Is companionship important to my reptile? The short answer is no. Your pet reptile needs you, NOT another cold-blooded buddy. Your reptilian friend will tolerate companionship from you far more easily than from another scaly friend. Reptiles by nature are solitary creatures, usually coming together only to mate or when a larger animal gets hungry and decides to munch on a smaller one. You can house some species of reptiles together, such as box turtles and female geckos, if the enclosure is large enough. Breeders often house breeding groups together and you can create some appealing displays in larger tanks with assorted day geckoes.

Co-Housing Considerations

Species

The general rule is to house animals of only one species together because some types of reptiles eat other species. For instance, king snakes will eat smaller snakes. Health is another consideration. Different species are susceptible to different diseases, and a germ to which one species is immune could kill another species.

Cage Size

Reptiles won't thrive in a small cage crowded with other animals. No matter how well they may tolerate each other, living in too small an environment is a recipe for disaster. Each species has different space requirements, so thoroughly investigate how much space each pet will need before housing them together. Give each pet his own hiding place and enough room for shyer animals to get away from more aggressive cagemates.

Animal Size

House your reptiles together only if they are roughly the same size. Vast size differences can lead to battles for superiority. The adults of some species, such as green water dragons, have been known to attack and eat smaller members of the same species. Even if the larger animal doesn't attack the smaller one, the stress of being housed with an aggressive cagemate can cause the smaller animal to stop eating and become ill.

Gender

In general, females do better in communal housing than males. Two or more males may become aggressive and battle for territorial supremacy. Even with pairs, it's important to watch your pets carefully, because males tend to dominate females and may push them off the prime basking rocks or monopolize the food bowl. Another consideration when housing males and females together is mating behavior. The males of some species pursue females very aggressively, which can lead either to stressed females or to babies!

Sexual Maturity

Juveniles do better as cagemates than pets who have reached sexual maturity. Once animals have reached maturity, the males begin to act aggressively with other males and display mating behavior with females. If you're thinking about housing your reptiles together, carefully consider the above factors and don't be disappointed if you don't see your animals romping and playing together. Your pets will more than likely view one another as part of the scenery and ignore each other.