Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been thinking about giving Gouda a friend to live with. I've noticed they seem to be happier with a friend, and it's so cute to watch them sleep on one another. So I was wondering at what age is it not a good idea to add another one? They will be about the same age if I do add one. Thanks guys.

you can add a room mate at any age but some things to keep in mind...

Only house animals of the same size together. Always be aware of how they interact together as one may intimidate the other causing stress and weight loss as well as the possibility of violent altercations. Separate any animals that do not get along together, immediately.

No matter how friendly they may seem, never house two males together. Males are territorial and will bite and hurt each other at best. At worst, one or both will end up dead.

Two females usually get along but there are no guarantees. Keep a close eye on them to make sure that one is not intimidating the other.

Housing a male and females together is more complex. Most of the time they will get along fine but sometimes the male may become too overbearing or may intimidate the female. This is especially true during the off season when the female does not want to breed and the male does. The male can also be quite rough and hurt the female physically if she can’t get away (which she can’t in a cage). This is very stressful for BOTH the female and the male. She won’t be left alone to eat or bask with an excited male that wants to breed. If you have a male and a female you should have two cages so you can separate them when necessary.

Another aspect of housing a male and a female together is that they will mate sooner or later. There will be eggs, and later babies. If you don’t want babies, don’t house them together. You may think that if you don’t want babies, just don’t incubate the eggs. Well, it is not that easy… it is very hard on the female to get pregnant over and over again (and she will, if she is kept with a male). A female can lay up to 8 clutches of eggs after only one breeding – and that is hard on her little body. She needs a lot of extra care during this time (extra vitamins, extra calcium, egg laying box etc) so I wouldn’t recommend breeding too often – for the females sake! If you put a male and female together remember that they should be at least 15” and weigh 300 grams. If you want babies it is still recommended to keep your male and female in different cages and let them meet occasionally.

If you buy two babies from the same breeder make sure they are not siblings or even cousins. If they are related, they should not be allowed to breed.
-----
Bennett

www.beardiedragon.com