Mixing Species

[TKexotics]

Haha, we where thinking the same thing...

[MantellaGuy]

I wrote this some time ago as pointers for people to consider when considering mixing species! I posted the lot instead of the link though!

Hope it helps

Introduction

This is something I have seen asked by New Keepers quite a lot of in the past and its something that's constantly increasing, which is Species Mixing. It’s something that gets asked more than most care requirements, which is quite worrying to say the least, in my opinion.*In past experiences I have seen many strange and quite frankly silly cases of lack of research performed prior to buying either one species or two, I have even seen someone who has bought a incredibly rare and endangered species (not in fantastic health either) and only ask about how to breed them simply for the money aspect it could fetch then keep them with species from the wrong climate.

I have also seen an increase in people mixing species without even knowing the dangers or checking important husbandry factors such as Temperatures/Habitat requirements etc that maybe very different between species.

Mixing Species

Firstly, for those of you just starting out in the hobby/profession, the practicing of Mixing Species should be done at your own risk with only you to be account for the situations that arise from it. The practice is highly frowned upon in the Hobby, this is even more so when you don’t have enough, if any experience with keeping species with their own kind.

Here are some of the excuses that get used by new keepers when they ask about mixing:

■ Zoo Exhibit.
■Shop does it.
■Both species are similar (example: Both are frogs/snakes etc).
■Both have a similar name (example: Bearded Dragon & Water Dragon).
■Seen a lot of keepers do it.

There are many more, I have even had someone say to me “Surely it’s more natural though?” It’s far from natural, for starters the wild doesn’t have Glass/Wooden Walls which prevent Flight behaviours.You may see the practice of mixing species being performed either by other keepers or in Zoo displays, which don’t very often work out or end in disaster. It's something, especially in a zoo environment, which is just used for looks and appearances in exhibits and also for lack of space; I have heard the “I saw it in a Zoo though” excuse being used numerous times by people.There are so many reasons for not doing this and there is a lot you have to think about before even considering trying it out.

Here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t and what you should think about (everyone feel free to add to list):

■Cross Contamination: This is a huge risk due to many Zoonotic Diseases that other species may contract through unnatural contact with an unfamiliar species. This can be avoided by Quarantining (QT) or Isolation (ISO) however this can only be the case with same species mixing.
■Natural Species Occurrence/Origin Range: Do the animals actually come across each other naturally in the wild? Believe it or not, this happens quite a lot where species that wouldn’t even come from the same Continent get mixed together. I have come across new keepers that have had species suggested to them immediately ask “Can species A go with species B?” Take a moment and quickly research the basic question “What’s there country of origin?” I have also seen people completely unaware of the fact two animals they keep together require different habitats, which is down to not being bothered to do research.
■Habitat Requirements: Do they require the same Habitat, Set-up and Habitat Requirements? This does tie in with the above bullet point about Natural Species Occurrence but factors such as Temperature, Humidity or Habitat behaviour such as being Arboreal, Terrestrial, Aquatic, Fossorial etc vary from species to species.
■Possible Spread of Disease: If they are Wild Caught (WC) specimens, certain diseases may lie dormant for long periods of time or they could be carriers (sort of cross contamination but I thought it was too important not to write), species such as African Clawed Frogs are carriers of certain strains of Chytrid Fungus.
■Possibility of Toxin Secretion: Amphibians all have natural toxins, these are all species specific but they could easily poison each other if either species is stressed enough to secrete them.
■Stress Related Reasons: Causing the animal(s) stress from being with a species they may not naturally come across. Stress can easily lower the immune system and cause illnesses which can lead to Death or future health problems that can reoccur or permanently stay. Chameleons are a good example of this, Chameleons are very sensitive to their surroundings and being in with another species would cause much unneeded stress.
■Size of the Individuals (Same species applies): Caudata can be cannibalistic if they ever get the chance, especially when in larval form. However mixing young specimens which are considerably smaller than full grown Adults is a bad idea also, for obvious reasons. Most species, even with its own kind, have the risk of eating each other due to size which can be a Sexually Dimorphic trait (Differences between sexes with Size, Ornamentation or Behaviour), however in however it can be simply plain greed which is the case with White’s Tree Frogs which are notorious for doing so.
■Risk of Attacking/Eating each other: Like I have said above some may attack either in defence or because they view the other species as a possible food source. This can even occur with Fish species being kept with a Caudata species such as Axolotls.
■Unnatural Breeding/Hybrid Specimens: It is possible for this to happen depending on the animals such as Poison Dart Frogs, Mantella and Tylototriton. It isn’t something that can be easily achieved however it is a reason worth bringing up; hybridisation is highly frowned upon especially with endangered or threatened species. In the wild, this has become a factor behind the decline of certain species, one being the Japanese Giant Salamander (Andrias japonicus) which is threatened by the introduction of the Chinese Giant Salamander (Andrias davidianus) that isn’t just a competitor, but also capable of breeding with them.
■Space Requirements: Is the enclosure is big enough to allow each individual animal to pick a retreat and live it's lifestyle without interference from others? Allowing enough Hides is vital. Even a big enclosure wouldn't be natural for two species to coexist together, don't forget the wild doesn’t have glass walls to boxes in animals.

(If you know of anymore reasons then feel free to comment with what reasons you think are worth mentioning.)

Either way, mixing species does contradict some of the Five Animal Needs that are used for a basis of Livestock Husbandry, those being:

■Freedom to Express Normal Behaviour*- by providing sufficient enclosure conditions and company of the animal's own species or avoiding company of unfamiliar species.
■Freedom from Fear and Distress*- by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering and anguish.

As I said before, experienced keepers who have either have experience with mixing species or even just keeping amphibians in general, should be the only people mixing if it must be practiced.

Don’t use Mixing Species as an excuse or a solution to a problem such as not having enough space for another Tank, can’t afford to buy other equipment or because you can’t decide between the two or more species, mixing can really cause more problems than it is actually worth in the long run. If you can’t afford to buy another Tank with Set-up then wait, be patient while you save up for what you need, which will also give you time to do more research into husbandry of the species.The subject of mixing is one that’s constantly under debate as some keepers have never had problems with the practice, but there are numerous incidents where mixing has had a bad outcome.

Either way, people all have their own personal opinion on the subject, they may agree, disagree or even delve deeper into the subject but most aspects are agreed upon.Just do plenty of research prior to either buying a individual species, as there is a lot of people purchasing animals without bothering to do the tiniest amount of research before hand. If a pet shop tells you its ok, just double check to make sure as at the end of the day they are out to make money and not all of them care (Some shops are simply amazing and have a lot of good knowledge, these will also not advise mixing unless you are experienced). However, at the end of the day it is up to you if you want to try doing this and no one can stop you from doing it.Thank you for reading and hope this helps those of you new to the hobby or if you’re trying to specialise in a certain area.*

MantellaGuy

This is a huge topic which nearly always ends up in arguments, I will have none of that here please. So think, before you type with your own opinions.