As a Leo lover, you may think of adding another leopard gecko or owning more than one. However, leopard geckos are solitary creatures and prefer living alone except during breeding.
So, can two leopard geckos live together? Two leopard geckos can live together, but this may not be a good idea given that geckos are territorial creatures who want to claim dominance. Generally, two female geckos can live together but not two male geckos. Geckos can also live peacefully with each other when they are young, usually before seven months of age.
In the wild, leopard geckos can live in clusters comprising a group of females, or a single male, living with females. The gender of the geckos dictates how peaceful they can coexist within the group. Emulating either option when you raise your leopard gecko in captivity will enable them to coexist peacefully.
If you think your leopard gecko might get lonely from living alone, you are undoubtedly wrong. Leopard geckos are solitary and prefer to stay alone. However, some people have had success housing more than one gecko in a tank, but, in most cases, this is more of a strain rather than peaceful cohabitation between the two reptiles.
Leopard geckos are cold-blooded animals and prefer to remain docile rather than active to preserve as much energy as possible; hence, they do not get lonely. Cold-blooded animals have difficulty in replacing energy, unlike warm-blooded animals.
For this reason, they will move or become active only if there is a need. Therefore, if you see your pet lying in a particular way and area for too long, do not assume that they are bored for not having a partner in their tank. The only time you can bring in a partner is when you want to breed. Otherwise, your pet is much more comfortable and at peace staying alone in their tank.
As a pet owner, you may feel the need to add another leopard to your home. However, does this mean you’ll need to buy an extra tank, or you’ll just accommodate it in the already existing tank?
It is better to only house 1 adult leopard gecko in a single enclosure as housing 2 adults can be problematic. Housing a smaller leopard gecko with an adult gecko can be dangerous, as the adult gecko might still harass the little one and make them stressed. This will cause the little one to stop feeding, resulting in stunted growth or even death. If possible, you should host your geckos singly in their tanks to prevent fights that result in stress.
Another option that seems doable is keeping two females in one tank. While this has worked for some owners, it is not lasting. If you host female geckos in pairs, they are more likely to fight over food, water, dry hides, and heat source. In most cases, the bigger female will bully the smaller one, denying them access to these facilities.
The intimidated gecko will then stress out and stay hungry, which can be fatal if you do not manage the situation. Thus, it is advisable to keep your two females together if you want to test their coexistence, but it is better to separate them if they are unable.
Also, getting your leopard gecko a partner can make it feel threatened. This will make them become defensive and attack the other gecko. Gecko attacks will result in scratches, bites, and dropped tails. This is especially with male geckos, with each seeking dominance. The intimidated male will become stressed and fail to eat, resulting in health problems.
Smaller geckos also have no problem living together. However, when they reach maturity, they will find each other’s presence unbearable, resulting in constant fights. You may also notice your pets cuddling each other, and as long as they are not mating, it is a way of asserting dominance. Thus, as a pet owner, you should separate the geckos as soon as you notice this to prevent stress.
Do Geckos Like To Live In Pairs?
Considering geckos are solitary animals, they only come together during the breeding season. However, does it mean that they can’t live together in pairs?
Geckos would prefer to live alone rather than in pairs as many things can go wrong. Thus, even if you think your pet is lonely, do not get them a partner. Getting your pet a partner can cause it to get stressed over sharing its habitat with another. A stressed gecko will refrain from eating and become inactive, affecting its health. Thus, before housing your leopard geckos in one tank, you should consider their sex, size, health, and tank size.
The only suitable time to house a male and female leopard gecko is during the mating season. Housing a male and female gecko in one tank will encourage breeding. To do this, you can put a single male together with a group of females.
This way, the male will mate with most, if not all, the females in the tank. The females will then lay eggs and leave them to hatch. You might need to check the eggs regularly as leopard geckos do not have good mothering instincts and will most likely abandon their eggs after laying and hatching.
After hatching, you should separate the older leopard geckos from the small hatchlings as they may harm them. When housing male and female geckos for breeding purposes, you should note that a female gecko can produce eggs a maximum of eight times per season, beyond which it will stress their bodies and reduce their lifespan.
If you decide to house geckos in pairs, you should consider the size. Housing two female leopard geckos are the safest combination that most pet owners prefer. However, while doing this, you should pay attention to their size and house geckos of the same size together to prevent violence.
If you mix the bigger and smaller geckos, the bigger ones will pick on the smaller ones and injure them or deny them access to food. This will make them intimidated and hide to avoid violence. After your geckos hatch, it may be a good idea to house the small hatchlings together as they grow up. However, as they grow bigger, they are likely to be violent due to space and dominance.
While housing your geckos in one tank, you should consider their health and only have healthy geckos in one tank. If you house several geckos in a tank and one becomes sick, you should quarantine the sick gecko. Isolation will prevent the spread of the illness to the other geckos as the sick one receives treatment. Also, isolation will increase the chances for your gecko to survive.
Usually, geckos will take advantage of each other’s weaknesses and attack the weak ones. A sick gecko will also not be able to access food, and their condition might worsen and result in death while in the tank. If you buy a new gecko, you may also need to quarantine it before mixing it with the rest as a health precaution to prevent the spread of illness to the healthy ones.
Species is also a factor you should consider when housing geckos in pairs. If your geckos are of different species, you should house them separately to prevent other leopard geckos from picking on them because due to the physical difference. This means that leopard geckos should stay with other leopard geckos and not mixed with the crested geckos.
Finally, even if your leopard geckos seem to get along well in pairs, they will likely fight if you cram them up together in a tiny space. This will most likely be triggered by food, water, and hiding areas. Overcrowding will also make your pets stressed and can result in illness. Space requirements in geckos will vary depending on the species.
For a leopard gecko, a 20-gallon tank will be ideal for a pair, and a 30gallon tank for up to five geckos. Also, while making a spacious tank, ensure it is not too big as you might find it difficult to maintain cleanliness. An extra-large tank may also make it difficult for your pet to hunt live food. Getting a bigger tank reduces territorial aggression and fights as the leopard geckos will not bounce on each other every time in the tank.
Final Thoughts
Leopard geckos, unlike human beings, are not social creatures and will be okay staying alone. The only time your gecko will stay with another gecko in the same tank is during breeding, which should be for a short period. If you want to prevent bullying between your geckos, you should avoid getting them partners. The dominant gecko will stop the weaker one from feeding, lying, or sitting the way they want and stress them out.
Given the above risks, the only time two geckos can coexist in one tank is if the tank is big enough to hold them. However, this is not a guarantee for ultimate peace, and long as an opportunity presents itself requiring competition, for instance, food, your pets will fight. Thus, it is best to house your leopard geckos separately than allow them to live together.
