How do I make my Gecko's life more interesting?

[Jonas Sandstedt]

Hello, my name is Jonas, and I have had a leopard gecko named “Elvira” for about 5 years. She seems healthy and normally has a fine appetite, eating dubia. She lives in an enclosure as shown in the picture having the measures 95x40 cm and is 50 cm high. Her life seems to involve very little “adventure” and I wonder if anyone has tips for how I can introduce events that resemble her natural life. I have considered introducing one more leopard gecko, but everywhere I look it says that this will not bring any joy, the leopard gecko being strictly solitaire. I have also taken her out on the floor, but she (perhaps naturally) seeks shelter from the open floor. I have considered letting her stalk the dubia in an enclosure that I put on the floor such that she can hunt on a larger area. What do you think about the above? Any suggestions?

Best regards Jonas

 

[acpart]

Congrats on your gecko. It seems as if there are a lot of things for her to explore, which is great. Geckos don't get bored the same way we do, but it's good to provide "enrichment". You have a lot of enrichment there, but you could think of other things to put in the enclosure for a little while. Maybe a ramp that the gecko could walk up, a hammock (you can find one online) that the gecko can rest in, something else that it can climb on or over. Introduce some different feeders as treats such as hornworms or silkworms.

Aliza

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Hi Jonas ~
Welcome aboard to you & your leo Elvira!
I notice you joined Geckos Unlimited on April 30, 2020.

For those of us who are more accustomed to inches, here are both dimensions of Elvira's enclosure:
95 x 40 x 50 centimeters high = 37.40 x 15.75 x 19.69 inches high.

 

[Jonas Sandstedt]

Thanks for the tips! I wonder if there is anyone who has experienced that the addition of another leopard gecko could be postive? I understand that they want to be alone most time, and then there is a question of whether the enclosure is too small. I guess I would have to have two warm spots as well, one at each end? What do you think?
Best regards
Jonas

 

[acpart]

If you have a female it's possible to add another female. If you have a male, adding another male will result in fighting and adding a female will lead to breeding. If you think of doing this, you're not doing it to make the gecko happier, you're essentially doing it to have another gecko, which is fine; I have quite a few myself. If you do this follow these steps:
1. quarantine the new gecko in a separate enclosure for a month
2. have the new gecko tested for cryptosporidiosis (highly contagious, ultimately fatal parasite. I neglected this step and despite quarantine infected my entire population 9 years ago. It's not worth it)
3. Wash whatever furniture is washable, move it around and introduce the new gecko. There may be some tail waving or aggression. Give it a little while unless one gecko starts to seriously bite the other
4. You'll have to distantly monitor them regularly. If they're getting along, fine. You do have to be prepared at any time to house them separately, so take that into consideration.
That said, though my leopard geckos are now housed individually, I did house them in small groups of 2-4 for many years.

Aliza

 

[Jonas Sandstedt]

Thanks for the insight! One last (I think) question, what do you think about removing Elvira from the enclosure from time to time, and for example put her on the floor or out in the real sunlight (under supervision of course). Perhaps let her chase some Dubia there? Do you think it will make her life more interesting, or will it mostly produce stress?
Best regards
Jonas

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Be sure to check your messages, Jonas !

I was gifted 2 leopard geckos, a male George & a female Cha, about 22 years ago. At that time George & Cha were (& had been) housed together in a 20 gallon long enclosure.

Cha's enclosure was similar to Elvira's current enclosure in how I set it up.

Cha passed away in July 2024 at 19 years old (from severe impaction).


Last I heard, Esther Laue, a keeper living in Germany, has 1 leopard gecko alive who's in his/her mid-40s !