I just went yesterday to a pet store and ask if a Leopard Tortoise and an Iguana could live in the same terrarium, they answered me yes, then I bought all the kit, and both, the Iguana and the tortoise, my girlfriend liked very much the tortoise and I have always wanted to have an Iguana, so I thought it was a great chace to make our dreams come true. Today after setting the terrarium and getting the tortoise and the iguana in it I was checking all the facts on both pets over the internet and found out this kind of tortoise needs a dry enviroment and the iguana a humid one. Can you make me any suggestions on how I can settle this out, since we do not have budget or room to set another terrarium and we can not return any of the pets to the pet store.
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Here are your problems:
Iguana: high cage, lots of vertical space, lots of hot spots up in the branches. HIGH humidy but lots of fresh air.
Leopard tortoise: wide cage, lots of horizontal space, lots of basking spots on the ground, LOW humidity, plenty of fresh air.
Let’s add something to your complications: BOTH species get BIG and need BIG cages. A full grown iguana (over 6′ long) would do very nicely in a converted closet.
An adult Leopard tortoise (2′ long, 70 lbs) is going to need a wading pool-sized pen and live for about 100 years of you do it right.
Your options:
– Are you sure you can’t return the animals? Most decent pet shops give you a ‘cooling off period’.
– Sell both animals and get something better suited to small room, small budget, beginners- Bearded dragons, Russian or Greek tortoise, etc.
– Sell one animal and focus on the other.
– Sell one and replace it with another better suited to the remianing animal’s needs. It is generally NOT a good idea to try to mix species, but if you HAVE to do it, a Redfoot or Yellowfoot tortoise fits with the iguana better, and bearded dragons fit with Leopard tortoises better.
If you have to stick with both animals, try this:
– Get the biggest aquarium tank you can afford- make sure it is nice and long- height is not so important.
– Build a tall ‘tower’* over some or all of the tank, and make sure the entire aquarium is covered with a good lid. (They now sell ‘soft’ reptile cages made from a mesh for many herps. You might be able to adapt one for this need.)
– Keep the tower misted (consider adding leaves, etc. to help hold humidity) and well-heated, furnishing it with sturdy branches for the iguana to climb on.
– Outfit the lower tank with the right set-up for the desert-like tortoise needs.
By doing this, the two animals will pretty much ignore each other and hang in their chosen habitats.
I don’t mean to preach, but this is why experienced animal keepers always tell new-comers to do their homework before they buy.
Good luck!
Madkins has the right answer. Check out
http://www.anapsid.org www.
iguanarelocationnetwork.org
http://www.greenigsociety.org
These sites have great info on specificaly iguana care and other herps as well.
Now that you have your dream pets, find out as much as you can about the proper care so you will have happy, healthy pets.
Good Luck.