Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey.

I have 2.8 leos on order and should be here by Friday. I've read lots of caresheets but there's still a few questions I have:

1) Do leos swim? How big a pond do they need?
2) Is it true that if they lose an arm or a leg in a fight it will grow back? I know that some salamanders can regennerate tails.
3) Why do males fight when housed together? I really wanted to keep all 10 together in this awesome 100 gal tank I got from my dad's restaurant. Is there anyway I can keep them together?
4) I know that leos eat their shed, do I have to worry that if 1's shedding and the others aren't, that the others are going to try to eat his shed?

Thanks for your answers,
Steve

Hi

No you definitely don't need a pond, and no they can't swim at all!. These reptiles come from a climate such as Pakistan, Afghanastan, Africa. So, I think you can see why they aren't the bath taking type (grin). They will just need to have a bowl of water to drink out of. With that big of a tank you may want to put two in at different places.

The only part of there body that they are able to regenerate is there tail.

No, the others will not eat the shed of another leo who is in the shedding process. You need to make sure though that when that gecko is done shedding that all of it has be gotten off, otherwise it can cause constriction of the toes etc. and cut of circulation.

No, you really should put to males in a tank together, because they will fight with each other and can cause Serious damage to each other (maybe even death). A few reasons why, to become the Alpha male in the tank, to keep the other male away from what the other one presumes is his teritory and his girls etc.

Take Care, TLB

Hi

One more thing, you will definitely need to buy The Gecko Manual and also read it fast since your geckos are arriving all to soon. Hope you get a chance to read all the way through it before they arrive.

TLB

1) Do leos swim? How big a pond do they need?

No, they don't swim, but they sometimes will lay in their water dish. Make sure to have a humid hide filled with moss to help them shed, and a water didh filled with clean water.

2) Is it true that if they lose an arm or a leg in a fight it will grow back? I know that some salamanders can regennerate tails.

No. They will regenerate their tail, but not arms, legs, toes, etc.

3) Why do males fight when housed together? I really wanted to keep all 10 together in this awesome 100 gal tank I got from my dad's restaurant. Is there anyway I can keep them together?

It's instinct, probably a territory/breeding rights issue. The male gecko brain is different from the females, the area that controls aggression is enlarged. You cannot keep the two males together. You can keep 1 male with the 8 females though if you want them to breed, and if they are all the same size. If you don't want them to breed, you need to house both males seperately apart from the females. You should not let them breed unless you are planning on incubating the eggs etc. as it is hard on the females and may cause the need for additional vet care if they get eggbound, etc. You can keep the other male in a ten or twenty gallon tank, or a sterilite sweater box or blanket box.

4) I know that leos eat their shed, do I have to worry that if 1's shedding and the others aren't, that the others are going to try to eat his shed?

No. You don't need to worry about that.

I recommend purchasing The Leopard Gecko Manual. It has a lot of good info you will absolutely need if you are going to keep and especially if you are going to breed leos. If you are going to breed that many leos, you should also have a plan in place of how you will house and sell all those hatchlings!
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Sarah Stettler aka Starling
Sarah@stargecko.com
StarGecko.Com COMING SOON! Star Quality Leopard Geckos
Specializing in Hypotangerine Tremper Albinos

>>Hey.
>>
>>I have 2.8 leos on order and should be here by Friday. I've read lots of caresheets but there's still a few questions I have:
>>
>>1) Do leos swim? How big a pond do they need?
>>2) Is it true that if they lose an arm or a leg in a fight it will grow back? I know that some salamanders can regennerate tails.
>>3) Why do males fight when housed together? I really wanted to keep all 10 together in this awesome 100 gal tank I got from my dad's restaurant. Is there anyway I can keep them together?
>>4) I know that leos eat their shed, do I have to worry that if 1's shedding and the others aren't, that the others are going to try to eat his shed?
>>
>>Thanks for your answers,
>>Steve

heres the answers...

1.no leo's do not swim at all ever,Simple water bowl is all they need.

2.leo's can only regennerate tail's only nothing else.

3.Males fight due to terrortory(sp?) a 100gallon tank may be too big for them as they prefer smaller inclosures.

4.no they are not going to bother the shedding gecko.

and just for refrence DO NOT PUT THEM ON SAND i dont care how cool it looks it will over time kill all your leo's or seriously cause illness to them.

Use cage carpet,paper towels or slate.

10 leos will also easily eat 100-150mealworms a day so 150x6 giving them 1 day off of eating comes to 1500 a week which is roughly 17.00 in food.

Think about it 1st before you jump into so many leo's
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1.3 Leopard Gecko's
1.0 mali uromastyx
0.0.3 tokay's(adults unsexed)

np
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2.2 Leopard Geckos
1.1 Ball Pythons
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.0 Blair's Phase Gray Banded Kingsnake

To say sand will kill all your leos is a bit overly dramatic and exaggerated. Yes there is a risk of impaction. Yes sand has killed leos. But many people including some breeders have kept full grown (at least over 6" leos on fine washed playsand and not had problems. Still, I agree slate or unglazed tile or paper towels is better and safer.

