Humidity Leo Vs. AFT

So, I have someone wanting to house these two guys together, and I don't think they are going to believe me when I say not to do it, unless I provide them with cold hard numbers.

I was looking at the two care sheets for the Leopard Gecko and the African Fat Tail... No where in them could I find exact numbers for humidity. The only thing I could find was that an AFT was slightly more humid than a Leo... but it didn't tell me what a leo should be at.

Can someone elaborate? Also if anyone has any other reasons as to WHY they shouldn't be housed together I would love to hear it. I'll probably forward this thread along when its run its course.

Thanks.

I have successfully housed my leo at about 10 to 15% humidity for about 9 years, and have experimented with different humidity level for my AFT. he seems to do best at about 30%. Tell your friend that not only will the two species harbor diseases that are deadly to one another, but that they are from two completely different environments. The leo is from hot, dry desert areas, while the AFT is primarily from low woodland areas. mixing any two species will never have any good come out of it.

they are from two completely different environments.

Indeed since Leopard Geckos are from Asia and Fat tails are from Africa!

She could breed them for a hybrid!

But mostly just that aft need more humidity lik 30 to 50 % Leopard Geckos need none but in a box for shedding.

I'm assuming than if you keep the Leo at AFT humidity, you risk a respiratory infection, and if you keep the AFT at Leo humidity, you risk bad sheds, and possible loss of limb?

What about cross diseases? Fighting?

Housing two of anything together puts the animals at risk for sharing diseases. The same goes with the risk of fighting. Not only are these species not social with conspecifics, they wouldn't even encounter each other in the wild. I think the stress alone of having the other there would cause one not to eat and be more prone to illness.

I also need to add, that she wants to keep them in a 30 gallon tank, insisting on the ability to create multiple environments. I think in her mind this means adding a moist hide.

The AFT is found in West Africa, from Senegal to Cameroon. Their habitat is dry and arid, although they will spend most of their time in a dark, humid hiding place. From :African fat-tailed gecko - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

From that lowering the humidity does not seem like it will be a problem.

In my opinion mixing species is the worst thing that you can do - the stress will slowly kill them.

Besides - you must be crazy to put a Pakistani and African together and think there wont be fights!

Some of the differences have already been mentioned. Like the fact that they are from different climates.

Humidity would be one big factor in why these shouldn't be kept together.
- If you kept the humidity up to where the AFT would need it to be, the Leo would run the risk of respiratory infection.
- If you kept the humidity low enough for the Leo, the AFT would have major issues. Trouble shedding would just be the start. Retained shed can cause constriction and eventually amputation of toes, legs, tails, anywhere really. Also a humidity that is too low will cause dehydration by the simple fact that their isn't enough water in the climate. Dehydration can lead to kidney failure, which can lead to death.

You will also have issues with not enough space. We generally recommend a 20 gal tank min for any animal that you need to create a temperature gradient for. This is because anything less, it's nearly impossible to get enough of a difference between the different areas. But that's just when dealing with temps. Even with a 30 gal, you would not be able to create 2 separate climates with 2 separate humidity levels.

Just some quotes I found...
From Leopard Gecko Caresheet (Eublepharis macularis) Provided by Brian Skibinski

Inter-Species Housing
Leopard geckos should NOT be housed with any other species. Fights, diseases, parasites, intimidation, and overall health problems can occur in either (or both) species. It is extremely stressful for the gecko and therefore should be not considered an option.

Leopard geckos come from a relatively dry area, so humidity should be kept to a minimum. Daily misting or too high humidity can lead to respiratory infections.

Leopard geckos can become stressed very easily. The most common reasons why a leopard gecko may be stressed could include:

- Tapping on the glass of the enclosure.
- Malnutrition.
- Poor water quality.
- Poor diet.
- Lack of hiding areas.
- Inappropriate housing.
- Improper environmental temperatures and/or humidity.
- Excessive and unnecessary handling.
- Overcrowding.
- Subjected to aggression from other cage mate(s).

When a leopard gecko is subjected to constant stress, the immune system can be suppressed. This leaves the gecko more susceptible to a variety of health problems.

Also, this link has a very good and detailed answer about why multiple species shouldn't be mixed. You should check it out.
What are the hazards of putting geckos, tree frogs, and anoles together? - Yahoo! Answers

Another very good article about how reptiles don't need "friends", but also gives some of the things to take into consideration if you insist on housing multiple animals together. But even then, it's talking about same species tanks.
Reptile housing and habitats: Housing multiple reptiles of the same species

Additionally from the wikipedia caresheet
Hemitheconyx caudicinctus - WikiPets

To successfully maintain the desired humidity conditions for your Fat-tailed gecko you are going to need a hygrometer. A hygrometer is a device used to measure relative humidity within the enclosure.

Humidity should be maintained between 55-70%, and this can be achieved by misting several times a week and the presence of a large, shallow water dish. Most experienced keepers also suggest that you provide a shelter with a higher humidity than the rest of the enclosure,

Orchid bark, cypress mulch, coconut fiber bedding, or peat moss can be used for a substrate and will help maintain humidity. Fat-tailed gecko's like to burrow in a slightly moist substrate to re-hydrate

All of this is exactly opposite of what is suggested for a Leo that requires low humidity.