I spent the past year researching Leopard geckos but I don't want on now D:<
I want a Gecko but any other small lizard is fine

I want it to:
be relatively small like less than a foot
not live too long, a little longer than 5 years is good but i might make exceptions(maaaaybe 10)
live in a medium tank, preferably 15 but I'll go to 30 Gallons
I want to handle it and its ok if the tail is sensitive

and also I've never owned a reptile before but I know the basics for most lizards

Any suggestions?

Go with a crested gecko! They are super sweet and love to be held! They fit in a 20gal high and love to climb! They stay pretty small and don't cost much for care! In fact, they don't even eat crickets as their main diet they eat a prepared meal from the pet store! Crickets for them are only for a treat! Go for a crested!

I really want a crested and have been researching them for 2 days!!!

Why do you not want a leopard gecko? They make great pets.

Other good starter reptiles are crested geckos, gargoyle geckos, crocodile geckos, Tokay geckos, African fat tailed geckos, and bearded dragons. Out of your "I want it to" the bearded dragon doesn't match because of the tank needed, and the size. The others will live longer then 5 years with proper care.

I have 3 leopard geckos
Research

Get a crested gecko or a leopard gecko i have a leopard gecko and it is not that hard to care for. I have had it for 2 months and it is fine. i don't know much about crested geckos but i have seen some and they look cool and i wish i had one. Leopard gecko is your best choice! But if you want a lizard that lives for four years get an green anlone they look fun.
You can pick from:
.Leopard gecko
.Crested gecko
.Green anlone
.Or even a Bearded dragon exept they get 2 feet long!!!!
.Or if you like chamelons you can get a pigmey chamelon. they only grow to about 2 inches!!i really want one!!!

Leopard gecko owner for 2 months!! And my brain.

I'm sure you've heard this a million times but pick a Bearded Dragon! pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
They have AMAZING personality and love being held!
They don't get too long but a nice size.
I'm not SURE how long they live but I believe it's 7-9 years.
They would be comfortable in about a 20 gallon long tank and eat very well.

Bearded Dragon Owner.

I had a Tokay Gecko for 13 years! This may not fit exactly what you want but he was such an interesting pet I thought I'd mention it anyway. Options open..?

It was awesome but definitely not as friendly a pet and might live a bit too long for you. I didn't handle him much. This one didn't like it. I'm not sure if I had handled him from a baby if he would have been okay with it.

I fed it mealworms, grasshoppers, katydids, moths and any other big insect I could find. During the summer, he loved eating Sphinx moths. He would leap at them and catch them in mid air! Radical!

I didn’t fed it crickets because they would chirp all night and the lizard’s cage was in my room. I couldn’t sleep with that racket going on. I made the cage for it rather than buy one. I used ? and ? inch plywood, some mesh for air holes and a Plexiglas sheet. Made it 4 foot tall and put some plants and dead branches in there. It was easy to build and a good project. The lizard loved it. In fact, I once tried to move him to an aquarium cage and he stopped eating so I moved him back. pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com

Great pet. He barked when he felt threatened and sometimes at night probably calling for a mate. It was total hell to catch him if he got out because he could climb the walls with his suction feet. Many of friends laughed their asses off when I showed the lizard to them and he escaped. But it was exciting too. He was sturdy and had a strong bite too. I handled him with gloves when I did handle him which was rare. He was an awesome conversation piece and he amazed everyone. He is the longest scaly pet I’ve owned except for a salt water clown fish that lasted 7 years.

He was also excellent at scaring the crap out of my sister, which kept her out of my room too. Bonus!

Best thing to know about lizards is make sure they have water and enough warmth. I had a drip system set up so water fell on plant leaves and into a tray at the cage bottom. Change the water often so it is clean. Or you can just spray the glass and plants surfaces so they can collect the water off the surfaces. I used a light for warmth and plant growth and that worked for this Tokay gecko.