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Beginners to the reptile ownership industry often seem to think that having a multitude of lizards, snakes, and other reptiles would be a neat idea. While this does indeed seek to make a wonderful variety of interactions and environments for a terrarium, there are some facts to keep in mind on the subject. Climate is the first issue in mixing and matching reptiles. Some reptiles may favor hot environments, while others will need cooler environments if they are to survive. Mixing the two will be tough, as most terrariums aren't large enough to create two different climates. If the terrarium permits, this is possible- but not recommended for fear of the health of the reptiles. Reptiles can be just as social as humans in some cases- meaning that the way they interact with each other can have effects on their overall health. Different species will have generally different attitudes, and the specific reptile will have a certain personality. Mixing these personalities and attitudes of other species can be dangerous, as it may cause stress. Stress is detrimental to a reptile's health, and can even cause health problems, so the process of mixing species is generally not recommended. Differences in the immune system of two different species of reptiles can also mean all the difference in the overall health of both pets. While one reptile can have a natural immunity to a certain health defect, they may still harbor the threat and spread it to other reptiles that may not have the natural immunity. This has been prevalent in nature for decades- and recreating the effect in a terrarium will be just as unfortunately easy to be done. More obvious is the fact that many reptiles will be likely to eat other reptiles when forced to. Even in humans this condition is show via cannibalism- although it doesn't take much effort for some reptiles to turn on their own kind or similar species. In this case, it's best to keep stress levels down and plenty of food and water present or attacks and fights may occur between the different species of reptiles. Lastly, the terrarium is a matter in itself. Most terrariums are not big enough to accommodate the needs of each individual pet. A spacious area will be required to prevent stress fights, and overcrowding issues that can prove to be quite harmful to all pets that coexist in the terrarium. Thus, it's best to invest in a medium to large sized terrarium in order to give pets the best chance at a happy and efficient life in a terrarium. Final Thoughts Overall, it's generally not a good idea for beginners to take on the task of putting together a mini ecosystem. Only experts in reptiles who can figure out the best interactions and environments to place multiple reptiles in should proceed to accomplish any of the aforementioned tasks. In the end, it's usually best just to keep same species together in different terrariums to avoid confusion and problems.
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