Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi all, was thinking of getting an iguana only if he would get along with my blue tegu...does anyone know if green iguanas get along fine with blues? also, although i have had iguanas before, it has been some years and i've forgotten some of the fine deatils, such as temp., humidity etc., and am wondering if theyre' similar enough to a blue tegu's that they would be able to go along in the same habitat. again, dont need any specifics or care info, just wondering if they would get along and if husbandry/care requirements are similar enough that it's possible.

thanks
chris and diego

i wouldnt put them together just because tegus seem to be more violent than iguanas.. also there feeding needs are alot different.. also parasites may be a problem as well. your tegu could have some parasites that dont bother him but could be lethal to you iguana and vise versa.. i have had iguanas and tegus and they are very different animals tegus seem to hide more and iguanas seem to be a little more active or you caould end up with a very lazy iguana and a very lazy tegu and they may get a long but they may not. tegus are meant to eat meat so they have sharp teeth.. if you tegu gets ahold of your iguana and you are not around well you can probably say good bye to the iguana or say Hello to a big vet bill and an angry iguana. if you do decide to cage them together watch them very carefully for a day or so. keep track of wieght and if one is lossing weight put it in a different cage asap. also make sure that the iguana does not get into the tegus food to much animal protein can kill an iguana. it will ruin there lver and suff. but i also kept a bearded dragon in with a uromaastyx when people said there would be problems(they did better when they were in the same cage) but just because it worked with me does not mean it will work out that good with and iguana and a tegu

In my opinon i would not do it. but we can not tell you want to do only give you advice.. they are your animals and only you can decide what you want to do with them. if you decide to get an iguana and dont keep it in the same cage i dont think them being around each other for a while will hurt them but keeping them in a cage is a whole different story.

hope this helps sorry it is long

Mike D

Dont do it, I housed a dragon and a rhino ig together and got this >>>

-----
Bennett

www.beardiedragon.com

thats absolutly hilarious!!

I strongly recommend against it. The main reason is because their habitat requirements are so different. Iguanas are arboreal and require a large, TALL, cage. They can't take the heat that Tegus require and their diet is totally different. You'd end up with one sick iguana if it feeds off of your Tegu's diet. You also don't want any kind of particulate substrate around your iguana (sand, dirt, cypress) as they are famous for ingesting these materials and getting an impaction.
I know I just posted a photo of different species of lizards basking together. I successfully freeroam Green Iguanas, Cyclura Iguanas, Bearded Dragons, and a Tegu. In another room I have Greens, Cyclura and Water Dragons. This doesn't mean it will work for everyone. These animals have lots of space, multiple feeding and basking spots, and places where they can be if they want to be left alone. The Tegu mainly stays on the floor where I have a basking spot for him....the iguanas and beardies prefer to stay in the elevated basking spots above the floor. The Tegu is not fed in the presence of the other lizards.
Personally, I don't recommend Iguanas as pets, period. They get huge, require a super large cage or a room for themselves, their diet is very specialized, and they require a lot of humidity, which is difficult to provide. Males can get extremely aggressive during breeding season and females can often experience egging problems. If you still want to consider getting an iguana, please do some current research. Iguana husbandry has changed a bunch in the last 5 years. Also please consider contacting a rescue and adopting an iguana that is in need of a home.
Just to raise a little more awareness of the plight of the Green Iguana, take a look at the most recent rescue that we've received. This is the worst case of malnutrition and MBD that I've ever seen. This poor little guy is 3 years old and only 2 feet long. He is currently rescue #26 in residence.

Awww! Poor little guy!!!

He is lucky to now have a home with you.

Leyla x

that picture is hilarious beardie
and
jiffy i'm sorry to hear about that poor iguana, i think there's a gross misunderstanding amongst the general populous that green iguanas are a "beginner" pet. they're so far from the truth.

thanks again,
chris and diego

I know what you mean. I've loved iguanas since I was a kid, but I know I don't have the space or time to care for one at this point in my life. Besides, I'm pretty happy with the tegus and the rest of my zoo.

A lil iguana story... A few years ago, I was at a [insert large chain name here] when a boy was trying to convince his mom to get him an iguana. The sales rep told her it'd get about 2 ft and only ate crickets. (?!?) I am by no means an iguana expert, but I just had to say something.

I pulled her aside and tried to explain that they get pretty big, require a large enclosure, high humidity, etc. She said once it got too big they could just drop it off at a shelter or something. I couldn't believe she actually said that.

I grabbed the current Reptiles which had a 'top 5 beginner reptiles' article or something, and suggested they do a little research first. The rep got pretty upset that he lost the sale, but the iguana was spared the stress of becoming a rescue... at least from that household.

It's sad that people still choose a $15 iguana over a $50 beardie (or other 'beginner' lizard), without doing any research whatsoever, and just dump 'em when they get large, sick, or unruly, assuming they survive that long. Fortunately, people like jiffypop and other rescuers take in these poor little (and big) guys and give them the care & respect they deserve.

Sorry for the long soapbox rant, I just hate it when animals are mistreated.

well said man, well said, i completely agree. it's unfortunate that that's the way things are. reptile stores and breeders just outright lying in order to make a sale. how can they not feel guilty about letting an animal go to a home that won't be able to properly care for it. it sucks.

chris

those last few posts sure made me think, I have to agree. it's terrible how so many critters are taken in then dumped.. Ever since I got my Tegu I've been reading about all kinds of lizards and so many things come up about abused Iguanas.. It's too bad that they are such a frequent pet because they wouldn't be so cheap otherwise... I was in a large pet store the other day where the green iguanas were only $20 compared to a $120 beardie.. it's really too bad

Perhaps if people started to not buy Green Iguanas at least from pet stores as much, they wouldn't become so popular/common, then maybe the price and safety of them would go up