Ranoides caerulea	Placid, long-lived and chunky; tolerates beginner mistakes better than most frogs.
28	Pacman frog	Ceratophrys cranwelli	Sit-and-wait frog for a small, humid tank; feed carefully to avoid obesity.
29	Fire-bellied toad	Bombina orientalis	Semi-aquatic and active in daylight; a shallow water area and land area is all it needs.
30	Axolotl	Ambystoma mexicanum	A fully aquatic salamander that needs cool water (below about 20 °C), which suits most Canadian homes.

Many beginner species do very well in a bioactive enclosure. Step-by-step builds are available for the leopard gecko, the crested gecko and the ball python. For more detail on the very easiest choices, read our guides to the easiest reptiles for beginners and the easiest pet frogs.

Notes on the beginner picks

Geckos lead the list for a reason. Leopard, crested and gargoyle geckos stay small, are bred in huge numbers in Canada, and need modest enclosures. Crested and gargoyle geckos tolerate normal room temperatures, which makes winter much easier.

Bearded dragons are easy in temperament, not in setup. They need a large enclosure, a basking area of roughly 40 °C or more for adults, and a strong linear UVB tube. Budget for the setup before the animal.

Dart frogs are beginner-friendly if you can culture food. Dyeing, bumblebee and golden poison frogs are bold and visible, but you will need fruit fly cultures and springtails. They are the reason many people start with bioactive in the first place; see the benefits of a bioactive terrarium for dart frogs.

Turtles are the hidden commitment. Russian and Hermann's tortoises are the easiest chelonians, but they live 40 years or more. Red-eared sliders were left off this list on purpose: they are cheap and hardy but need very large aquariums, and released sliders are an invasive problem in Canada. The best pet turtles and tortoises guide compares the options.

Intermediate reptiles and amphibians (31–60)

Intermediate animals are usually the second or third species a keeper takes on. They are not dangerous, but they punish sloppy husbandry. Expect to need better lighting, more consistent humidity, larger enclosures or live insect cultures.

#	Species	Scientific name	Why it is here
31	Leachianus gecko	Rhacodactylus leachianus	The largest gecko in the hobby. Easy diet, but needs a big, tall enclosure and costs more.
32	Chahoua gecko	Mniarogekko chahoua	Mossy-looking New Caledonian gecko. Slow to mature and happiest in a heavily planted vivarium.
33	Giant day gecko	Phelsuma grandis	Brilliant green and active in daylight; needs UVB and is fragile-skinned, so handle as little as possible.
34	Gold dust day gecko	Phelsuma laticauda	A smaller day gecko suited to a planted vertical build with bright light.
35	Tokay gecko	Gekko gecko	Hardy and beautiful but famously defensive. Great display animal for keepers who do not need to handle.
36	Frog-eyed gecko	Teratoscincus scincus	Desert gecko with huge eyes and delicate skin; needs deep sand and very careful handling.
37	Chinese cave gecko	Goniurosaurus luii	Cool-loving, nocturnal ground gecko for a humid, rocky build. Overheating is the main risk.
38	Mali uromastyx	Uromastyx dispar maliensis	Herbivorous desert lizard that needs very high basking temperatures and strong UVB.
39	Indonesian blue-tongued skink	Tiliqua gigas	Larger and often more defensive than the northern blue-tongue, with higher humidity needs.
40	Red-eyed crocodile skink	Tribolonotus gracilis	Shy, humid-loving skink for a densely planted build with plenty of cover.
41	Ackie monitor	Varanus acanthurus	A small monitor that still needs a large, hot, deep-substrate enclosure and lots of food.
42	Chinese water dragon	Physignathus cocincinus	Needs much more space and humidity than most people expect; adults want a tall, roughly 180 cm enclosure.
43	Veiled chameleon	Chamaeleo calyptratus	The hardiest chameleon, but still needs good ventilation, UVB, live plants and a drip or mister.
44	Panther chameleon	Furcifer pardalis	Spectacular colours. Needs the same careful husbandry as a veiled with even more attention to hydration.
45	Jackson's chameleon	Trioceros jacksonii	Horned montane chameleon that needs cooler temperatures; summer heat waves are the risk.
46	Jungle carpet python	Morelia spilota cheynei	Active and striking. Babies can be nippy; adults need a tall enclosure with climbing branches.
47	Brazilian rainbow boa	Epicrates cenchria	Iridescent and calm as an adult, but very sensitive to low humidity.
48	Colombian red-tailed boa	Boa imperator	A big, powerful snake (often 1.8 to 2.4 m). Manageable temperament, serious space commitment.
49	Blood python	Python brongersmai	Heavy-bodied, humid-loving python. Temperament varies, so buy captive-bred from a known breeder.
50	Dumeril's boa	Acrantophis dumerili	Calm Madagascan ground boa; slow-growing and long-lived.
51	Gray-banded kingsnake	Lampropeltis alterna	Beautiful and variable, but hatchlings can be stubborn feeders.
52	Red-footed tortoise	Chelonoidis carbonarius	A tropical tortoise that needs warmth and humidity year-round; plan a large indoor enclosure.
53	Marginated tortoise	Testudo marginata	The largest Testudo; needs more space than the Russian or Hermann's tortoise.
54	Three-toed box turtle	Terrapene triunguis	Mostly terrestrial and humid-loving. Long-lived and sensitive to dry conditions.
55	Mimic poison frog	Ranitomeya imitator	Small, shy thumbnail dart frog with fascinating parental care; needs fruit flies and springtails.
56	Golden mantella	Mantella aurantiaca	Bright orange Madagascan frog that needs cooler temperatures than dart frogs.
57	Vietnamese mossy frog	Theloderma corticale	Camouflaged, semi-aquatic frog that likes deep water areas and lots of cover.
58	Waxy monkey frog	Phyllomedusa sauvagii	Walks rather than hops, and needs warmer, drier and better-ventilated conditions than most tree frogs.
59	African bullfrog	Pyxicephalus adspersus	Huge, long-lived and powerful. Simple setup but a big bite and a big appetite.
60	Fire salamander	Salamandra salamandra	Cool-loving terrestrial salamander. Only buy Canadian captive-bred animals because of salamander import rules.

