Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Im about to have a leo in a few days, but i would like to have another lizard and save up space, so heres my question....Do you think a leo and a blue tailed skink will live happily ever after (note: not for breeding lol) living in the same cage? Thanks in advance for your opinions

'Happily ever after' in what exactly?

Keep in mind, "ever after" is a long time. It's unlikely that anyone with experience is going to give you the green-light on this idea. But assuming that's what is going to happen, regardless - here is what you will need to make sure of:
the enclosure is sufficiently large for both animals to have individual hidespots, and verify that their environmental requirements are at least similar. You should also be prepared, if you have set the enclosure up correctly for either of these species, to rarely if ever, see them out in the open. Both feel more secure when hidden. Invariably, chances are that one of the animals is going to get the short end of the stick in the living arrangement - and will become stressed. Suffice to say, you're taking a risk. Eventually, I highly recommend separating them into their own enclosures.

um...then what can live with a leo apart from its own species...or do i leave him alone? i really enjoy community tanks...having 5 tegus living with 3 iguanas for 5 years

Depends upon the size and layout of your enclosure. If you consider yourself an experienced keeper, and plan on setting up an adequate environment - then I say give it a shot.

Tegus and iguanas huh? I definitely want to see pics of that setup! (Seriously, I'm not being a smart-a**)

Dont worry you will see the pics when i get my scanner working again Anyways thanks alot.

ive known many friends who kept leos with other animals and it was very peacful in the tank.here are some of the combinations
a leo and a collard in a 30 gallon desert tank
a leo and an forest armadillo lizard in a twenty gallon savanna setup
a leo and a few different climbing desert geckos in a 29 gallon desert setup

all these setups were just fine and all the animals thrived.hope this helps
nick

Those are intresting combos but ive heard that collared lizards are agressive feeders and armadillo lizards tend to grow very big....your friends must be very lucky to manage that without any problems

well when you think about armdillo lizards you are probably thinking of the cordylus cataphractus.the forest amradillo lizard(pretty much the only one available in the US at reasonable prices)is a small 6-7 inch lizard that is thinner than a leo.also armadillos are active during day adn leos at night.about the collareds,the reason for the compatability is that one is active at night and the other at daytime.also you have to provide multiple hiding spots for each animal.hope this helps
nick

i know this is a little off topic, but i was wondering what desert gecko species were kept with the leo? I've recently aquired a mediteranian gecko and would love to have it in the same 75 gal enclosure with a tuscon or western banded gecko, having a leo in there too would complement both species i think. hopefully someone has tried this as i'm not really one to experiment with cohabitation unless i know of some success stories.

in a 75 gallon you could fit those 3 geckos in and have tons of space left over.i would not mix a banded and a leo though.just because they are both geckos that occupy the same type of hides and myay fight for the best spot.you can try but keep a close eye on them.as for arboreal geckos try moorish or fan toed geckos.if you wnat you could probably put a pair of arboreals and a pair of ground dwelling geckos in their and one of the pairs might breed.always remember to qaurintine any and all animals before putting them in a community cage.i would keep them seperate for at least a month just to make sure nothing is wrong with any them.i say this because one animal that is sick can contaminate and kill all the other animals in that setup.hope this helps
nick