How to Introduce Female Leopard Geckos to Each Other

In the wild, leopard geckos are solitary creatures. In captivity, male leopard geckos will fight to the death, but two or more female leopard geckos can peacefully coexist in an appropriately sized enclosure. A twenty-gallon tank is a sufficient size for two or three adult leopard geckos. Not all female leopard geckos will get along, and it is important to introduce new geckos carefully and to continuously monitor them for signs of bullying or stress.

Things You'll Need

  • Quarantine tank
  • Neutral territory
  • Hiding spots and visual barriers
  • Multiple food and water dishes
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Quarantine any new leopard gecko for thirty to ninety days (generally, the longer the better) before introducing it to your current gecko to ensure that the new lizard is disease-free. During quarantine, it should live in a different room from any other geckos, and you should wash hands thoroughly after handling.

    • 2

      Place both geckos in a safe, neutral territory, such as an empty bathtub (drain covered) or unused glass tank. Watch for bullying behavior, such as charging and hissing, or a gecko raising its body high on all fours. If this occurs, end the session instantly and try again later.

    • 3

      Rearrange the tank when adding new geckos. Make sure there are plenty of hiding spots and visual barriers for the geckos to have privacy from one another. Multiple food and water dishes also help minimize squabbling.

    • 4

      Observe daily to ensure all geckos are eating, and that shy or subordinate geckos are not losing weight or getting stressed out from bullying. A fat tail means the gecko is eating well. A stressed gecko will hide continuously, lose weight and its colors may dim.