Unlike domestic animals, such as dogs, cats, birds and various rodents, reptiles are not real keen on being someone's pet. If you are looking to share your life in a meaningful relationship with an animal that is mutually responsive, snuggly and engaging, herpetologists advise against choosing a lizard. Reptilian behavior is interesting, and when housed under ideal circumstances, they are fun to watch.
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Jurassic Park in My Living Room
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Chinese water dragons (Physignathus cocincinus), or water dragons, are indigenous to the high and lowland forests of India, northern and south China, and southeastern Asian regions, including Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Burma. The green iguana (Iguana iguana,) or common iguana, are native to South America, including Brazil, Paraguay and Mexico, with these lizards roaming throughout Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. Iguana is an invasive species in the United States and are populous in southern Florida, including the Keys and Everglades, Hawaii, and the southern regions of Texas. Iguana and water dragons are arboreal reptiles who prefer to live in trees, but Chinese water dragons spend some time on the banks of freshwater lakes and streams.
Distant Distance Cousins
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When asked whether a water dragon and an iguana can cohabitate, Melissa Kaplan, author of "Iguanas for Dummies," explains that water dragons and iguanas share many of the same environmental needs and habitual behaviors; however, deciding whether or not your iguana or water dragon welcomes a reptile roommate depends upon numerous factors. The initial consideration is the size of the lizard and size of the enclosure. To house an average full-grown iguana, or water dragon, his habitat needs to be 6-feet long, 4-feet deep and 6 feet in height. Adding another reptile to that equation and the numbers should double. The premise is, reptiles of this type are highly territorial and require a domain of their own.
Right Time, Right Place
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Unsatisfactory living conditions will manifest in a variety of unhealthy reactions for reptiles. For example, if an iguana's home is too small he will rub his face and jaw on the side of his enclosure until an abrasion appears. He will continue rubbing until his jaw is broken and he's unable to eat, according to Kaplan. Sharing an abode depends on temperament; the reptiles must be compatible. Mating season is not an ideal time for an introduction, and females are as aggressive as males during this time. Another consideration when housing an iguana and Chinese water dragon, are the animal's size. Large lizards of any species are more tolerant, and feel less threatened, by smaller lizards. Once introduced, as long as the enclosure is large enough, your reptiles should be fine over time. Kaplan advises you be prepared with a second enclosure, large enough to house either lizard, if the cohabitation doesn't work out.
Two's Not a Crowd
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After you have introduced your two lizards outside of the enclosure, place your new guy back in first. Leave him to get acquainted with his surroundings. After about an hour, replace the home-owner. Their housing should be set up with ample and distant feeding stations, preferable so they are not visible to each other while eating. The living quarters need raised basking and sleeping platforms at different heights and out of line-of-sight with each other. This separation allows your lizards some alone time. Even with iguanas and water dragons who've thrived together for a while, you have to watch for an instinctual behavior called agonistic displays. This innocuous show of dominance might seem banal, but for reptiles, it's an eminent period of stress, depressing the immune system and resulting in an additional susceptibility of infection, leading to sickness or death, Kaplan warns.
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