Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys, thanks for all your help before with all of my posts. I've had my leo now for almost 2 months, and she's great. I read all the books about them before I got her and vsited this site and numerous other ones daily. I did have one question though, I think I read some where that leo's need some open space to walk around and get exercise in their tank. Right now I have a 10 gallon, and my gecko is still small, about 3-5 months I believe. I am gonna add a few tiny plastic plants to give her some more hiding room besides my humid hide and other hide. I was thinking about adding a log or something along the lines of not being a hide, but something she can go over or under. This would take up more open area in the tank, and she'd have less flat area to walk, but it'd give her some more hiding option instead of a hide. Anyone have any suggestions? And how do your leo's prefer it? Open, or climbing over things? Just curious. I will be hoping to move her to a bigger tank once she does grow larger too. Thanks.

Raydeohed
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0.1.0 Leopard Gecko "Lego"

You can try using different set-ups and objects and just watch closely to see what your leo prefers. It's fun to do (at least, I think it is) and it also helps you to get to know your leo.

Since you've got smaller space to work with, it'd be nice if you could find hides that they can climb on. It's their instinct to hide, so they will always prefer hiding spots to open space. But when my leos do come out, they never lay out in the open on the floor. Usually when they're hanging out, it's on top of one of the rock dens.

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chickabowwow

3.2.2 leopard geckos (Rosie, Locke, Lisa, Caesar, Tommy)
and 1 more egg a' cookin'

Mine lays on top of his hide in addition to just laying on the repticarpet. She loves the UTH.
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0.1.0 Leopard Gecko "Lego"

Wow, my leos must be really secure then. They hang out in the middle of their enclosures all the time. Yeah, they do the hide thing too, but quite a few of them spend quite a bit of time out in the open.

Leos like to climb more than most give them credit for. I have a custom cage in which there is a branch that extends from the bottom to the top screen. The two leos that were housed there would routinely climb all the way to the top. This distance was clost to 14 inches high!
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Steven
Royal Gold Reptiles
Offspring available now from LV Patternless Albino stock for '03 and '04.
Working towards Bell Patternless Albinos for '05.

Hmm... maybe you misunderstood me. I didn't mean that they don't like to spend time out in the open... because, my leos love to do that. The question originally asked was whether they prefer to have stuff that would crowd up a 10 gallon or less stuff. And I say they prefer STUFF to hide under or climb on rather than open flat space.
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chickabowwow

3.2.2 leopard geckos (Rosie, Locke, Lisa, Caesar, Tommy)
and 1 more egg a' cookin'

I had 2 full grown leos in a ten gallon tank. I put a few branches in there for them to climb and plant for looks. There were also several hides in there. They spent a lot of their time in their hide box though at least during the day. At night they made so much noise I couldn't sleep.

Now they are in a rubbermaid container with a screen top I made for it. They have almost the same amount of rooma dn they seem to be just as happy in there as well. I got 2 eggs from the female so I guess they are happy.
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15 Leopard Gackos 5.10.0
2 Tokay Geckos 1.1.0
1 Standing's Day Gecko 0.0.1
1 Graybanded Kingsnake 1.0.0
1 Baird's Rat Snake (Thanks Vadoni!) 1.0.0
coming soon...
Corn Snake, Green Anoles, crested geckos, and Yellow Rat Snakes.