Gargoyle Gecko Terrarium Size Requirements

Some gecko keepers choose to house more than one gargoyle gecko per enclosure. I do not personally endorse this practice, as I believe that the risks of cohabitation outweigh the potential benefits. Here’s a breakdown of the risks so you can decide for yourself:

• 2+ males: Never! In almost every species of reptile, males housed together **will** fight and injure/kill one another, and gargoyle geckos are no different.
• Geckos of different sizes: Never! Gargoyle geckos are known to eat smaller lizards, and this includes juveniles of their own species. Housing a smaller gargoyle gecko with a larger individual is likely to end up in the smaller one getting devoured.
• 1 male & 1+ females: This can work, but the geckos should be carefully supervised to make sure they don’t injure one another. Furthermore, please don’t cohab a male and female together unless you’re trying to breed them. They *will* mate and lay eggs! Breeding is not a project to be attempted casually.
• 2+ females: This is the setup that is most likely to work (although still not optimal). Multiple females have been known to get along as long as they “move in” at the same time and are similarly sized. 

If you want to house two females together, you will need an enclosure that can provide at least 2x the volume of an 18x18x36 enclosure. The volume of an 18x18x36 is 11,664 cubic inches, so an enclosure volume of at least 23,000 cubic inches is recommended for two geckos. To further increase your likelihood of success, competition for resources must be minimized. You can do this by:

• Provide multiple food and water dishes.
• Provide a large and/or multiple basking areas. 
• Provide lots of shade/cover to create visual barriers.

Keep in mind that cohabited geckos are more likely to lose their tails and may be injured in inter-gecko scuffles for dominance. Look out for tail nipping, weight loss, and unusual behavior. If any of the above are observed, separate them immediately!