Notes on the intermediate picks

Day geckos and chameleons need light. Both need strong UVB and bright, full-spectrum lighting to stay healthy and show their colours, along with live plants that can handle the same light. Our guide to terrarium lighting for plants explains how to balance the two.

Big snakes start here. A Colombian boa or carpet python is calm enough for a confident keeper, but an adult needs an enclosure around 180 cm long or more. That is often the real limit in a Canadian apartment.

Thumbnail dart frogs are the next step. Mimic poison frogs are small, shy and need tiny food items, but reward you with remarkable parental behaviour in a mature vivarium. A well-built dart frog vivarium with cork bark is the ideal home.

Salamanders and import rules. Since 2017, importing live salamanders into Canada has required a permit because of the risk from the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans. Buy salamanders and newts only from Canadian captive breeders.

Advanced reptiles and amphibians (61–81)

Advanced species usually combine at least two difficult factors: large adult size, extreme temperature needs, specialist diets, nervous temperaments or delicate health. Many are wonderful animals in the right hands and a welfare problem in the wrong ones.

#	Species	Scientific name	Why it is here
61	Satanic leaf-tailed gecko	Uroplatus phantasticus	Tiny, perfectly camouflaged and delicate. Needs cool temperatures and a densely planted vivarium.
62	Giant leaf-tailed gecko	Uroplatus fimbriatus	A large Uroplatus that needs height, humidity and stable cool-to-moderate temperatures.
63	Prehensile-tailed skink	Corucia zebrata	Arboreal, herbivorous and social in family groups; needs a very tall, sturdy enclosure.
64	Argentine black and white tegu	Salvator merianae	Intelligent and can be tame, but adults need a room-sized enclosure and serious handling experience.
65	Savannah monitor	Varanus exanthematicus	Often sold cheaply as a beginner lizard. It is not: it needs a huge, hot enclosure with deep soil.
66	Green iguana	Iguana iguana	Cheap as a hatchling and enormous as an adult. Needs a custom enclosure and a strict plant diet.
67	Cat gecko	Aeluroscalabotes felinus	Secretive, humid-loving and sensitive to heat and stress; best for experienced gecko keepers.
68	Egyptian uromastyx	Uromastyx aegyptia	The giant of the uromastyx group, with extreme heat and space requirements.
69	Australian water dragon	Intellagama lesueurii	A large, semi-aquatic agamid that needs a big water feature and plenty of height.
70	Meller's chameleon	Trioceros melleri	The largest mainland African chameleon; needs a very large, well-ventilated enclosure.
71	Argus monitor	Varanus panoptes	Very active and food-driven. Adults need custom enclosures and confident handling.
72	Green tree python	Morelia viridis	Stunning but nervous; needs exact humidity and perches at the right height.
73	Emerald tree boa	Corallus caninus	Demanding humidity, a defensive bite and a high price make this an experienced-keeper snake.
74	Amazon tree boa	Corallus hortulana	Long-lived, variable and often defensive; needs a tall, humid enclosure.
75	Mandarin rat snake	Euprepiophis mandarinus	Beautiful but reluctant to feed and cool-loving; easily stressed in warm rooms.
76	Black-headed python	Aspidites melanocephalus	Australian python that needs a deep burrowing substrate and a strong thermal gradient.
77	Sulcata tortoise	Centrochelys sulcata	Tiny hatchling, 40 to 70 kg adult. Outgrows indoor setups and is very hard to keep through a Canadian winter.
78	Leopard tortoise	Stigmochelys pardalis	Large grazing tortoise that needs big indoor space in winter and a secure yard in summer.
79	Strawberry poison frog	Oophaga pumilio	Obligate egg-feeders: females feed tadpoles unfertilized eggs, so breeding takes patience.
80	Fantastic poison frog	Ranitomeya fantastica	Small Ranitomeya with high humidity needs and a preference for well-planted, cooler builds.
