Vote for BP.Net for the 2013 Forum of the Year! Click here for more info.

» Site Navigation

» Home
 > FAQ

» Online Users: 536

0 members and 536 guests
No Members online
Most users ever online was 6,337, 01-24-2020 at 04:30 AM.

» Today's Birthdays

Ziggy31984 (40)

» Stats

Members: 75,014
Threads: 248,474
Posts: 2,568,391
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
Welcome to our newest member, DetectiveIcarus
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 11
  1. #1
    Registered User Lizrd_boy's Avatar
    Join Date
    05-09-2021
    Location
    New York, USA
    Posts
    160
    Thanks
    73
    Thanked 128 Times in 78 Posts
    Images: 12

    Leopard gecko cohab

    I had a bit of an argument with someone on cohabbing leopard geckos. I think that 2 females can be cohabbed if you keep a close eye on them to make sure they are both eating and aren't fighting, but the other person thinks no non-communal reptile should be housed together, ever. Of course, I think the cons outweigh the pros by far, but does anyone have any thoughts/experience on cohabbing reptiles?
    My name is Josiah, proud owner of Lenetta and Lea the leopard geckos and Bluebelly the fence lizard.

  2. #2
    BPnet Veteran Erie_herps's Avatar
    Join Date
    03-08-2021
    Location
    Midwest, USA
    Posts
    278
    Thanks
    989
    Thanked 379 Times in 201 Posts
    I think it completely depends on the species. With some (like mourning geckos) it might be necessary, with others (like bearded dragons) it can be beneficial but take much more work and a much, much larger enclosure. I would say leopard geckos are a species that there are very little pros and much more cons. They aren't social in nature and there aren't many (if any) observed benefits by people that have done that. I'm of the opinion that pretty much no reptiles should be cohabitated. I think that some could be cohabitated but you would need to be prepared to put in 5x the money, space, and effort. It also depends what you mean by "can be", does that mean that they can be kept without killing each other, any major negative effects, or it benefits them?

  3. The Following User Says Thank You to Erie_herps For This Useful Post:

    Bogertophis (05-24-2022)

  4. #3
    BPnet Senior Member
    Join Date
    06-07-2018
    Posts
    1,004
    Thanks
    1,295
    Thanked 1,875 Times in 824 Posts
    Images: 7
    I actually have been co-habing female Leo's for a while.

    Yes, you will need to monitor for any aggression or stress. Some females don't mind co-habing and others are absolutely loners. Anything that looks like flakey bits of dry skin is usually an early sign of aggression from warning nips and the sharp teeth. I would separate those immediately before stress or aggression gets worse.

    You will need multiple hides for warm and cool side and I wouldn't go any smaller than a 20 gallon. I've always kept my cohabs in at larger sizes habitats. (My current 2 co-habers have been in a 34 gal)

    I like to keep a dish of vitamin/calcium powder and a dish of mealworms at all times. That way they can go in their own time and feed. If you're only feeding a small amount at specific times you will need to hand feed and make sure they are all eating enough/not being bullied away from food.
    Last edited by Armiyana; 05-24-2022 at 06:51 PM.

  5. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Armiyana For This Useful Post:

    Bogertophis (05-24-2022),Erie_herps (05-24-2022),Homebody (05-24-2022),Lizrd_boy (05-25-2022)

  6. #4
    Bogertophis's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-28-2018
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    20,178
    Thanks
    28,069
    Thanked 19,730 Times in 11,794 Posts
    Agree with Erie_herps: better not to take the chance. You might get away with co-habbing herps, depending on enclosure size (lots more space being best) & species, but there's always a risk.

    Even when breeding adult herps that don't normally attack each other, it can happen anyway, & since none of us can watch over them 24/7, it's better not to co-hab even those you think will be fine. I know bearded dragons are often raised in large group enclosures, for example, but a number of them end up with missing limbs or tails because another dragon bit them off. And that can result in infections & death also.

    Plenty of people get fooled with snakes, because they seem so passive with a "buddy", but in truth, they don't have a way to express their displeasure- they end up less healthy from the stress of competing for the optimal temperatures, food, or hiding places (that are often already taken by the roommate). These same animals may certainly run into each other in nature, but there's no comparison of an enclosure to the wide open spaces in nature.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  7. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Bogertophis For This Useful Post:

    Erie_herps (05-24-2022),Homebody (05-24-2022)

  8. #5
    BPnet Senior Member
    Join Date
    06-07-2018
    Posts
    1,004
    Thanks
    1,295
    Thanked 1,875 Times in 824 Posts
    Images: 7
    Linking this here because it does go into detail about cannibalism in leopard gecko's but also was a neat little study on colony life in the wild.

    https://www.researchgate.net/publica..._from_Pakistan

  9. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Armiyana For This Useful Post:

    Bogertophis (05-24-2022),Erie_herps (05-24-2022),Homebody (05-24-2022)

