Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How much space is recommended for two adult beardies in the same enclosuer?

for two adult beardies you need at least a tank 4'l 3'w 2'h plus double of everything. I wouldn't recomend it cause one will always be more domanate. I now they are not scoial so they will have a impact of each other living.

Minimum space for one dragon should be 8' of floor space...ie 4'x2'(lxw). For two dragons, you want to add another two square feet of floor space at least, plus extra hides, basking spots, etc. The more space the better.

However, dragons are not very social, and problems can and often do arise from housing dragons together. If they are too young to sex, there is the risk of having two males, which will often fight, sometimes causing serious injuries to eachother. If male and female, you risk your female being bred too early. Females should be bred at least 15 months of age, with 18 being optimal. A female/female pair can live together in harmony but not necessarily forever.

With any group of dragons, there will be a dominant animal which will take the best basking spot, hog the food, intimidate the subordinate dragon and in general stress it out. Often the case happens where the dominate animal quickly becomes much bigger than the other and often will attack it. If the size gets too drastic, the smaller dragon may wind up being the larger dragon's lunch.

Though dragons have and can be kept successfully together, a large cage that is much bigger than the minimal is needed, and constant viligence by the owner. It should only be attempted by experienced dragon keepers, people who can notice the signs of stress immediately and early. Most reptiles don't show illness or stress, as such a show of weakness would make them volunerable to predators. Dark colors, constant hiding, lack of appetite, excessive arm waving, are all signs of a submissive dragon in distress.

Even if dragons get along perfectly, are thriving well for several years, may suddenly break out into combat, risking severe injuries to one or both dragons.

Other concerns is if one gets parasites or any conmunicable disease, there is a very high chance both dragons will have it. Thus you need to treat both animals, even if one doesn't show signs of the ailment. More often than not, the other dragon will get the disease or still harbor it, risking reinfection to it's cagemate after it's been treated. Thus, both need to be treated, which means twice the cost for medicines etc.

IN the long run, it is best to just house the dragons separately from day one, building two cages instead of one large one. If you hope to breed them, you can introduce them later, when the female is at optimal age and both dragons are tested healthy and parasite free. After sufficient time is done for several couplings, separate the dragons again, so the male doens't stress out the female by over breeding her.
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PHLdyPayne