Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi guys I have some questions about leo's. I put them in bullets so they are easy to answer =D.

1) Is there any size difference between males and females?

2) Is one gender more aggressive than the other?

3) Purchasing my first leo, does it matter which gender it is? Probably not, but I was just wondering if there was little kinks about attaining a male or attaining a female.

4) How big of an enclosure for one adult leo?

5) how big of an enclosure for 2 adult m/f leo's?

6) Do the patterns and intensity of colors stay on the leo throughout its life time? Or does it fade with age?

7) How nocturnal are they? Are we talking, "sleep 10-20 hours a day" nocturnal? Will I be seeing more activity from them once the sun goes down or when?

Thanks!

>>1) Is there any size difference between males and females?

Males tend to be slightly larger. That being said, I have a female who is just about 10 inches long, and the species as a whole is supposed to average 8-10 inches, so your mileage may vary on that one.

>>2) Is one gender more aggressive than the other?

Supposedly males are slightly calmer, but I've been bitten exactly one time by my female, and she did that when she was a juvenile and hadn't completely learned to trust me yet. In general, once leos get comfortable with you, they're very docile.

>>3) Purchasing my first leo, does it matter which gender it is? Probably not, but I was just wondering if there was little kinks about attaining a male or attaining a female.

The only "kink" that I'm aware of is that you absolutely cannot house 2 males together, as they will fight and severely injure and possibly even kill each other.

>>4) How big of an enclosure for one adult leo?

10 gallons minimum, mine lives in a 20 gallon long.

>>5) how big of an enclosure for 2 adult m/f leo's?

20-30 gallons would be appropriate, bigger is of course ok too if you don't mind cleaning it.

>>6) Do the patterns and intensity of colors stay on the leo throughout its life time? Or does it fade with age?

Once they get their adult coloration and pattern, it should stick around through their whole lifetime. Of course they fade when they're going into shed, but that only lasts a couple of days at a time.

>>7) How nocturnal are they? Are we talking, "sleep 10-20 hours a day" nocturnal? Will I be seeing more activity from them once the sun goes down or when?

This can vary somewhat gecko to gecko. Mine tends to be fairly active at night, but probably does sleep (or at least, hide) solidly 12 hours/day. You will not see them with any regularity during the day, but if you've got at least most of the lights turned out in the room they're in, they'll be out exploring a lot of the time at night. Occasionally they'll come out during the day to get a drink of water, but most of the time they just hide during the day. Sometimes they will do weird things like in my photo, but that's the exception, not the rule. She hasn't done this in over a year if I recall correctly (photo taken middle of the day):

-----
0.1 Albino Leopard Gecko - Tigger
0.1 Crested Gecko - Pooh-Bear

1) Is there any size difference between males and females?

typically males are larger, they have a broader head and thicker neck. Females tend to be more slender than males. But like the last post said, I had a female that was almost 10 inches and she had a broad head and neck so it depends on the genetics.

2) Is one gender more aggressive than the other?

From experience i would say that females are more aggrressive, they also tend to be a little more skittish than males.

3) Purchasing my first leo, does it matter which gender it is? Probably not, but I was just wondering if there was little kinks about attaining a male or attaining a female.

If you get a male you cannot cause him with another male, I have been told by several breeders though that if you house two hatchling males together and raise them they will be fine as long as you own no females in the home, because they will pick up the females scent and fight. But, I still wouldn't do it, just to be safe. As for females, If your going for just a pet I would choose a male. Some females go into the breeding season even without a males presence, they produce infertile eggs and can become eggbound if there is no place for them to lay. This isn't common, but it does happen.

4) How big of an enclosure for one adult leo?

10 gallon minimum and up to as big as you like or have the room for.

5) how big of an enclosure for 2 adult m/f leo's?

minimum 20 gallon, and up.

6) Do the patterns and intensity of colors stay on the leo throughout its life time? Or does it fade with age?

They should, minus the couple days when they shed. Eyes are a different story though, any gecko with solid eyes ( raptor, eclipse, supersnow, some blizzards, and so on) there eyes can fade and become marbled instead of a solid coloration. This is espcially true with eclipses.

7) How nocturnal are they? Are we talking, "sleep 10-20 hours a day" nocturnal? Will I be seeing more activity from them once the sun goes down or when?

Depends on the light ratio and the temperature. At night my room is between 70-80 and they are most active all night long, I can hear them scuffling around and climbing on things. At about 7 PM they start to become active and between 6-8 they return to there sleep.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR LEO'S!!!
-Cheyenne