For thermometers - both are good types but they measure different things. The IR kind (point and shoot) tells you the surface temperature and is excellent for understanding your basking spot. The digital probe thermometer is usually a little cheaper and tells you the air temperature around the probe. This is good for checking the gradient throughout the cage - especially if it has a min/max feature. I use both kinds.

Using the same hide doesn't necessarily mean they're ok together. It might just mean it's the only warm spot and she wants the warmth more than she wants to be away from him. Getting along sometimes just means that no one has seen them actively fighting. Uros that live together peacefully for years can sometimes turn on each other for no reason that we can see (there IS a reason, we just might never know what it is). There can be intimidation happening that we don't generally notice until it escalates. Since you know she's being bitten and she's not coming out as much as the male, it sounds like she would definitely do better in her own enclosure. Even if it's mating attempts and isn't territorial aggression, he's certainly hassling her enough to stress her greatly. If she's in her own cage, she'll likely be more active and eat more (and you'll be able to keep track of food intake) which equals better hydration and health and her skin issues might well solve themselves.

It's expensive and a pain in the butt, but separating them sounds like the best course of action to me.
-----
Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1.3 Saharan Uros (Joe, Arthur, Hitch, Lefty, and Skywalker)
3.0 Mali Uros (Spike, Turtle, and Tank)
1.1 Ornate Uros (Scuttlebutt and Shazzbot)
1.3 Collared Lizards (Ripcord, Thiamine, Riboflavin, and Niacin)
2.0 Green Anoles (Bowser and Sprocket)
1.1 Chubby Housecats (Roscolux and Jenny)

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Show Entire Thread ]