# Can you keep different types of lizards together



## reptilekidkane (Dec 11, 2009)

I was wondering I have a huge tank that used to hold a water dragon would like to get another is there another type eg iguana, basilisk etc that could live together.I have read this but wanted to make sure please comment.


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## Ophexis (Feb 19, 2010)

I have read somewhere that providing there is adequate space, and an extra vivarium if things don't go well, a Chinese Water Dragon and a basilisk can cohabit... But I personally wouldn't risk it.
Don't think there is anything else that can cohabit. Especially not with an iguana.


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## starfox (Nov 21, 2010)

In a word.. No.
I wouldn't risk it. Especially if you are new to the species or just reptiles in general. If you would like a few lizards, i would just get 2 CWD's (chinese water dragons) instead of mixing species


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## reptilekidkane (Dec 11, 2009)

Ophexis said:


> I have read somewhere that providing there is adequate space, and an extra vivarium if things don't go well, a Chinese Water Dragon and a basilisk can cohabit... But I personally wouldn't risk it.
> Don't think there is anything else that can cohabit. Especially not with an iguana.



Thanks got the reply I was only wondering cause in my local pet store they have an Aussie water dragon and iguana :gasp:


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## magick (Aug 18, 2009)

Generally no, most reptiles require different needs ie. Temps, humidity. I would say that even keeping 2 reptiles of the same species together is alot of hassle and hard work, watching out for fighting and dominance issues and even then you can never guarantee that they will get along, nevermind 2 different species together, why not just get 2 setups for 2 reps?


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## reptilekidkane (Dec 11, 2009)

starfox said:


> In a word.. No.
> I wouldn't risk it. Especially if you are new to the species or just reptiles in general. If you would like a few lizards, i would just get 2 CWD's (chinese water dragons) instead of mixing species



I have been keeping reptiles for 5 years now :lol2: I was just wondering really thanks for the reply


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## reptilekidkane (Dec 11, 2009)

magick said:


> Generally no, most reptiles require different needs ie. Temps, humidity. I would say that even keeping 2 reptiles of the same species together is alot of hassle and hard work, watching out for fighting and dominance issues and even then you can never guarantee that they will get along, nevermind 2 different species together, why not just get 2 setups for 2 reps?


Ye I was just wondering really thanks for the reply.


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## DavieB (Mar 15, 2011)

reptilekidkane said:


> Thanks got the reply I was only wondering cause in my local pet store they have an Aussie water dragon and iguana :gasp:


I've seen petshops keeping hatchlings together, but as soon as they grow they will split them


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## MP reptiles (Dec 30, 2010)

no...


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## Lex (Sep 11, 2008)

Co-habiting reptiles, or animal for that matter, is more than just matching geographies.

Even animals which live on the same tree in a forest may require very different environmental conditions, consider this.

At the base of this tree lives a lizard, it requires low temperatures but a high humidity and eats predominately crawling insects. At the top of the tree lives another lizard but this lizard requires high temperatures, low humidity, but will only eat flying insects and drink droplets of water sprayed onto leaves, because naturally thats the only place it finds it.

Now technically speaking these two animals come from the same country, the same region, heck even the same square metre on the map, geographically speaking they couldn't be any closer. But environmentally speaking? 

Well you see the problem, so the first hurdle is always knowing enough about your animals to begin with... In the case of these two lizards, keeping them together in anything smaller than the a tree would kill one or both of them... But this in itself proves a problem because frankly and truthfully, not that many people know nearly enough about these animals as they should. 

The second hurdle is this, when trying to cohabit these animals, even those with identical environmental set ups, you have a hundred other factors to consider; 
Does the behaviour of either animal conflict with that of any other? How territorial is the animal? Not just as a species, but as an indervidual?
 The need for multiple basking spots, will this cause problems creating a thermal gradient? Will this then further reduce the 'available' territorial space for each individual?
Is there to be a conflict for food, water, harbourage?
Diurnal? Nocturnal? Crespucular? Are animals likely to disturb each other when needing rest?
Space? usually putting two species together doesn't mean you can save space, it usually means you have to give up more than would be expected if you were to house the inderviduals seperately. (because in a single enclosure you are creating a physical barrier for the animals territory, by removing that divider the animal may percieve its territory then to range well into its neighbours enclosure, and visa versa)

This is just a fairly pedantic list of the first five things that sprung to mind, give it some thought and you will be able to think of at least ten more before the hour is out.

So, you see, it is possible... *But community set ups are no way, under any circumstance to be considered and easy method of keeping more animals without the need for additional caging and equipment.* they also aren't to be tried by people who are anything but intimately familiar about the reptiles behavior and husbandry or who don't have suitable back up housing if (and usually) when things go wrong.

There are mixes of reptiles and amphibian which have been shown to happily cohabit, but these have been established through years of refinement. BUT they are usually small species of animals housed in very large well planted vivariums.


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## UrolithicTitan (Sep 12, 2010)

overall mixing lizard species is not advised and can end in injury from one of the species in question, or even in extreme cases death.
However, two communal set-ups I do know work well are Standings day gecko and occelated velvet gecko, and Gold dust day gecko and African banded velvet geckos. Both of these communal set-ups exist without problem because during the day when the Day geckos are active the velvet geckos hide away and sleep. But during the night the day geckos go to sleep and the velvet geckos wake up and start to hunt. Both species also require almost exactly the same care.


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