# Introducing a new leopard gecko



## jonhore1988 (Jan 1, 2012)

I have a 2.5 year old female leopard gecko and was thinking of getting another, but was worried that the size difference and the fact that mine might be used to being alone may cause problems if introduced together, any thoughts?


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## Atonks (Nov 1, 2009)

Hi
I've always only introduced new geckos that have always been of very similar size to ensure that there is no bullying or anything like. But when introducing new geckos I will do so over a period of usually about 2 weeks so for example 30 mins each day or whatever you would prefer. By doing this I have never had a problem  fingers crossed I won't in the future too  oh and don't forget to ensure that when you purchase your new gecko to ensure you quarantine the new one for at least 3 months 
Hope this helps 
Adam


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## trogdorable (Feb 4, 2011)

my thoughts are your gonna have a viv for quarantining the new gecko , so why not keep them seperate?
to my knowledge there are no benefits to the geckos to co habit. but the downfalls are potential bullying and fighting. regardless of how long they have been together, bullying can happen out of the blue. things to consider before trying it. but if you do decide to do it , id recomend keeping note of their wieghts. and also to make sure its another female you get , not a male.
:2thumb:


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## sheena is a gecko (Apr 22, 2011)

There's a possibility there could be problems. With your female always living alone she may not take kindly to another leo coming into her space. While it is possible for female leos to co habit, as has been said above there can be issues with fighting, bullying for food, competition for the best hides, heat etc leading to one not doing as well as the other. If you are going to go ahead with it you would need a separate set up to quarantine the new one to make sure there are no nasties that could be passed on. Also to use as an emergency set up in case there are any problems and you need to separate them (this could be a simple rub set up). Both will ideally need to be very similar in size and weight. You will need to house them in a new viv or completely clean, disinfect or rearrange your current one to reduce any issues over territory.

No matter what you do though you can never completely remove the risk of one day possibly waking up to find one of them injured. You will need to keep an eye on their weight to spot any problems early and keep a close eye on them for signs of bullying : victory:


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