  10. #6
    Bogertophis's Avatar
    Join Date
    04-28-2018
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    20,178
    Thanks
    28,069
    Thanked 19,730 Times in 11,794 Posts

    Re: Leopard gecko cohab

    Quote Originally Posted by Armiyana View Post
    Linking this here because it does go into detail about cannibalism in leopard gecko's but also was a neat little study on colony life in the wild.

    https://www.researchgate.net/publica..._from_Pakistan

    That's quite a good read! And if nothing else, read the paragraph on FOOD.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  11. The Following User Says Thank You to Bogertophis For This Useful Post:

    Erie_herps (05-24-2022)

  12. #7
    BPnet Veteran Snagrio's Avatar
    Join Date
    08-11-2020
    Posts
    1,011
    Thanks
    187
    Thanked 1,313 Times in 572 Posts
    The section about how the locals believe leos are ultra venomous and can kill you instantly reminds me of a live-action Disney movie called Holes. In the movie set in a Texan desert, there's a fictitious species called the "yellow-spotted lizard" that were aggressive and could kill you in seconds with one bite.

    In reality they're just bearded dragons with non-toxic yellow paint spots on their backs.

  13. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Snagrio For This Useful Post:

    Bogertophis (05-24-2022),Lizrd_boy (05-25-2022)

  14. #8
    Registered User Lizrd_boy's Avatar
    Join Date
    05-09-2021
    Location
    New York, USA
    Posts
    160
    Thanks
    73
    Thanked 128 Times in 78 Posts
    Images: 12

    Re: Leopard gecko cohab

    By can be, I mean it's possible to keep two females together without any major negative effects. Really, I can't think of one pro and there are quite a few risks involved, so it's not really a good idea for most people. Of course, I'm not cohabbing mine and won't be anytime soon. Actually, the reason this whole thing started was that someone wasn't sure if a 20L was big enough for a single leopard, and I said that according to some people (personally I don't think it's big enough) it's actually large enough for two geckos, therefore it's definately big enough for one. She took it to mean I was suggesting he get two geckos in there. I wasn't sure so I decided to ask people who had actually done it since at that point it was two people arguing their personal opinions.
    My name is Josiah, proud owner of Lenetta and Lea the leopard geckos and Bluebelly the fence lizard.

  15. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Lizrd_boy For This Useful Post:

    Armiyana (05-26-2022),Bogertophis (05-25-2022)

  16. #9
    BPnet Veteran Erie_herps's Avatar
    Join Date
    03-08-2021
    Location
    Midwest, USA
    Posts
    278
    Thanks
    989
    Thanked 379 Times in 201 Posts
    Part of it depends on the individual gecko. Some might be fine being together while others might be constantly fighting and could lose tails.

  17. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Erie_herps For This Useful Post:

    Bogertophis (05-25-2022),dakski (05-31-2022),Lizrd_boy (05-27-2022)

  18. #10
    BPnet Senior Member
    Join Date
    06-07-2018
    Posts
    1,004
    Thanks
    1,295
    Thanked 1,875 Times in 824 Posts
    Images: 7
    Yeah, definitely depends on the individuals. Especially if you don't know if you have a "hot" female or not. And regardless of how well they get along, you will always need to do check ins regularly to look for any flakey looking spots or nipped toes or tails and separate them immediately.

    My cohabs are almost always set up while they are young. And they are about the same size. I've never added older geckos unless it's a male for breeding.
    There used to be a few breeders who would set up cohab groups for 2-3 females and add a male for breeding season. I don't know if that practice has gone now or what. I've been out of primarily leopard gecko groups for a while now. That was part of why I got into the habit of keeping Leo's in female pairs a long time ago. Even when I'm not actively attempting breeding it has just been something I maintain.

    Amusingly enough, I don't like keeping bearded dragons together because I have seen so much damage from fights and mishandled keeping from other people. I have seen a couple people who refused to separate male geckos after a small fight. Weirdly I saw a few people sounding like they're also against breeding Leos since the males can be a bit aggressive at times...but most arguments I've seen seem to point to someone trying to pair too young of a female and she gets injured. I just personally have never had issues with my girls. They're just fat and friendly little gals.

    It's seems to be one of those older keepers vs newer keepers things? Even Ron Tremper still maintains that "A 10 to 20 gallon aquarium houses one or two leopard gecko's from hatchling to adult size" on his website. In the wild, colonies of females have been found habitating together in more sheltered places as well as loners in more open areas. I definitely recommend a new keeper have their geckos kept separately. You definitely need to know how your average Leo acts and behaves before any attempt at pairing them. And again... I always push for the larger 20g + for any kind of co-habing. That way they can both have access to different hides and feed bowls if needed.

  19. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Armiyana For This Useful Post:

    Bogertophis (05-27-2022),dakski (05-31-2022),Erie_herps (05-27-2022),Lizrd_boy (05-27-2022)

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.1