Well my grandparents are hiring a personal trainer for me (I know) and durring our meeting today he mentioned after I mentioned my Chinese Water Dragon that one of his clients is looking to unload her son's Ig since he joined the Army. My question is based on heat and co habitation. Now #1 I know that species cannot be housed together, but if I keep a room humid and hot year round can I house CWDs and Igs in mesh enclosures that share a side?

I believe that would be fine as long as any live food from the WD doesnt get in with the IG....Seperate is ok....anyone else?? Lyn

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Warmest Regards from Lyn

Since they are going to share one side of a mesh cage I don't see how you are going to keep the crickets or other live food from getting into the iguana cage. There is also the chance that the ig may get territorial about the WD being that close and if it can get hold of it may damage it. Even if it can't reach it it may charge the screen and injure itself. Since you are having to construct another enclosure I would put at least visual partition between them. This is also going on the assumption that both the ig and the wd are disease and parasite free. Being next to one another make it impossible to do a quarantine.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Thanks for the thoughts. If I use a tight mesh that should keep the crickets at bay and if I build an opaque wall that should keep the territory issues away. I'll make sure the Ig stays by itself for a month, just to make sure.

tight mesh won't keep out the baby crickets. They, and likely the slightly older ones will get through.

I would put a solid barrier between the sides of the cage. you really don't want the water dragons being able to see the iguana. they get stressed very easily and if the iguana is bigger than they are (if not now- it will be soon) that will add to their stress and they WILL get sick as a result.

I'm not sure what area you are from, but mesh cages are not the best type of cages to use with animals that need high humidity levels, which water dragons and Iguana's both need.

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Tricia

For igs you also want a wider mesh, generally half inch squares or larger. When younger my ig lost a claw to a fine steel mesh (screen). I agree with Merlin in using a visual block between the cages. Iguanas are known to be territorial and will go nuts trying to get to the other lizard. The WD will pick up on this and become agitated and the whole situation can get ugly rather quickly.

Dragonden is also correct about solid cages. If you have two solid cages in the same room it will be cheaper and easier to heat and humidify them than it will to do the whole room. Even wrapping the sides in canvas or vinyl will drastically improve heat and humidity retention.

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~ Mark