Do Bearded Dragons And Chameleons Get Along?

If you own a bearded dragon and you are thinking of bringing home a chameleon too then one of the first things you probably want to know is if bearded dragons and chameleons get along?

Once you have confidently owned and cared for a bearded dragon for some time, it’s natural for many reptile lovers to consider adding another reptile such as a chameleon to your family home too.

Before you do, you obviously need to know if they can get along as no owner wants to create an environment where their pets are stressed and unhappy.

In this post, we have researched the opinions of top vets and experts so you can be sure if bearded dragons and chameleons are compatible in the same home before you make the final decision/

So do bearded dragons and chameleons get along? Bearded dragons and chameleons can live in the same family home but it’s unlikely they will ever interact and be friendly with each other. The personalities and housing requirements of both reptiles are vastly different and this makes it hard for them to be compatible.

Read on to discover…

If bearded dragons and chameleons can get along when housed in the same room?
If bearded dragons and chameleons can get along when housed in the same tank?
If bearded dragons and chameleons can get along when in direct contact with each other?

Do Bearded Dragons & Chameleons Get Along When Housed In The same Room?

If you have a bearded dragon and you are thinking of adding a chameleon to the same room then there are a few things you need to consider first.

We are going to assume that you are going to be housing the reptiles in separate tanks (see the section below if you are considering housing them in the same tank).

The first thing you need to consider is that both reptiles are naturally solitary so they prefer their own space.

If you have a bearded dragon that’s been happily living in a room by its self for some time and all of a sudden there’s a new reptile in the room then it may take some getting used to.

The same can be said for the chameleon, if they are housed in a strange place room with an unfamiliar reptile then this can cause stress for them also.

How easily they adapt to the situation will ultimately depend on their individual personalities.

Even though bearded dragons are placid reptiles, they can easily become aggressive in certain situations when they feel threatened.

Bearded dragons can get angry and feel threatened in surprising situations, we have written a post that lists the 12 reasons why they get angry here.

As we mentioned above, chameleons are equally capable of showing a dislike to the presence of another reptile sharing the same room as a living space.

Simple Same Room Housing Method For Reptiles

To successfully house a bearded dragon and a chameleon in the same room we recommend you use this simple method…

Place the bearded dragons and chameleons tank at different ends of the same room. This distance should allow them to live in the same room without feeling threatened by each other.

If one or both of the reptiles are showing signs of feeling threatened then persist with the arrangement for one week to see if they settle down and accept the new family member.

It’s important to provide both your bearded dragon and chameleon with tank decor that allows them to feel safe as this can make a huge difference to their mood.

Here’s a post we created that lists our recommended tank decor for your bearded dragon including caves and hides so they will feel at home in a natural habitat.

If the one or both reptiles still feels uncomfortable with the housing arrangement then move one of their tanks so they can’t see each other.

This should usually be enough to stop any territorial conflict or stress caused by multiple reptiles housed in the same room.

If none of the above methods works then you only really have one option and that’s to move one of the reptiles to another room in your home.

This may not be ideal but you can’t have reptiles that are constantly stressed as this isn’t good for their health.

For this reason, we would always recommend that you ensure you have an alternate room where you can house either your bearded dragon or chameleon before you even go out and purchase a second reptile just in case things don’t work out as planned.

Do Bearded Dragons & Chameleons Get Along Housed In The Same Tank?

Many owners that are wanting to introduce a chameleon into the same home as their bearded dragon will probably want to know if they can be housed in the same tank?

We can understand for cost and logistical reasons why this might seem like a good idea, however, you should never house a bearded dragon and chameleon in the same tank.

This is backed up by Pet-MD who say that two different species of reptile should never be housed together.

This is particularly true for bearded dragons and chameleons as they both have vastly different housing requirements.

Let’s take a look at some of the housing requirements that make it a poor decision to even consider housing a bearded dragon and chameleon together.

A Difference In Humidity Levels

A major factor as to why bearded dragons and chameleons can’t occupy the same tank is the difference in humidity levels they require to be healthy.

NC State Veterinary Hospital says bearded dragons need humidity levels of between 20-40% while ExoticPetVet.com recommends humidity levels of 80-90% for veiled chameleons.

This vast difference in tank humidity alone makes it impossible to house these reptiles in the same tank.

If this was even attempted one or both of them would likely become very ill depending on whether you decided to raise or lower to humidity to accommodate the bearded dragon or chameleon.

The humidity levels are so important to these two reptiles as bearded dragons generally come from dry desert-style environments, while chameleons originate from humid rains forest environments.

As well as having the correct tank setup, having a tank that’s the correct size is vital for your reptile’s health.

Check out this post where we walk you through the correct size tank you need for your bearded dragon depending on their age.

Different Tank Environment

Due to the fact that bearded dragons and chameleons have vastly different natural habitats, they also need different tank setups too.

We have just mentioned how the humidity levels of both reptiles are vastly different.

Another big difference is how they consume their water. Because of the humidity of a chameleons natural habitat they find water in different ways.

Avian & Exotic state Chameleons usually drink water from droplets that form on plant leaves. In captivity, this is often replicated by providing a water drop system.

For this to work, you obviously need to create a habitat that provides many plants. While bearded dragons are used to habitats with plants, they aren’t used to the vast amount that would be required for a chameleon.

A bearded dragon that’s used to rocks, caves and the minimal plants wouldn’t feel at home in the natural habitat of a chameleon and vice-versa.

We’ve created a list of best tank decor and accessories to create an amazing habitat for your bearded dragon that won’t break the bank!

The Need For Personal Space

Even though this isn’t an actual housing requirement as such, every bearded dragon and chameleon needs their own space.

These reptiles are generally solitary creatures and housing them together even if you somehow managed to create a habitat that suited them both would be a bad idea.

Bearded Dragons can get territorial when housed with other bearded dragons let alone other species of lizard.

If this were to happen the consequences could be fatal for one of the lizards.

The experts at Pet-MD also talk about how chameleons can have aggressive tendencies even when captive-bred.

It’s safe to say that no two reptiles species should be kept in the same tank, let alone a bearded dragon and chameleon.

Do Bearded Dragons & Chameleons Get Along When In Direct Contact?

As we were researching for this post, we found lots of veterinary sites talking about how chameleons don’t like to be handled.

One such site that goes into detail about this is Avian & Exotic who say over handling chameleons can cause them to become stressed.

Many chameleon owners often say that owning chameleons is much like owning fish, “you enjoy them by observing them and not by handling them”.

For this reason, there probably isn’t going to be many times when you will be handling your chameleon outside of their tank.

This also means that your bearded dragon probably won’t come into direct contact with your chameleon.

Some reptile species can both be handled outside of the tank at the same time and even run around on the floor and become comfortable with each other.

This is highly unlikely with a chameleon due to their solitary and unsociable nature.

For this reason, we will say that bearded dragons and chameleons are highly unlikely to get along when in direct contact with each other even though they will rarely get the chance to anyway.

Even though we have focused on the chameleon being unsocial, bearded dragons would much rather be alone too.

It’s not just being aggressive that’s the problem, reptiles can also feel threatened and stressed too.

This can cause bearded dragons in particular to produce all sorts of behaviours such as head bobbing and arm waving.

We’ve got two great posts that explain the reasons why bearded dragons wave their arm and bob their heads and lots of the reasons may surprise you.

In the long run, it’s probably better to keep these two reptiles separate and let them enjoy their own space.