# can a green iguana be housed with a tortoise ?



## snewchybewchy (Mar 23, 2010)

i use to volunteer at elmwood college farm in cupar fife and they had a brilliant green iguana called oscar and they had him with a sulcata tortoise and they have been living togethor for 6 years now. it seems to work with them the iguana sleeps ontop of the tortoises shell. can alot of iguana's live happely with tortoises or is this just a fluke. cheers


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

Apparantly they can (not sure what type in specific), I have read it a few times, I might have a browse through one of the books later on and just double check I read what I did.

Never tried it , but with most things if I wanted too, I would take into consideration both animals temperments, it is no good putting two defensive animals together, or one defensive and one laid back.

I don't fully understand how the UVB issue is thought about though, unless multiple UVB sources were placed around the quaters.
: victory:


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## snewchybewchy (Mar 23, 2010)

Salazare Slytherin said:


> Apparantly they can (not sure what type in specific), I have read it a few times, I might have a browse through one of the books later on and make a comment.
> 
> Never tried it , but with most things if I wanted too, I would take into consideration both animals temperments, it is no good putting two defensive animals together, or one defensive and one laid back.
> 
> ...


 
i imagine if the iguana and tortoise had been togethor since babys it would work but two new adults togethor probably wont ive fot about it alot recently. i use to keep tortoises and the lights and temps are not all that different.


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

snewchybewchy said:


> i imagine if the iguana and tortoise had been togethor since babys it would work but two new adults togethor probably wont ive fot about it alot recently. i use to keep tortoises and the lights and temps are not all that different.


 
I know what you mean, I know the lighting is similar, but an iguana spends alot of time high in the trees, a tortoise spends alot of time below on the ground, if an iguana is kept in the right height enclosure, I can't see how the UVB can travel and penetrate deeper into the enclosure where the tortoise would be?

That is what I meant, even the highest percentage tubes would never be able to accomplish it, perhaps with a reflector but even then?
I assume multiple sources would need to be placed, as said I haven't tried it so I have no idea, I would be interested though if anyone has any info.


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## snewchybewchy (Mar 23, 2010)

Salazare Slytherin said:


> I know what you mean, I know the lighting is similar, but an iguana spends alot of time high in the trees, a tortoise spends alot of time below on the ground, if an iguana is kept in the right height enclosure, I can't see how the UVB can travel and penetrate deeper into the enclosure where the tortoise would be?
> 
> That is what I meant, even the highest percentage tubes would never be able to accomplish it, perhaps with a reflector but even then?
> I assume multiple sources would need to be placed, as said I haven't tried it so I have no idea, I would be interested though if anyone has any info.


 
well if you had a 10ft by 8ft by 6ft shed and had a uvb light at the top and had another half way down at the side it would probably work.


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## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

At one of the rep shops near me they have an adult green Iguana in with two tortoises. Don't ask me for the species name though I wouldn't have a clue.


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## snewchybewchy (Mar 23, 2010)

Morgan Freeman said:


> At one of the rep shops near me they have an adult green Iguana in with two tortoises. Don't ask me for the species name though I wouldn't have a clue.


 
huh this seems to happen more then i fot then. but i wouldnt trust alot of rep shops to take proper care of most species alot of the time they act like they know it all and most of the time they dont


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

snewchybewchy said:


> well if you had a 10ft by 8ft by 6ft shed and had a uvb light at the top and had another half way down at the side it would probably work.


Probibly


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## snewchybewchy (Mar 23, 2010)

Salazare Slytherin said:


> Probibly


 
ive given this alot of fot the iguana has plenty room to get away from the tortoise if they have a tiff with each other. i mite consider putting this plan into action. but i never make a decision lightly


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## Morgan Freeman (Jan 14, 2009)

snewchybewchy said:


> huh this seems to happen more then i fot then. but i wouldnt trust alot of rep shops to take proper care of most species alot of the time they act like they know it all and most of the time they dont


Well yeah there is that.


I'd be mainly concerned about the torts having a nip at the Iggy than the other way around, but I don't keep either so not sure how much credit you should give to my opinion.


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## UrolithicTitan (Sep 12, 2010)

Yes it is possible to keep green Iguanas in a communal set-up with *Red footed Tortoises*. However, keeping a Sulcata Tortoise with a green iguana is a bad idea. green Iguanas being a tropical rainforest species require a relatively high humidity. But on the other hand Sulcata's are a desert savannah species meaning they require lower than usual room humidity levels. But the main reason that green Iguana and Red footed Tortoises work so well together is because the diets are almost identical (the only difference is the fact that red foots require a small amount of protein in their diet) and both species also require an above average humidity level.


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

UrolithicTitan said:


> Yes it is possible to keep green Iguanas in a communal set-up with *Red footed Tortoises*. However, keeping a Sulcata Tortoise with a green iguana is a bad idea. green Iguanas being a tropical rainforest species require a relatively high humidity. But on the other hand Sulcata's are a desert savannah species meaning they require lower than usual room humidity levels. But the main reason that green Iguana and Red footed Tortoises work so well together is because the diets are almost identical (the only difference is the fact that red foots require a small amount of protein in their diet) and both species also require an above average humidity level.


 
Cool that is interesting.


I don't keep tortoises, never have, I have worked with a few but I wouldnt even class it as any type of hands on worth mentioning.

But I do know iggys are very oppurtunistic also, I assume the same with tortoises from some rescue stories I read, and keeping them in captivity (even in the largest setups) can cause them to act in un-natural ways, often when put with other iggys (which does not always work well) can cause them to injest things that they might otherwise leave alone.

An iggy doesn't need to be planning dinner to cause some damage either lol.

Something to consider perhaps, it isn't dismissing it completely, but it would be a good idea, to get a good understanding of both animals involved before considering co-habitation of any kind.

I bet it would look ace, but I doubt Albus would take kindly to a tortoise being put in with him, he does not like the water dragons either, and has attacked the bedroom mirror of his own reflection.


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## snewchybewchy (Mar 23, 2010)

Salazare Slytherin said:


> Cool that is interesting.
> 
> 
> I don't keep tortoises, never have, I have worked with a few but I wouldnt even class it as any type of hands on worth mentioning.
> ...


 
ive seen videos on youtube of iggys attacking the mirror it is so funny one iggy actually destroyed the mirror


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

snewchybewchy said:


> ive seen videos on youtube of iggys attacking the mirror it is so funny one iggy actually destroyed the mirror


 
Yeah I think I seen that one lmao.
If its the one I am thinking of, I commented on it too lmao.


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