Cohabiting Reptiles

In this post, I will be covering the controversial topic of cohabiting reptiles and the effects it can induce on the animals.

It is important to research each animal thoroughly before thinking of cohabiting as some species are cannibalistic and cannot be housed together. Others may fight or bully cage mates and cause serious injury or even death. This generally happens when two males are housed together although females not getting along is not uncommon.

If you have no other choice and need to house two reptiles in the same enclosure, then a set of rules must be followed carefully to avoid unnecessary risks to your animal.

• Never feed snakes in the same enclosure, feed them separately outside of the vivarium. Furthermore, keep the snakes away from each other for twelve hours as this is when the feeding response and digesting will subside. Be aware that if you feed them in the vivarium together, a hungry snake will not pay attention to what it is eating and could lead to one animal trying to eat the other. For extra security you may wish to gently rub each snake down with a damp, luke warm towel before returning to their enclosure to erase the scent of rodents.
• Ensure that you are providing enough comfortable hiding spots, preferably two of everything; two warm hides, two cool hides and multiple basking spots. The animals will need enough space to avoid each other if they so wish as they will compete for dominance and prime spots. Just think back to when you had to share a loved toy with a sibling, it was not a comfortable feeling!

Carpet python

Housing two animals together is not how the snake would behave in the wild. Snakes are not social animals and curling up together does not mean that they are enjoying the company. This generally means one is attempting to dominate the other- with the dominant one being on the bottom if you have a heat mat or on top if you have ceramic heating from above. Remember you will also need to ensure that both animals are the same size as keeping a small animal with a larger one can trigger the feeding response. 

When it comes to cohabiting lizards such as leopard geckos, attention should be paid to the size of your tank, how many hides you have, and other husbandry issues. Also make sure that you are present at feeding times to ensure that each gecko is getting the correct amount of food. Leopard geckos can bully each other and one may not allow the other to have any food. As with snakes, check that the lizards are the same size before introducing them to the same enclosure.

When introducing a new animal into to an already established vivarium, you will need to take out the resident animal and clean the housing thoroughly to rid it of any scents and make it neutral. Then introduce the animals in a neutral zone, such as the bed. This is a good way to observe how they behave and if they will get along.

Leopard geckos

Now that we know the basics, lets explore a more controversial topic that is 'housing entirely different species together'. I personally would never consider this as there are too many risks involved and I would not put my animals through it. Although I have seen cases where this has occurred and for some people have even worked. This post is designed to inform people of risks involved with cohabiting and it is not my intention to offend anyone.

• Two species in the same climate will have different needs to thrive, whether this is humidity, temperature, substrate and general husbandry. Although these issues may not effect the animal straight away they may cause problems down the line.
• In the wild, the two species may never meet and this may heighten to fighting among vivarium occupants. This can be a major issue with the same species of animals  never mind mixed species. Larger animals may prey on smaller cage mates. They may also fight for the best hiding and basking spots.
• Cross-contamination. All living creatures carry unique bacteria called protozoans and what may be harmless to one reptile can be harmful to others, resulting in illness and spreading of infection and parasites.
• Nocturnal and diurnal species may stress each other out, when one is sleeping the other may disturb it.
• Reptiles are generally solitary and territorial so do not appreciate sharing space.

Reticulated python and green anaconda

Some herpetologists may have success with mixing species and cohabiting although this decision should never be made lightly or for the sole reason of saving space. The welfare of the animal should be put first. In most cases the animals should be kept individually as most reptiles do not show signs of sickness and stress until it is too late.

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