81	Surinam toad	Pipa pipa	Fully aquatic, flat and strange. Needs a large, very clean aquarium and live foods.

Notes on the advanced picks

Watch out for "cheap" big lizards. Savannah monitors, green iguanas and sulcata tortoises are often sold as inexpensive hatchlings. Their adult enclosures, food bills and lifespans are what make them advanced. Plan for the adult animal, not the baby in the shop.

Leaf-tailed geckos are cool-climate animals. Most Uroplatus do best in the low to mid 20s °C with high humidity and dense planting. Summer heat waves are a bigger risk than winter for these geckos, so an air-conditioned room helps.

Egg-feeding dart frogs need patience. Strawberry poison frogs raise tadpoles on unfertilized eggs, which means you cannot easily hand-rear the young. They need a mature, stable vivarium with plenty of bromeliads.

Expert reptiles and amphibians (82–100)

These animals are on the list because they are real, they are kept by specialists, and people ask about them. That does not make them suitable pets. Several are CITES Appendix I species, several are venomous or dangerous, and several are banned outright in many Canadian municipalities. We have deliberately left out the dangerously venomous snakes such as cobras and vipers.

#	Species	Scientific name	Why it is here
82	Parson's chameleon	Calumma parsonii	Huge, slow-growing and expensive. Needs cool nights, very large enclosures and long-term planning.
83	Chinese crocodile lizard	Shinisaurus crocodilurus	CITES Appendix I, cool-loving and semi-aquatic. Only captive-bred animals with paperwork should be considered.
84	Gila monster	Heloderma suspectum	Venomous. Often restricted by municipal bylaws and only for keepers with venomous experience and permits where needed.
85	Green tree monitor	Varanus prasinus	Arboreal, shy and very active; needs a tall, humid custom enclosure and lots of insects.
86	Crocodile monitor	Varanus salvadorii	One of the longest lizards, with a strong bite and huge space needs. Only for the most experienced keepers.
87	Rhinoceros iguana	Cyclura cornuta	CITES Appendix I. Large, powerful and needs a room-sized enclosure; rarely available legally.
88	Philippine sailfin dragon	Hydrosaurus pustulatus	Big, flighty, semi-aquatic lizard that needs a large pool and a tall enclosure.
89	Sungazer	Smaug giganteus	Rarely available legally and very slow to reproduce; needs extreme heat and deep burrowing substrate.
90	Mexican alligator lizard	Abronia graminea	Abronia: cool-loving, arboreal and expensive. Overheating is quickly fatal.
91	Burmese python	Python bivittatus	A giant constrictor (often over 4 m). Restricted or banned in many Canadian municipalities.
92	Reticulated python	Malayopython reticulatus	The longest snake species (Malayopython reticulatus). Needs a dedicated room and is restricted in many cities.
93	Green anaconda	Eunectes murinus	Very heavy, semi-aquatic giant snake; widely restricted and unsuitable for almost all homes.
94	Radiated tortoise	Astrochelys radiata	CITES Appendix I. Captive-bred animals exist but require paperwork and a large, warm indoor setup.
95	Aldabra giant tortoise	Aldabrachelys gigantea	Can exceed 200 kg and live a century. A lifetime and property commitment, not a pet purchase.
96	Mata mata	Chelus fimbriata	Fully aquatic, soft-water, live-fish-eating turtle; water quality must be excellent.
97	Alligator snapping turtle	Macrochelys temminckii	Grows very large with a dangerous bite; restricted in many places.
98	Harlequin poison frog	Oophaga histrionica	Oophaga histrionica: egg-feeder, expensive and sensitive. Only for experienced dart frog keepers.
99	Lehmann's poison frog	Oophaga lehmanni	Rare, slow-breeding egg-feeding dart frog with demanding care.
100	Cuvier's dwarf caiman	Paleosuchus palpebrosus	A crocodilian. Needs a large heated pool, a secure facility and permits; banned in many municipalities.

