You Leopard

Can a Leopard Tortoise and an Iguana live in the same terrarium?

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.

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!

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Leopard Facts

Following are some interesting facts about leopards.

1. Leopards are the most successful and cunning among big cats. They put their intelligence to good use in their hunting activities.

2. Like most cats, leopards are solitary creatures that hunt mainly at night. They rest during day usually in trees and come down at night time.

3. Leopards have a very beautiful coat with a tawny background and rosettes, that aids them in camouflage. Their coat is distinct from that of Cheetah and Jaguar.

4. The Snow Leopard is a most remarkable cat that operates in extremely difficult terrain and climate conditions at the top of the world - the Himalayas.

5. The Clouded Leopard has the longest canines amongst cat species.

6. The Amur Leopard is one of the most endangered animals in the world.

7. The Bornean Clouded Leopard is one of the most significant newly discovered mammalian species.

8. Leopards are masters of stealth and extremely difficult to trace and locate in the wild.

9. Pound for pound, leopards are the strongest among big cats.

10. Leopards are the best tree climbers amongst big cats and are capable of taking prey that is twice their body weight, up a tree.

11. Melanistic variants among leopards - black leopards - are known as panthers.

12. Leopards are territorial animals and regularly mark and defend their domain against intruders.

13. Man-eating leopards always operate at night since unlike tigers they never lose their fear of man and only enter human territories in the cover of darkness. This makes them very difficult to counteract.

About the Author

The author is a blogger about cats and an expert on leopard facts