Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This might open up a can of worms , but I've been wondering this for a little while & I'm sure it's been brought up before.
I also know that Uro & Beardies come from different parts of the world & they require different basking temps, but is it possible to house the two species together if there are is a big enough enclosure, say 100 gallons or 72" long cage?

Lance

n/p
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Ross

0.2 Bearded Dragons (1 Yellow, 1 Chris Allen/Sandfire)

Please don't. Different species: Different environmental requirements, parasite risks, etc. Cross- species housing like this is an accident/injury/death just waiting to happen.

Why would you *want* to house them together?

Best,
michele
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4.3 Bearded Dragons (Rescues)
1.0 Corn snake (Rescue)
0.1 California King
4.5 Royal (Ball) Pythons (3 rescues)
1.1 Dogs (Rescues)
2.0 Cats (Rescues)
2.2 Humans
No, it's NOT a big house

I was just curious. I have been reading info about them & I've heard both bad idea & good idea.

Lance

Plus, a lot of the times the uros you are gonna get mihgt be wild caught, and the beardies wont be. Think of all the parasites!!!! UGH

This topic comes up every few months.

I think the answer is "No!" for most reptile keepers, but I've read about experienced keepers having several types of desert lizards (bearded dragons, chuckwalla, uros, spiny-tailed iguanas in the same enclosure--leapord lizards and collared lizards together). Reptiles magazine had an article within the last two years on desert vivariums and in that magazine it mentioned that bearded dragons were good candidates for multi-species desert enclosures. Keep in mind zoos and other establishments also house multiple reptile species together successfully. I also have a book on desert vivariums that also discusses this. If you check the current bearded dragon manuel in your local pet store you will see pictures of bearded dragons and frilled dragons being kept together, so I don't think the possibility of keeping dragons with other species is entirely out of order.

As a general rule, bearded dragons are not aggressive lizards. In fact, most lizards that eat veggies as a major staple of their diet are usually very docile. Some special precautions would of course be in order, such as a basking area that is hot enough for the species with the greatest heat requirement. So long as there is a good temperature gradient, the other species will be able to regulate their temperature requirements just fine. As mentioned parasites could be a potential problem, quarantine all the reptiles for a few months before trying this. Additional cages or housing should also be ready if the reptiles housed together cause each other problems.

Note when I mentioned leapord lizards and collared lizards being together they should not be housed with previous mentioned species (bearded dragons, etc). Leapord lizards and collared lizards are aggressive lizards that eat smaller lizards quite readily.