When it comes to pairing lizards together, it can be a little more complicated than it first seems, especially because so many of them are very territorial and can easily feel threatened if there are any other creatures roaming around their domain, eating their food, and getting a little too friendly with their owner.
Two male bearded dragons for example will have trouble living together because they will frequently engage in territorial fights, meaning even these ‘beginner-friendly’ lizards won’t always get along with one another.
When it comes to leopard geckos, the answer isn’t as straightforward, but it is still very important to know if you currently own one of these small reptiles and are thinking about gifting them a friend, so let’s take a look at if they really can live in harmony, or if it’s best to keep them apart at all times.
Can Leopard Geckos Live Peacefully Together?
There are a few factors to take into consideration when choosing to pair two leopard geckos together since these will determine whether they can coexist peacefully, or if they will just engage in fights and hissing matches when they’re awake.
Here are all the main factors that you need to keep in mind when deciding whether to place two leopard geckos in the same cage.
Past Relationship
Any human, no matter how outgoing or extroverted they are, would feel at least a little uncomfortable if they were told to live in a new house with someone they had never met before, and while the relationship definitely could develop and improve, this isn’t a guarantee.
This works much the same with leopard geckos, and more so since their reptilian instincts will make them very competitive and territorial if they identify a stranger as a threat, so it’s always worth checking if the creatures have a past relationship.
If two female leopard geckos, or even two males, have been raised together since they were born, there is a much lower chance of them getting into serious fights, and they will be more willing to tolerate one another. Keep in mind however that this will always be harder for males since they will become more territorial as they grow older.
Gender
As is the case with most creatures in the animal kingdom, females are much more likely to get along compared to two males who will often fight over food, shelter, and warmth much more frequently, which is why it’s never really a good idea to keep two males together in the same cage.
With that being said, female leopard geckos are still reptiles, meaning they will still have that desire in their blood to scavenge everything they need to not only keep them alive but to ensure that they are as comfortable as possible, so they can still have conflicts with one another if they start becoming jealous or they fall out, it’s just a lot less likely.
Size
No matter what gender your leopard geckos are, if one is a lot smaller than the other, there is a high chance that they will be treated unfairly and potentially even bullied by the bigger lizard, which is why it’s important when choosing which geckos to pair together that you pay close attention to their stature and size.
This is actually a fairly common occurrence and a big reason why some geckos will continue to remain small since their food is being stolen by the bigger lizard in the same enclosure, so when you lay out a bowl of food for them, make sure that everyone is getting their fair share and that the bigger pet isn’t constantly stepping on the smaller one.
Enclosure Space
This not only refers to how big the cage itself is but also how many shelters you place around it. This is extremely important since leopard geckos love nothing more than sleeping for long hours during the daytime, so if there is only one shelter, or if one is much bigger than the other, this won’t go down well.
The best way to provide for a single leopard gecko is to give them three shelters; one in the warmer area of the enclosure, another on the cooler side, and one placed in a humid spot for them to shed.
While this means you will need to double this number for two geckos, it’s very important that you don’t force them to share since this is an easy way to encourage fighting.
Can You Improve The Relationship Between Leopard Geckos?
The truth is that reptiles are almost always solitary creatures, meaning they very rarely, if ever, make any friends as they prefer to provide for themselves and their offspring.
Because of this, rather than two leopard geckos ever becoming ‘friends’, they will simply learn to tolerate each other and accept that the other creature is going to be occupying their space along with them.
As an owner, you therefore cannot really encourage them to participate in any bonding activities, or try to get them to share food, because they simply won’t register what you’re trying to do and will always see the lizard opposite them as competition rather than an ally.
The best thing you can do to make sure they get along is to always make sure you’re treating them equally. When you bring one out of its cage, either bring the other one out at the same time, or one after the other, but be sure to pay them the same amount of attention.
Keep their shelters in the tank as far apart as possible, and always provide them with equal portions of food. Equal treatment will encourage them to coexist peacefully, and if they haven’t had any squabbles in the last few days or weeks, they should finally be comfortable with living together.
Summary
The unfortunate truth is that leopard geckos are never going to become best buddies, no matter how much time they spend around one another, but they can still live together without bickering or fighting, so long as you give them their own space, make sure that their genders are compatible, and always treat them equally.
This is what inspired me to start The-Lizard-Lounge.com. I wanted to create a space that offers information about the care of various reptiles and lizards, to help those passionate about these animals learn how to care for them.
Join me, and learn all about these fascinating and fantastic creatures!
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