Notes on the expert picks

Giant constrictors. Burmese and reticulated pythons and anacondas regularly exceed 4 m. Many Canadian cities ban or restrict snakes over a certain length or any snake in these groups, and responsible keeping needs a dedicated room and at least two people for handling.

CITES Appendix I. Species such as the radiated tortoise, rhinoceros iguana and Chinese crocodile lizard are Appendix I. Captive-bred animals may be traded only with the right documentation, so in practice they are rarely available. Never buy one without paperwork you can verify.

Venomous and crocodilian species. Gila monsters and dwarf caimans are kept by a small number of professionals and licensed keepers. Check municipal and provincial rules first; they are prohibited in many places.

Which level are you really at?

Be honest with yourself before you choose. A useful test: have you kept a beginner species healthy for at least a year, through a winter, including at least one problem you solved yourself (a shed issue, a feeding strike, a humidity crash)? If so, an intermediate species is a reasonable next step. Move to advanced animals only once you can provide the adult enclosure on day one.

The enclosure itself is the other half of the decision. If you want a living, self-cleaning setup for your new animal, start with our complete bioactive terrarium setup guide, then use the bioactive build planner to work out layers and quantities for your enclosure size. Tropical species do well on Jurassic ABG Terrarium Mix, while desert and dry-forest species suit the Jurassic ABG Semi-Arid Blend. You can also browse our full range of bioactive soil mixes.

FAQ

What is the easiest reptile for a complete beginner?

For most people it is a leopard gecko or a corn snake. Both are hardy, widely captive-bred in Canada, eat readily and fit in a standard 120 cm enclosure. Crested geckos are an excellent choice if you would rather avoid live insects, because they eat a complete powdered diet.

What is the easiest amphibian to keep?

White's tree frogs, pacman frogs and fire-bellied toads are the most forgiving amphibians. If you want a bioactive display, the dyeing dart frog is the best starting point, provided you are willing to culture fruit flies and springtails.

Are poison dart frogs actually poisonous as pets?

No. Wild dart frogs get their toxins from the ants and mites they eat. Captive-bred frogs fed fruit flies and springtails do not develop meaningful toxicity, though you should still wash your hands after any contact with amphibians.

Can I keep a large snake or monitor in a Canadian city?

It depends entirely on your municipality. Many Canadian cities restrict giant constrictors, large monitors, crocodilians and venomous species, sometimes by species and sometimes by adult length. Always check your local bylaw before buying.

Can I catch a wild frog or snake instead of buying one?

No. Collecting native reptiles and amphibians is illegal in most of Canada and harms wild populations, and wild animals often carry parasites. Buy captive-bred animals from a reputable breeder, and never release a pet outdoors.

Do these animals all suit a bioactive enclosure?

Most terrestrial and arboreal species on the list do very well in bioactive setups, especially geckos, dart frogs, skinks and small snakes. Fully aquatic animals such as axolotls and mata matas are kept in aquariums instead, and very large animals often need simpler, sturdier setups.