While I would certainly agree that enclosures provided should be as large as possible, access to natural sunlight and adequate diet is at least as important. We have had young adult C. nublia produce viable eggs in cages with as little as 3.25 square meters of floor space. A more appropriate size, however, for a large adult pair would be at least 9 square meters of floor area supplied with several basking sites. Visual barriers can be helpful in reducing stress during breeding and nesting seasons. We have tried several different arrangements for establishing breeding groups including pairs, trios and quads.
Females are often quite aggressive toward one another and nearly always establish a pecking order.
Submissive females often do not do well and usually remain smaller and exhibit a slower growth rate then their dominant counterparts. Relationships sometimes change very quickly in an apparently compatible trio or quad. Even after many peaceful months together, a subordinate female may suddenly be found with missing digits or more serious lacerations. The most compatible group has proven, not surprisingly, to be one male and one female. We arrange cages in such a way that males can see one another and display back and forth.