Reptile & Amphibian Forums

can I put a 2 ft. ig with a 8 inch ig? Or how soon can i put them together?

i wouldnt put them in the same incloure at all but thats just me but u should wait till the lil 1 gets at least a foot then enterduce them out side of the inclousre and socialize them together in a room and after a while (if theres no signs wut so ever of any aggression) try housing them togethner in an opproprately large inclouser.

Never is the best answer. Iguanas are not social animals like humans, dogs or cats, and don't really want to live with another ig. Housing together can lead to aggression and fighting. The dominant ig will stress out the other one, and will often keep the lower ranking ig from gaining access to good basking spots, food, water, etc. This can happen with males or females. If the two turn out to be of the opposite sex, they'll probably breed when they get a little older. Males get more aggressive when they go into breeding season, so your other ig, male or female, will be in danger. Also, iguanas are very territorial, and are not usually happy sharing their space with another iguana. In any case, the size difference right now makes it way too dangerous to keep them together. If your larger ig isn't happy about having the baby put in with it, it can easily injure or even kill the little one.

Kate

>>can I put a 2 ft. ig with a 8 inch ig? Or how soon can i put them together?

I agree about your baby ig comment, but please tell me what you base your comments on about iguanas not being social, and that females will be in danger with a male in season.

Thank you
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Craig Loose
The Blue Tongue Pages

I didn't say that a female iguana will definitely be harmed or injured if they're housed with a male during breeding season. What I meant by "danger" is that there's a risk that they will be harmed in that situation. And there certainly is that risk around territorial males in breeding season. Male iguanas are not always gentle while breeding. Although this is not the rule, some female igs have been fatally injured by the male during the mating process. IIRC, Flavia has witnessed that happen.

And I said that iguanas are not social like humans, dogs or cats. Most of the time, an iguana doesn't really care about having a iggy or human companion. They will happily spend all day alone, as long as they've got food, basking places, etc. Humans, dogs, and cats will normally seek out companionship of some sort for at least part of the day, because we are social animals. Now, of course, a male ig in breeding season will seek out a female, but that's a bit different.

Housing two iguanas together can work, most often for two females of similar size. However, at any time this arrangement can stop working, and then the owner has to be prepared to provide two separate full-sized enclosures. So as I see it, if I were to have two iguanas living contentedly in one enclosure, I would still need to have a spare enclosure hanging around, just in case. Personally, I would rather just house them separately to begin with, and not have to worry about "just in case." That's my opinion. I know some people do house their igs together successfully, but it depends on the temperament of both iguanas and having a spacious and well designed enclosure. But I certainly would not recommend housing two iguanas together to someone who is just starting out.

Just my four cents or so.

Kate

>>can I put a 2 ft. ig with a 8 inch ig?

How big is the enclosure? Individual igs need lots of room to accommodate their rapid growth. If you plan on trying to house two iguanas together in one enclosure, you need an enclosure larger than you would need for the largest iguana.

>>>Or how soon can i put them together?

Any time, really, assuming the enclosure is big enough for both of them to grow into. If not, forget it.

Even so, when you have two or more iguanas, there is never any guarantee that they will be compatible together at all, or forever. So, you need to be prepared to house them completely separately, in separate rooms if need be, for their entire lives.

You will find more information on how to calculate the size of housing, and on the problems introducing and housing multiple iguanas, at my Iguanas site.

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Melissk
anapsid.org
Iguanas for Dummies

thank you guys for all your help and do you have any cage plans for building a cage?

>>thank you guys for all your help and do you have any cage plans for building a cage?

AFter you read Basic Cage Design Problems, check out the sites in my Indoor and Outdoor Enclosure Designs page.
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Melissk
anapsid.org
Iguanas for Dummies