crabs and lizards

Miko · Post by **Miko** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 12:50 am

so my husband came to me yesterday and asked me if lizards and crabs get along and if they can be in the same tank...i told him i didnt think so but would ask what do yall think??

ashdawn14 · Post by **ashdawn14** » Thu Apr 03, 2014 1:17 am

Not a good idea, honestly. First of all, most lizards sold in pet stores or native to North America have very different needs in terms of substrate, temperature, and humidity. The leopard gecko, for example, needs higher heat (85-95 degrees) and much less humidity (50% minimum)Even if you found a lizard who had the same optimal conditions as your crabs, you have to deal with space issues (it looks like you probably have a 10g tank currently?) and possible behavior/aggression issues that no one here (or at a petstore) might be able to predict. It's really best to keep separate species in their own tanks.

Mikau132 · Post by **Mikau132** » Wed May 28, 2014 8:41 am

THe only lizard that I have found to enjoy the same conditions as hermits is the Crested or Eyelash Gecko. I have one myself and his tank is right next to the hermits' tank. They enjoy staring at each other through the glass but they stay separate. I think this would be one of the best candidates for mixed species playdates, but I've been too scared to try in the past, and sadly the two groups will probably never meet without a barrier in between them.

Crabber85 · Post by **Crabber85** » Wed May 28, 2014 9:23 am

The answer is nope hermitcrabs may live along side other animals in the wild but the small confines of our enclosures combined with the bacteria laced feces of reptiles is a perfect storm for hermitcrabs.Hermitcrabs will eat anything in the enclosure including the feces of other animals and all reptiles harbor salmonella in their intestinal tract and frequently shed it into their feces meaning that the hermitcrab would become infected and a tool for spreading it to you.Hermitcrabs in the wild have resilient immune systems but captive hermits do not so what might not make them sick in the wild could be a potential health risk to them in captivity and subsequently us.I do know that certain types of amphibians such as frogs produce a toxin(basically parasites or bacteria that has been shed from the intestines)that will kill hermitcrabs.The general guideline here don't put anything other than hermitcrabs with hermitcrabs as its just not safe for them or for us.