Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey, my friend brought over his Beardie, Neal, and since Nienna got along with him outside the cage, I put em both in the cage to bask, and look at em! Guess Tegus can get along with other species, she didn't get all huffy or start puffing up and arching her back, even when Neal came over and layed on her.

I would never do that..........who cares if they get along.......I would be concerned about what one could be carrying that maybe the other could get. Or what if all of the sudden they did snap at each other? I get nervous enough introducing new beardies with other beardies for fear of fighting and also spread of disease. Doesnt seem like tegus are as prone to alot of the current problems with beardies but who knows if they are capable of getting something......or what if the tegu has something that does not effect them but yet can harm your beardie..........? Sorry for the downer.....just thought I should say something about that.

I agree with Chris, this is a really bad idea. Your Tegu is small but packs a real wallop of a bite already. Your Beardie COULD become food or at least injured both would suck! In general mixing species of any kind is a bad idea. Mixing species of the meat eating kind is just, .... well you get the idea Stop it! Diseases are certainly an issue as well since Beardies are known carriers of Coccidia (sp) Just a freiendly opinion to a fellow herp lover! Cute animals though just wait till that Tegu grows up. They are soo cool!
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Peace!
KofSeattle
Reptile-Like
Here lizard lizard.........

I considered those things. They've both had vet checks, neither had parasites of any kind, or any sickness that can be detected through their poo, plus their poo is taken out and the cage is cleaned as soon as it hits the ground. I wouldn't put two animals together just because they get along without making sure there won't be any side effects, but if you insist that they can't lay on Nienna's rock for half an hour, so be it.

Well i am sorry if you misunderstood my post. It was a friendly note expressing the dangers of mixing species in the event you were unaware. Your pet, your call. However, even though it is your pet I would be sad right along with you if your beardie became a scoobie snack. Like I said a friendly note to a fellow herp lover.

In the archives you will find a post about a guy who did the same thing. He did it all the time and they were "fine together". Then one day..... lunch. The keeper was absolutely horrified and heartbroken.
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Peace!
KofSeattle
Reptile-Like
Here lizard lizard.........

I've even had two tegus where one intimidated the other. I don't think they fought with one another. Since I couldn't watch them 24/7 they were separated.

I wonder why it is that a Tegu sharing a basking spot with a Bearded Dragon is stirring up such strong sentiment?
Under the circumstances this appears to be no more stressful than a Tegu sharing space with another Tegu, as far as disease is concerned there is a possibility that something one of the two animals may have could get transmitted to another. Again the risk is the same if two Tegus are sharing the same space.
Consider that I have known dealers to keep Monitors and Tegus together for extended periods of time, I have seen a female Tegu attempt to "bond" with a Nile Monitor, this stuff happens in captivity because captivity is unnatural.
Remember if a Tegu were to get it into its head to kill that Bearded Dragon it would have happened in seconds, not minutes, nor hours, nor days.
The interactions between Tegus and other Tegus is not well understood, let alone Tegus and other lizard species, before those of you out there judge this situation, ask yourself why, because people for years have advocated keeping lizards seperate? Because you read it somewhere? Because your Vet told you so?
Furthering our understanding of the social dynamics of Tegus, and other lizards is an important next step in keeping our animals so some experimentation is warranted and even needed. Let us understand what we are judging before we make claims.

-Kit

Why, because I have seen first hand and had to help treat a dragon that had it's leg torn off. It was not meant as a critisizm only as a heads up. Many people who visit these forums are new to Tegus and/or herps and do not understand. Maybe he did know this was wrong and had taken every precaution. Does that mean someone else didn't get something from this post? As you stated, it can happen in seconds. Should we then, for research sake, allow this simply to see what happens so we can better understand simply for the sake of understanding? I think not, I care for animals that is why I keep them and learn about them and teach others. Any GOOD keeper will caution you against keeping animals of different species together. Why is this so hard to understand and further why is a friendly cautionary note so ridiculed? I fully understand this situation as I have been keeping herps for years. Because I have seen Leopard Geckos kept with Dragons or because I have seen Blackthroats kept in small dog kennels does this make it acceptable? No, just because some people do it does not make it right. I judge nobody. However when I see something that know has the possibility of becomming fatal to an animal I feel obligated to mention the danger. This forum, the Tegu form, use to be such a fine place to share husbandry and health info. Now, as are most forums here at KS, it is full of people looking to stir it up. Well I gues this forum too will fall to the inexperienced and ignorant when people with honest and friendly informaion are ridiculed for their comments. It will be just like most of the forums where new keepers offer advice on things they know nothing about and propogate ignorance. Oh well, try to be nice, offer some words of advice and meet nice people such as yourself. I can spend my time more effectively speaking with grade school kids about herps and saving my experiences for those who ask instead of offering. Oh and just so you know, and I am sure you already do, Tegus and Dragons have very different diseases and they can be transmitted in many cases to other species. In other words, two Tegus together would not present the same dangers as a dragon and a Tegu together. Seems like common sense however common sense is not so common. Read the posts again, friendly WAS the key word.
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Peace!
KofSeattle
Reptile-Like
Here lizard lizard.........

K Of Seattle,

My comments were not directed at anyone specifically, least of all at you.
Put yourself in my position for a moment and understand that I see people doing foolish things all the time. However, are they truely wrong or foolish things because I say so, or for that matter that you say so?
With regard to keeping reptiles we are operating from a place of assumptions and limited windows of experience. Inside of this context to declare what is "Right" or "Wrong", incorrect or correct is in the court of opinion.
We need results, and what results do we have in this forum? Think about that very carefully before you formulate an answer.

-Kit

which... it is.
it's putting both animals at risk. putting things at risk could have consequences. whether or not you decide to put them at risk is your choice (we all take risks, with everything). for example, i take my tegus out all the time (that's a risk), i let other people touch them (that's a risk), you can't avoid it. i don't think we need to get all philosophical and introspective about this. it was just more or less stating a fact. it could be bad. but heck, he knew that (he decided to take that calculated risk), that's why he watched them so closely. others mentioned that he should be really careful when he does that. if it all just stopped there, great. it's a friendly exchange of info. i think that's all it needs to be.
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if nothing else, i at least amuse myself!

i totally agree with you.
Ian

Seems like your concerns lie more with the tegus. From where I was coming from I was concerned about the health of both the Tegu and the Bearded. I can tell you that a lot of disease has spread through the Bearded Dragon community, and diseases that can be transmitted through even just us touching them and passing it along. Maybe its possible that the bearded dragon shown is a carrier of what disease I am speaking of specifically(adenovirus) but has not shown any signs. Do you think that maybe the Tegu can get that? Im not a vet, but I do know what dragons can carry and that the possibility of disease spreading is there. Do tegus normally have levels of coccidia or do they not have it at all? Dragons will normally have them, we just try to keep it at safe levels........can this be spread to the tegus? Do tegus carry different nematodes? Dragons can have them. So many possibilities and so many unknowns. Why take that chance? I know which of my dragons can be housed with other dragons for specific reasons........but I dont know if there are specific reasons to not keep them with tegus........so why would I take that chance? All were words of caution. I am just a newbie with tegus, but have done a little breeding with beardeds myself and would not take that chance with the dragon for sure just based on what is possible out there in the dragon world right now.