Cross-Species Tank Sharing?

[Siman]

Hi, i have noticed that a fair few of my local pet stores house animals like leopard geckos with other animals like spiders or snakes and i was just wondering is this okay?

Everytime i've seen it the spider/snake has always been in a sort of lunch box with a closed lid on it but i just wondered whether it could cause any "emotional" damage to the lizard or whether its just common practise?

There is also another store who houses birds above the tanks for the lizards which i found odd as surely bits from the bird houses could go into the top of the tanks when theyre opened to be cleaned?

Or am i just being silly?

[snakelover]

well is 100% not advised and most if not all the replys you will get will say NO!

[Siman]

Is this something that should possibly be reported to someone or is it just something best left?

[Roewammi]

Im not too sure although pet shops shouldnt do it for the safety and helth of the other animals

[corvid2e1]

it is common practice in pet shops, and not against any laws so not something that is realy worth reporting. nothing will be done. With the tubs inside other vivs, other than cross infection, which pet shops are full of anyway, there is not realy any physical risk to the animals, although a lizard will certanly be stressed by the presence of a snake, and frustrated at not being able to eat the spider! as for the birds above the vivs, I guess it would depend on the desgin, but more than likely dirt from the bird cages will end up in the vivs at some point. again, the risk is cross infection, but that unfortunetly is most pet shops for you. I generaly refuse to buy animals, or often even suplies from pet shops for this reason.

[Bernie]

Although these species may live together naturally in the wild, they always have space to avoid each other and move away. Together in a small viv, they don't have that opportunity. It can be a recipe for disaster! I wouldn't recommend housing different species, it could result in confrontation and eventually one could die or be consumed if one gets in the box or another gets out! Pet stores do this to conserve space, but reputable pet stores know the dangers, the risk to the health and well being of their animals and the only thing you'll ever see co-habiting in a good pet shop is animals of the same species as this is for a short time only or they are a suitable specimen to live in colonies.

To be honest for quarantine purposes, animals shouldn't be kept together, so if you introduce a new specimen into your collection, it should be quarantined for a minimum of 6 mths. If you wish to have animals cohabiting later, after quarantine, please read up on the dangers of this before putting them together and decide whether you are happy to accept the risks. You'll find many threads on the main forum regarding this subject, but please consider all the options before commiting yourself.

[Siman]

I wasn't planning on doing it myself, what i meant was i saw it happen in quite a few pet stores but i didn't personally think it was something that should really be done and wanted more information on whether there were significant dangers in this practice and if anything could be done about it.

[7109]

Originally Posted by .Simon.

Hi, i have noticed that a fair few of my local pet stores house animals like leopard geckos with other animals like spiders or snakes and i was just wondering is this okay?

Everytime i've seen it the spider/snake has always been in a sort of lunch box with a closed lid on it but i just wondered whether it could cause any "emotional" damage to the lizard or whether its just common practise?

There is also another store who houses birds above the tanks for the lizards which i found odd as surely bits from the bird houses could go into the top of the tanks when theyre opened to be cleaned?

Or am i just being silly?

Hi Simon my name is Vinny i live in nottingham too i know exactly which shop you mean and its in town near victoria centre? bird cages above farting fish tanks? ive seen what they have alot of people have made complaints but nothing goes through. Last of what i saw in there was a leopard gecko about 4 months old on SAND!!! some type of long tailed skinks not sure on that 1. baby cwds which had no propper heating requirements or a big water bowl! and in each tank was a spider in a plastic container and 1 corn in another.

[Brat]

It's pretty common that lots of different species of snakes/lizards/arachnids are kept in the same viv, but in seperate hatchling tubs.
As said, cross infection will easily occur, but there's not alot anyone can seem to do about anything bad a petshop does

[Doogerie]

I have never seen that but it is NOT commen practice it is however true that you can house 2 type s of snake or lizerd togeather but it is not recomended as it can be a problem if you do not know what you are doing.