Leopard geckos are common pet lizards due to characteristics related to breeding, pairing, and more. Experts regard them as the easiest reptiles to breed because of the minor requirements for initiating the process and the easy availability of food.
Leopard Geckos are not better in pairs since they are solitary creatures with large territorial ranges. These pets are solitary, and they should only be in pairs when mating. It’s highly advisable to avoid bringing two Leopard Geckos together because these reptiles don’t like the presence of others of their kind.
It’s safer to keep your Leopard Geckos separately, but you can decide to breed two females or a male and female breed. Two male leopard geckos may fight consistently for essential resources to survive since they are highly territorial in most scenarios.
Some uninformed owners may decide to breed two leopard geckos for a long time and observe a severe fight at a specific instance in the future. When you pair these reptiles, they may end up causing injuries in each other’s body parts like legs, toes, or arms.
If you decide to pair your leopard geckos, you’ll observe that they only end up surviving instead of thriving. In other words, they will have moments of confrontation due to the need for resources and may consistently cause disorganization in the environment.
Are there any Benefits/Downfalls to Pairing Leopard Geckos in Enclosure?
Yes, there are benefits of pairing leopard geckos in an enclosure. Unfortunately, there are also disadvantages of pairing them. One of the significant advantages to pairing these reptiles in an enclosure is socialization between the geckos. A major downfall is the consistent attacks that these reptiles may cause between each other.
There are several upsides to pairing leopard geckos in an enclosure, even if these benefits don’t justify the decision. “Socialization” is on top of the benefits list because when two geckos are familiar with each other, it may reduce the acts of defensiveness and aggressiveness.
Naturally, when you pair two geckos out of the blues, it leads to a severe level of initial aggressiveness that could cause injuries and other complications. Apart from the benefit to the gecko, it would also cost less for you to house two of these reptiles in the same space, compared to different ones.
Most large-scale breeders try avoiding the task of cleaning, feeding, or maintaining two different enclosures. For this reason, they intelligently pair a female and male leopard gecko or several females and a male for fewer troubles or competition and fewer expenses.
Undoubtedly, pairing leopard geckos in an enclosure has its benefits, but they come at a cost. It could be more advisable to pair them differently as an owner because severe injuries from fights could result in these reptiles’ death in specific scenarios.
Should You Mix Sexes of Leopard Geckos?
Yes, you can decide to mix sexes of leopard geckos, but it shouldn’t be a one-to-one pairing. In a conventional group of leopard geckos, there are four to five females and a male. Mixing multiple males will lead to confrontations or fights related to territory.
You can mix the sexes of leopard geckos because male ones typically demonstrate courtship behavior towards females. When a male leopard gecko is in the same enclosure, they only display territoriality.
Mixing sexes of leopard geckos can be dangerous and less horrible compared to that of mixing males. A male gecko may raise itself from the ground, extend its limbs and arch its back in aggression towards females when they are shedding their skin. Note that the males continue to express courtship behaviors to the females before and after shedding the skin.
When mating occurs between two opposite sexes of leopard geckos, they can produce as many as three clutches from one or two different copulations. For this reason, you may not need the presence of a male for success in reproduction after mating due to mixing the sexes of the reptile.
When mixing sexes, you should also consider the body sizes of the reptiles. The two leopard geckos should be similar in size and overall body weight. Large male leopard geckos may intimidate smaller females, making them hide in specific positions.
Do Leopard Geckos get Lonely?
Leopard geckos don’t get lonely because they are solitary animals, which means they are not social. If a leopard gecko owner ignores its reptile for a period or doesn’t feed them, it may cause a significant level of loneliness and discomfort for the reptiles.
Most individuals feel that raising their leopard geckos alone in their vivarium makes them lonely with time, but that’s not accurate. Leopard geckos don’t have equal levels of emotions like humans, and they are highly unsocial compared to most humans.
Reptiles like leopard geckos can only need a partner when it’s time for mating. In other words, it’s more advisable to keep these geckos alone, except you need to bring two of them together for breeding. Leopard geckos are cold-blooded, which also means that making them active or occupied can be discomforting for these reptiles.
If you’re new to owning a leopard gecko, you should note that these reptiles can stay in a specific position for an extended period. When you observe that your gecko is sitting in a specific spot without any movement, it’s due to the cold-blooded nature.
Most leopard geckos decide to remain in a specific position because they don’t want to get active, which doesn’t relate to their emotions. If you want to prevent your leopard gecko from getting hurt, you should consider getting a partner due to presumptions of loneliness.
Should You Add a Second Leopard Gecko?
Yes, you can add a second leopard gecko if your first one is female. However, if your original leopard gecko is male, you should avoid including another male in the same terrarium. It’s essential to avoid keeping two unevenly sized leopard geckos together. So, if your first leopard gecko is tiny, don’t keep a huge one next to it.
If you want to take the safest approach, adding a second leopard gecko may be very inadvisable. Picking a three-foot vivarium for both leopard geckos may also help reduce competition for some significant resources due to more space.