While baby leos DO do better in smaller enclosures, fully grown leos in captivity can never have too much space. Their natural environment has no walls. 100 gallons is not too big for that many leos. Could be a nice setup. Only problem I can think of with keeping that many leos together is that if one gets sick you will have to treat them all.

And on mealworms, I now order in quantities of 5,000 from American Cricket Ranch. It's $19.99 plus shipping. MUCH cheaper than buying at petstore, easier too.
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Sarah Stettler aka Starling
Sarah@stargecko.com
StarGecko.Com COMING SOON! Star Quality Leopard Geckos
Specializing in Hypotangerine Tremper Albinos

do not keep any males together.. they will fight
no leos are not swimmers... so a pond is not nessicary.. most likely all they would do in it is poop and if its too deep a possible drownding hazzard
leos can not regenerate legs or arms but do have the ability to regenerate a tail or part of the tail...
i know you have been reading caresheets and what not but you really should have done more research before purchasing these animals.... these are basic questions that would be answered in any good leo book, so i am assuming you didnt do enough specific research.... shoot if nothing else get the leopard gecko manual.....
why purchase a group of animals when you dont even have the basic knowledge of the animals and their husbandry

i know this sounds harsh but i see alot of this same thing.... buy the animals... then ask the questions...... only thing it ends up hurting are the animals.. and arent they the most important part? the well being of them?
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-robin struck
Geckoheads And Geeks

n/p
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Sarah Stettler aka Starling
Sarah@stargecko.com
StarGecko.Com COMING SOON! Star Quality Leopard Geckos
Specializing in Hypotangerine Tremper Albinos

i tried to keep several geckos in a large enclosure(1 male /7 females)--they hated it-open space really seemed to freak them out---i seperated them into smaller groups and smaller tanks(largest being a 20 gallon)works much better-brian

With a tank that size you could create a great natural enclosure geckos would love- but yes not all open space, I envision lots of rocky caves and hides...enough so they all could have their own hide...mimic their natural environment.
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Sarah Stettler aka Starling
Sarah@stargecko.com
StarGecko.Com COMING SOON! Star Quality Leopard Geckos
Specializing in Hypotangerine Tremper Albinos

Okay, seriously now: this is a joke right? Someone read my rant below about common questions before you do any research and is joking around by asking crazy questions, right??? I hope....

>>Hey.
>>
>>I have 2.8 leos on order and should be here by Friday. I've read lots of caresheets but there's still a few questions I have:
>>
>>1) Do leos swim? How big a pond do they need?
>>2) Is it true that if they lose an arm or a leg in a fight it will grow back? I know that some salamanders can regennerate tails.
>>3) Why do males fight when housed together? I really wanted to keep all 10 together in this awesome 100 gal tank I got from my dad's restaurant. Is there anyway I can keep them together?
>>4) I know that leos eat their shed, do I have to worry that if 1's shedding and the others aren't, that the others are going to try to eat his shed?
>>
>>Thanks for your answers,
>>Steve
-----
Blaine

0.0.1 High Yellow Juvenile Leo (Echo)

I hope it is a joke as well. Why would anybody order one Leo, let alone 10, before doing any research??? For the well being of those potemtially real 10 leos, I hope this is a joke. And if it is a joke, I really wish people would stop posting crap like this, it floods the forum, and tends to bury other peoples legitimate posts. If this is a real post, please think twice before carrying through with this. I spent a month researching before I even started to look for a Leo. And if this is real, I guess all I can say is good luck.

np

i know you are new to leos as we all were once but this is juvinile you should consider A new hobby..these are living walking breathing animals you ask if 10!!?!? males can be kept? NOOOOOO!! not even 2 males can be kept in the same enclosure you say you have read caresheets..obviosuly with the idiotic questions you have asked you havent read enough i suggest you dont buy these leos and not put them at risk

Just as a correction, he said the 10 geckos were 2.8, so he'd actually only be housing 2 males together. However, still a bad idea.

oops..i thought he meant 10 males lol my bad

___

haha i thought it was a joke too. right when i read it, i was thinkin, "what care sheets were you reading?"

[aimEe]
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0.1.0 Albino Leopard Gecko (Marlene)
0.0.2 Fire Bellied Toads (Norman & Forman)
0.2.0 African Dwarf Frogs (Hobo & Bobo)
1.0.0 Fighting Fish (Blue Balls)
0.0.2 Hermit Crabs (Kirby & Furby)
1.0.0 Black Lab / Pit Bull (Mikey)
aimee.i8.com

Steve,

I'm not going to rant on how you need to do more research, but I was wondering how your geckos are arriving? Christmas keeps packages from being picked up or delivered on Thursday in the US, so I hope they weren't being shipped out on Wednesday for a two day trip. It's pretty cold most areas of the US now, so an overnight stay in a truck or warehouse won't be too good for the geckos. Where are you getting them from and how? If you're not in the US, where are you and how do geckos get shipped there? Thanks.

Start reading a whole lot; you're going to have your hands full going from 0 to 10 in one day. Good luck and Happy Holidays!
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Rob Jenkins
Have you seen the GeckoCam?
Buy Geckos Here
Email Me