Crested geckos can be kept together; if this is done in small groups. However, it is vital not to put more than one male in the same enclosure as they may fight and injure one another.
Introduction to Can Crested Geckos Live Together?
Crested geckos are small lizards that come from some small South Pacific islands known as New Caledonia. They are tree-dwelling animals but make wonderful pets for anyone who is enthusiastic about keeping reptiles. However, many pet parents wish to keep more than one crestie at a time and this raises the question of whether it is a good idea to house these creatures with one another, or whether they prefer to live alone.
In this article, we are going to be looking at the best way to house your crested geckos and whether cohabiting is something that suits these miniature reptiles.
Can You Keep More Than One Crested Gecko?
In the main, the crested gecko is a solitary animal, in the wild, they tend to keep themselves to themselves so if you decide to take on just one, there will be no concerns that he will become lonely and will likely thrive on his own. However, once you get a feel for keeping these adorable animals, it is likely that you will want to adopt more than one.
When you go to the pet store to collect your new crested gecko, you will notice that, in most cases, they are housed alone. But this is not to say that they cannot be kept together in the same enclosure; what it does mean is that you will need to err on the side of caution when introducing two lizards to one another.
It is entirely possible to house more than one crested gecko in the same enclosure, but you will need to remain mindful of the combination. In this section, we will be looking at how the following combinations would work.
- Several males
- Several females
- A single male with a single female
- One male and multiple females
- One female and multiple males
- Several males and females
But with each of these combinations come potential problems so whichever you choose, you should be aware of how the animals may behave. Let’s take a look at this in a little more detail.
Keeping Several Males Together
Keeping more than one male crested gecko in the same enclosure is a recipe for disaster and should be avoided at all costs. These animals are extremely territorial and when males are forced to share a space, this will inevitably lead to them fighting.
If this fighting is allowed to take place then there is a chance that the geckos may injure one another and at worse, one may end up becoming a fatality. But this may not necessarily be from physical injuries. There is enough evidence to tell us that constant fighting would cause extremely high levels of stress for the geckos and much in the same way that humans experience stress, this can have a negative impact on the health of the animal.
For these reasons, you should never house more than one male in the same tank – ever.
Keeping Several Females Together
Unlike male crested geckos, the female counterparts are much more sociable and may even get along with one another when they are placed in the same enclosure. As a general rule, you should aim to keep no more than five females together and when doing so, you will need to ensure that you have a terrarium that is large enough to fit them comfortably.
Keeping A Male And Female Together
It is inevitable that if you house a male and a female crested gecko in the same enclosure, you will end up with even more crested geckos. Unlike humans, animals aren’t massively fussy over who they mate with and their natural instinct will take over and before long, you will notice that the male begins to initiate mating.
This might not happen right away and you may be lulled into a false sense of security that the pair will not mate. However, give it time and you will notice the male chasing the female around the enclosure; in some cases, she will submit and mate with him. However, there are times when she will not want to mate and this can cause her to become very stressed.
Even if the female does agree to mate, it is not a wise idea to allow her to remain with the male after this as this may cause further stress. It is important to give the female a break from the male once mating is over.
Keeping A Single Male With Multiple Females
Keeping several females in the same enclosure as one male is entirely viable but you will need to limit the number of females you put in here.
In the main, it is widely accepted that housing a single male with between two and four females is enough. Any more than this may be overwhelming for the animals and the tank may become crowded.
However, as with keeping one male and one female together, you must be prepared for mating to occur and with more females in the mix, there are going to be more babies. If you plan to start breeding crested geckos then this is a good setup to have but if you simply want to keep a few as pets then it might be a wise idea to keep the male and females apart.
Keeping Several Males And Females Together
Crested geckos may live alongside one another in the wild but it is important to remember that they have unlimited space and are not forced to share one small piece of land. Conversely, when you keep these animals as pets, there is a limit to where they can go and this can ignite some serious territorial behavior, especially in males. For this reason, keeping a combination of several males with multiple females is never a good idea.
Much in the same way as housing more than one male in the same tank, there is an increased risk of fighting which could lead to injuries and stress for your pets.
Keeping One Female With Multiple Males
We have talked about how male crested geckos can become very territorial, if you try to couple this with the fight to mate with just one female, the problems will only become worse. This situation would give the males even more reason to fight but there is a potentially worse issue.
Since each of the males will attempt to pursue the female, this is one of the worthy situations for her to be in. She will likely become exhausted and extremely stressed. It is known that when females are exposed to such high levels of stress, their lifespan can be significantly reduced. Avoid this combination, no matter what.
Can You Keep Baby Crested Geckos Together?
If you have decided to breed crested geckos then the good news is that regardless of their gender, you won’t need to purchase and set up multiple enclosures; at least, not to begin with. You will be able to keep the babies in the same tank until they reach sexual maturity without any problems.
However, the age and size of the babies will determine the number of crested geckos that should be kept in a single enclosure at any time. For the purposes of this example, we will assume that you are using a ten-gallon tank.
As a rule, hatchlings, or animals that are up to two months in age should be kept in groups no larger than four. This number would be reduced to three for babies that are up to four months old. Once your crested geckos are considered to be juvenile, between five and ten months, you should keep no more than two together in the same terrarium; genders can still be mixed at this point.
Conclusion
Crested geckos are popular pets and are relatively easy to take care of. However, the way in which you house them is an important factor to consider before taking them on. These lizards will thrive when kept on their own as they are not terribly sociable animals. However, it is possible to keep them together if you use the correct combination.
Males should never be kept together since there is a very high risk of them fighting and becoming stressed. In contrast, keeping several females in the same enclosure will not cause any problems. It is possible to keep one male with another or several females but it is important that you are prepared to deal with the babies.
If your cresties breed, it is possible to house the babies with one another until such a time that they become sexually active.
