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You probably got a leopard gecko and cannot imagine your life without it.
You love it so much that you are starting to think that reptiles are your thing, and yes, you want more of these loveable quirky little pets in your house.
Well, not so soon! Some species can coexist perfectly in the same space, some struggle a bit, and some are just disastrous together.
Can a leopard gecko live with other reptiles? The answer is no.
Learn why this lizard makes bad roommates with other lizards and what different pairings would look like.
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Leopard Gecko and Bearded Dragon
These two are not just among the most beautiful pet reptiles but the most popular ones as well. If the two were to co-exist peacefully, you would get the best of both worlds.
Unfortunately, they do not.
Bearded dragons are significantly larger than leopard geckos. If left alone. The leopard gecko is likely to end up as a delicious meal for the bearded dragon. It might also be killed for supremacy.
This is not the only problem, however.
The habitat either thrives in are different as well. Bearded dragons are from Australian Leopard geckos from Pakistan. Beardies are active during the day and love the sun; after all, they are Aussies. They, therefore, require very good UVB light to remain happy, healthy, and active.
Leopard geckos, on the other hand, are nocturnal. They will come out to play at night and remain hidden during the day.
If you opt for lots of light, the leopard gecko will not thrive. If you go dark during the day, the bearded dragon won’t know what to do with itself.
Assuming you have a huge habitat and you can keep the two separate and satisfy the different lighting demands; you still have a parasite problem.
While both reptiles have different parasites, bearded dragons can stand leopard geckos parasites. The reverse is not true.
There is a high chance of the beardie transmitting viruses, bacteria, and parasites to the leopard gecko that it might not withstand.
Read More: Bearded Dragon vs. Leopard Gecko
Leopard Gecko and Crested Gecko
Again, crested geckos and crested geckos come from very different terrariums.
Despite being from the same family, these two reptiles have different temperature needs, habitat, diets, and humidity needs. Crested geckos natural habitat has foliage and trees, while leopard geckos are acclimated to arid areas.
When it comes to humidity, their needs are different as well. Crested geckos live in high humid areas and need this high humidity to stay healthy and shed their skin.
Leopard geckos being desert animals, are not used to high humidity levels. They can withstand high humidity when shedding, but this cannot be their default environment.
These two geckos are strange to each other in the wild. Since crested geckos are smaller than leopard geckos, they risk being bullied or fought.
While the two reptiles have different feeding habits, being in the same space can cause food fights or unintentional bites. When this happens, the crested gecko, thanks to its thin skin, risks being injured.
What About Several Leopard Geckos?
You often see leopard geckos lumped together in pet stores. This created the assumption that geckos can live together peacefully. But how accurate is this assumption?
This is often a matter of convenience. In the wild, geckos do not hurdle together and are indeed solitary creatures. This means that these reptiles do not naturally prefer to live in groups. They will get together to mate but do not choose to have tight-knit family units.
If you have to have several geckos in the same space, you will need to take some things into consideration, these include:
Sex
While younger geckos can be in a shared space peacefully, sexually mature geckos might not be as friendly. Two male geckos get territorial and will likely have turf wars. These end with injuries, and it’s not uncommon for leopard geckos to lose their tails in a fight.
Two female leopard geckos are less problematic and can co-exist fairly well. Still check on their body size. If one is relatively larger than the other, it can use its size to dominate and bully others.
Males and females can be kept together if you want them to breed. If not, separate them.
Size
Gender aside, size matters as well. Keep geckos of roughly the same size within the same enclosure.
Placing bigger geckos with smaller ones means the bigger one will dominate the food. Smaller ones will then experience stress every time they are barred from reaching the food.
Tank size
Leopard geckos need space to move, explore and get around. The minimum size of the tank should be 20 gallons if you are looking to keep two geckos together.
Anything smaller, and the tank will get too hot and lack prime areas to hide.
For more than two geckos, bigger is always better. Have as much space as possible and have varying heat areas in the tank. You need to plan appropriately to have a cool section and a hot area.
Illness
While multiple geckos can co-exist, this harmony should be broken if one falls ill. Whenever one leopard gecko falls sick, it should be isolated.
This should be done promptly for several reasons:
- The first is that you do not want the sick gecko to spread the illness to healthy geckos. Isolating protects the others and gives the ailing gecko a chance to heal.
- The second is about survival. A sick gecko is weak and can quickly become a target. Healthy geckos will dominate food, making the ill reptile sicker and weaker.
- Isolating allows the sick gecko the time, space and care it needs to recuperate before heading back to the tank.
The Verdict
At best, you can have female leopard geckos in the same tank, provided they compare in size. Anything beyond that is a recipe for disaster.
