Uromastyx and bearded dragon together! Can they be kept together in the same cage?
Uromastyx lizards and bearded dragons are amazing pet lizards you can keep at home. As a lover of these two reptiles, you may wonder if you can keep them together because their natural habitat is quite similar.
However, many reptile hobbyists usually recommend that you don’t keep the two reptiles together. This is because uromastyx and bearded dragons can be quite aggressive towards each other.
However, keeping them together can work if the habitat has enough space so they can avoid each other.
In this article, we will discuss whether you can keep uromastyx and bearded dragons together and recommend if it is the best move.
Contents
Understand Uromastyx Habitat
In the wild, uromastyx live in the desert region with dry and arid climates. You will find them in places with rocky outcroppings where they can easily hide in.
Providing uromastyx with a similar environment in captivity keeps them healthy and happy. When it comes to the size of their enclosure, you can keep smaller and juvenile uros in a standard reptile terrarium of 20 gallons or more.
However, adult uromastyx will need a bigger space to grow well. It is recommended to keep adult uros in a 5x2x2ft enclosure. You can also use a standard reptile enclosure with sliding front doors.
The cage temperature suitable for uromastyx lizards ranges from 90-95oF on the warm side to 80-90oF on the cool side. Furthermore, there should be a basking area with a temperature range of 110-120oF. At night the temperature in their enclosure should not fall below 60oF.
You will also need to ensure that their enclosure has enough ventilation. Since they are desert dwellers, they need very low humidity in their cages to survive.
Note: the length of an enclosure is important when it comes to housing uros because they need room to roam around. Furthermore, a longer enclosure makes it easier to create a temperature gradient.
The Bearded Dragon Habitat
Bearded dragons originate from Australia and are usually found in habitats ranging from deserts to subtropical woodlands. You will find them in small trees, rocky areas, and shrubs. This shows that they are semi-arboreal but not an extreme climber.
This shows that bearded dragons live in a hot and dry environment. In captivity, you will need to provide them with a habitat that mimics their natural desert habitat. You will need a large enclosure with the correct temperature, lighting, and humidity.
Furthermore, you should provide them with climbing and hiding accessories in their tank. You can keep adult beardies in a 75-gallon wooden or plastic tank. They need a temperature of around 95-100oF on the hot side and 75oF on the cool side to keep them happy.
The humidity should be around 30-40%, and they need a UVB tube and basking light for optimal growth.
Differences Between The Habitat of Uromastyx and Bearded Dragons
The major differences are that uromastyx are usually found in desert habitats, but bearded dragons can be found in deserts to subtropical woodlands. Furthermore, uros live in rocky outcroppings, but beardies live in rocky areas, small trees, and some scrubs.
Although uromastyx and bearded dragons need a moderately sized tank, uromastyx lizards need a bigger tank than a bearded dragon. This is because uromastyx are quite active and need space to move around and also to create a temperature gradient.
You can easily keep adult beardies in a 55-70 gallon tank, but an adult uros will need a tank that is not less than 75 gallons.
Is Bearded Dragons or Uromastyx Aggressive?
Uromastyx lizards can become territorial and aggressive to other males and females. However, you can house male and female uromastyx lizards together, but there should be enough space for the two reptiles.
You should never house two or more males together as they will be more aggressive towards each other.
On the other hand, bearded dragons are naturally solitary and are very territorial than uromastyx. Bearded dragons usually fight for territory, over food, or hides if you keep them together.
Furthermore, it is recommended that you should not house male beardies with female beardies, even for mating.
Bearded dragons are also known for cannibalizing baby beardies if kept together. Furthermore, ensure to read about these two species of reptiles for detailed information.
Can You Keep Bearded Dragons and Uromastyx Together?
You may wonder if you can keep bearded dragons and uromastyx lizards together. According to most hobbyists, the answer to this is no. Bearded dragons feed on live food, while uromastyx does not.
Furthermore, the two reptiles’ housing conditions (habitat) are different.
However, some reptile owners have kept beardies and uros together and achieved success. This could only be possible if the tank you want to keep the two of them is more than 7 feet long and there is a barrier in their middle so they don’t get to each other.
This is because uros and beardies can get aggressive to each other and hurt themselves. Furthermore, uromastyx lizards have a strong bite that can kill a bearded dragon easily. This shows that bearded dragons do not stand a chance to fight uromastyx.
Ideas To Keep Bearded Dragons and Uromastyx “Together”
As most experienced hobbyists usually say, avoid keeping two or more reptiles together. You should keep uromastyx lizards and bearded dragons in different cages or tanks to save the stress and loss of your reptile.
However, a great idea to keep bearded dragons and uromastyx together is by building an outdoor habitat for them. You can then keep the beardies and uros in different areas with little chance that they will meet and fight.
Furthermore, you can also place a barrier in the middle of the cage between your uros and beardies so they don’t get to each other.
Wrapping Up
Although keeping bearded dragons and uromastyx lizards together may seem great, you should avoid housing them together. Both species are solitary in nature, and this helps to give them a proper chance to develop fully without stress.