Fighting!! Please Help

[Jessikah]

Ok I Have A Male And Female In The Same Viv, The Viv Is Getting Tooo Small And Was Going To Get New 2 meter One After Xmas.
I Got Them Last Aug, Bank Holiday, They Were 5 or 6 Weeks When I Got Them, Trying To Work Out How Old They Are Now.

I Came Home From Work, And They Were Stareing At Each Other, Walked Closer To Each Other, And Then He Went For Her Jaw, I Think. As Soon As I Seen Him Go For Her, I Pulled Them Apart, There Was Alot Of Grip There.

Is This Because The Viv Is Too Small, Or Trying To Mate? I Have Not Changed The Temps. Always Food In There.

If Its Because The Viv Is Too Small, Im Going To Take The Money Out Of My Savings Acount And Get A Bigger One, The Two Meter One, Or Separate Ones??

Please Help!! Please Please

I Dont Want To Take My Eye Off Them Now.

 

[Graham_s]

How big is their vivarium at the moment?
If you're worried about them fighting then it is probably best to keep them separate anyway.

 

[Jessikah]

Its Tiny! But I Dont Want To Go To Bed Incase They Fight. IF I Figure Out How To Add A Photo I Will
xxx

 

[Jessikah]

 

[Jessikah]

Bare In Mind, That Ws When They Were Babies, They Have Always Been Together, And Theres More Stuff In There Now, Which Leaves Less Room

 

[Graham_s]

its hard to see how big they are in the photos, but it does look a bit on the small side if they were only babies in the photos, and if the vivarium is tiny as you say it is. Personally, I'd separate them. That way your problems with them fighting and the potential lack of space will both be solved.

 

[Jessikah]

Yeah
Iv Put CardBoard Between Them For Tonight, But I Can Tell They Are Getting Stressed, Especially Her.

Is It Stupid To Say They Seem To Miss Each Other?

 

[Graham_s]

I don't think the cardboard will work, but it will do for tonight. I've tried it before and they always find a way to climb over it.

I have noticed geckos acting a lot more shy after separation and go off their food etc, but I think it is more down to a change in their familiar every day life, similar to when you alter the vivarium or put them into a new vivarium.

 

[Jessikah]

I Need To Go And Buy Another Viv 2moro
So You Dont Think Its Mating?

Iv Cut A Cardboard Box Up And Its From The Floor Right To The Top. Each Got Water And Hides And Half The Heat Each.

I Hate The Thought Of Separting Them

 

[Graham_s]

its difficult to say for sure if it is mating behaviour or fighting, but if the male is trying to mate and the female doesn't want to, it may start a fight.

Good job separating them and making sure they both have water etc.

Don't worry about separating them. It may take them a while to adjust to being on their own, so stop eating for a while, but in the long run it will be better. Most people would agree that leopard geckos should only be kept together for breeding, and the rest of the time kept separate.

 

[Jessikah]

But They Have Been Together Since They Were Babies, In The Pet Shop As Well. The Bloke Said It Would Have Been Ok.

Fighting Over Space?
Theres Always More Food Than Needed.
Shes Much Bigger Than Him
Hes Going For Her, Hes Got More Of His Attention On Her, No Tail Movemnts, Nothing, He Just Went For Her.
I Just Dont Like Separating Them, But Its Better Than Them Fighting And Being Upset.
This Is The First Time Iv Seen It Happen, Normally Their Together All The Time.

 

[Graham_s]

If they're different sexes then they shouldn't have been housed together until they were of breeding age/size/weight.
Pet shop owners say a lot of things, and I have only ever come across one pet shop in the UK that actually has some good knowledge of reptiles. Most of them give out bad advice.

But that's all irelevant really.

If she is much bigger than him, then thats another reason to separate them. Housing different sizes of geckos together is never a good idea.
From what you describe it does sound like fighting and not mating behaviour.

I hope everything goes well with separating them tomorrow

 

[J.P.]

Hi there, just to add.

Even if it's actually a courtship behavior instead of a teritorial fight, it's still in the best interest of the geckos to separate them because they are still to young for healthy breeding, especially the female. although they can achieve sexual maturity at an earlier age, it is best if they are bred when a certain size/weight is reached.

it's sad to see them away from each other after you raised them together, but that is the way things are. be content with the fact that they will see each other again when the time is right. just like a romance novel, eh?