The best approach to owning two leopard geckos is to keep them in separate places. There’s a high possibility that a female and male leopard gecko challenges each other for various reasons, including mating and territorial issues.
Several individuals house various leopard geckos, but they need to deal with the troubles of keeping them in the same vivarium. One of the crucial steps to take if you observe your leopard geckos fighting is separating them and putting one at room temperature for 24 to 48 hours.
When you observe any form of violence after adding a second leopard gecko, you can separate them into two sides of the vivarium. Ensure that the “heat mat” that you use for regulating temperature is on both sides of the vivarium for the two leopard geckos.
Will Leopard Geckos Fight?
Leopard geckos will fight when there’s a need for them to challenge each other. They are territorial reptiles, which means that they protect their territory by fighting with other leopard geckos. When these reptiles fight, they often get severe injuries and sometimes lose their tails.
In most cases, leopard geckos are always together in pet stores, which is very deceptive to potential owners. In those stories, you don’t observe them fighting because there wasn’t a significant reason to engage in violence. It’s either they are all significantly small or sexually immature for mating.
One of the significant reasons why leopard geckos typically fight is their dominant behavior. These reptiles are bite tails and “slap” their bodies when they are aggressive and dominant. Some owners may have the misconception that this level of violence is only prominent in the male species, but that is inaccurate. Female species of leopard geckos also display territorial behaviors in some scenarios.
Leopard geckos also tend to fight or display aggressive behavior when the temperature is off. These reptiles’ natural habitat is from the Middle East and some regions of India, which is naturally hot. Note that at night, those habitats also get very cold.
The most common reason why leopard geckos fight is due to their natural breeding behavior. Both female and male geckos get extremely territorial during mating time. These reptiles conventionally wag their tails and chase each other during and after fighting sessions.
Should Leopard Geckos be Same Age Class?
Leopard geckos don’t have to be the same age class because it wouldn’t change their innate behavior. However, it’s more advisable for them to range around the same size to even the odds of violence between them. A leopard gecko’s territorial behavior is more dependent on the reptile’s size and level of dominance compared to age class.
You can know the age class of your leopard gecko by observing the patterns on it. Most of the adult ones have spotted bands instead of the full ones. Hence, if you don’t observe any spots, it signifies that the reptile is below a year old.
You can approximate the age of your leopard gecko by observing its length and weight in some cases. When these reptiles are between 3 to 8 inches, it means that they are still young. On the other hand, when they exceed 8 inches, it signifies a significant level of maturity.
In terms of weight, most immature leopard geckos are typically between 2 grams to 30 grams, between birth and three months after. The adult geckos usually weigh between 55 grams to 80 grams as adults.
It’s crucial to note that you shouldn’t use the geckos’ weight to measure age when they exceed adulthood. The weight of most of these reptiles after adulthood depends on several factors. So, using that to determine their respective ages is inappropriate.
Can you put Two Baby Leopard Geckos Together?
Yes, you can put two baby leopard geckos together without a fight. Most sellers typically keep two of these reptiles together after hatching. Owners should keep as much as four per ten gallons of enclosure till they become a little older or juveniles.
If you decide to put two baby leopard geckos together after hatching, you should feed them appropriately. Generally, both of the baby leopard geckos can eat crickets. Adults of these reptiles typically eat mealworms, but it’s challenging to get small enough mealworms for the babies.
Baby leopard geckos should get a ton of space, preferably 10 to 20 gallons. It’s also essential for their habitat walls to be high enough to prevent them from moving over the sides.
As an owner, you’ll love baby leopard geckos because they like to be handled and enjoy the bond with their owners. Ensure that you’re careful when holding your baby reptiles because they don’t have a well-developed skeletal system at their young age.
Baby leopard geckos also show signs that they are experiencing stress, like the adult ones. These reptiles wag their tails fast or hide in different regions of their habitat. If you want a better chance of bonding, getting a baby leopard gecko is more advisable than mature ones.
What Can and Cannot Live With Leopard Geckos?
No reptile or animal can live with leopard geckos in the same enclosure. Since these reptiles are solitary, it’s not safe for them to stay with other species. Avoid mixing leopard geckos with other reptiles like crested geckos, chameleons, anoles, iguanas, or bearded dragons.
Even though it isn’t advisable to mix leopard geckos with any reptile or lizard, you can keep them all as babies. Breeding two baby lizards of different species in the same tank may not have adverse effects compared to when they are adults.
A significant question that many reptile lovers may also ask is, “Can I keep my leopard gecko with a snake?” Snakes are also reptiles, but it’s crucial to keep them away from the gecko’s vivarium. Like leopard geckos, it’s best to house snakes singly in different tanks, except for their exact species.
If you love reptiles, you may also know that keeping insects like bugs or mealworms around them is dangerous. Leopard geckos feed on pets, so having some around is risky.
Conclusion
Leopard geckos are great pets for those who love reptiles or lizards. However, the major challenge in housing them is their level of aggressiveness to other leopard geckos. Both male and female geckos tend to show a form of territoriality to their kind that typically leads to severe injuries. Hence, if you’re strongly thinking of getting two leopard geckos, ensure they are in different enclosures.