Question: Mormoratus with kaiseri?

[FRANCOIS]

Hello, I know how many feel (me included) about mixing different species.
Anyway, I have 2 young adult newts, one mormoratus and one kaiseri, both CB 2010, they are both doing great and roughly the same size. kaiseri (Ayatollah) is in a nice semi aquatic set-up, mormoratus (Jerome) lives in a terrestrial set-up.
I wanted to intruduce Jerome to water, could I place him in the tank with Ayatollah?
I own them for many months now and do not need quarantine.
What do you think of the idea? Of course it would not be forever...
Thanks
Francois

 

[FRANCOIS]

Common guys, any suggestion?

 

[Mark]

No would be my suggestion. Why not offer more water to the kaiseri in it’s own set-up, if that’s what you want to try (although a juvenile kaiseri will be perfectly happy kept 100% terrestrial)? I believe good husbandry practice is to minimise risk to animals in our care and always strive to achieve optimal living conditions. Mixing species just adds avoidable risks.

 

[Jennewt]

For introducing the marmoratus to water, I would start him out with a shallow setup. Making the kaiseri's setup shallower isn't going to do him any good.

Also, there is a big difference in eating habits. I can easily imagine the marmoratus eating all the food, and possibly eating a few pieces from the kaiseri while he's at it.

And then there is just the general stress factor - they are more likely to be stressed by an animal of another species than by another of their own species.

I wouldn't do it. It seems to me that you've gone to a lot of trouble to acquire exactly the species you want (one of each), so why take a chance that this might not work?

 

[FRANCOIS]

I won't do it... Jen you are absolutely right, they are both doing so well that it would not make much sense to change that...
Thanks for the reply!