Do Crested Geckos Get Lonely?

No, crested geckos don’t get lonely. Although not much is known about wild geckos, since they’re rather difficult to study, some things transpire about them via their domesticated counterparts.

It turns out that crested geckos are not social creatures. They aren’t antisocial either, but they prefer living alone if possible.

So, if your gecko shows signs of stress or seems uncomfortable, it’s unlikely that feeling lonely is the cause of all the symptoms. But let’s jump into the subject more thoroughly.

Can Crested Geckos Live Alone?

Yes, crested geckos can live alone. Actually, they prefer it that way. Gecko males have no desire to share their space with other males. These lizards are extremely territorial and combative, leading to males often fighting to the death.

Females, on the other hand, will get along just fine with some mild exceptions occasionally.

This is where the gecko’s personality also plays a role in the matter. Not all geckos are alike, which means some have matching personalities. But, even in this area, geckos are still rather unpredictable.

They have no meaningful social behavior, so expect them to showcase that one way or another.

If you insist on having several geckos in the same vivarium, make sure:

• There’s enough space for all of them
• Their habitat contains a variety of hiding areas and separate climbing spots
• There’s no food or water competition
• The environmental parameters (temperature, lighting, humidity) remain stable and only fluctuate between the ideal values

If your geckos don’t seem comfortable in a group, consider trimming the community a bit or even sticking to one gecko per terrarium.

Can Two Crested Geckos Live Together?

Yes, two crested geckos can live together, so long as they’re not males. Males are incompatible with one another due to their high testosterone levels and radical territorial behavior.

Two gecko females or a male and a female are viable options, although there might be problems with the latter one as well. The male and the female will get along just fine for a while, primarily since they are sexually compatible.

The main problem, though, is the male’s uninhibited sexual energy, causing the gecko to stress out the female with its persistence.

The gecko male will attempt to mate even when the female is already gravid. In this case, the female can get stressed, at which point you might want to intervene.

I suggest relocating either the male or the female into another enclosure until the situation calms down and the female lays its eggs.

If, however, you don’t plan on breeding your geckos, consider a female-female duo instead. The two females should get along just fine, provided you ensure optimal living parameters.

Do Crested Geckos Get Bored or Depressed?

No, crested geckos don’t get bored, or, at least, there’s no reason to think that they do. If they seem like they’re absent and lethargic, that’s just geckos being geckos.

That being said, geckos can get stressed out for various reasons; a state of mind resembling what we imagine boredom and depression look like.

Geckos can experience high stress for a variety of reasons, including:

• Parasites, bacterial infections, diseases, or digestive problems, often related to improper living conditions and poor diets
• Living in a space that’s too big causes the lizard to feel uneasy and have difficulties finding food and water
• Lacking adequate humidity and temperature which may cause respiratory infections and physiological stress
• Aggression caused by other tank mates
• Nutritional deficiencies, causing physical and mental discomfort, etc.

It may sound like crested geckos are dealing with a lot and that they’re rather pretentious and difficult to keep. But that’s not quite true.

While geckos do require specific living conditions to be happy in the long run, they aren’t high-maintenance lizards.

So long as they have a nutritious and fulfilling meal plan and their living parameters remain within the ideal values, they won’t experience any stress.

How Do You Know if the Crested Gecko is Stressed?

The first sign of stress appears in the form of burrowing behavior. Geckos don’t usually bury themselves in the substrate unless there’s something bothering them.

They may also do the same when needing to take a rest, but that’s rare. If your gecko is digging into the substrate, it’s most likely because the habitat’s temperature is suboptimal.

As such, the gecko will look to either cool off or warm up under the cover of the substrate. To prevent that, make sure there’s a healthy temperature gradient around the gecko’s habitat.

In other words, provide the gecko with hot and cold spots and areas in between so that the gecko can alternate between them,

Another sign that your gecko is stressed is its blatant lack of activity and low energy, even during nighttime when the reptile is supposed to be more active.

Other signs include poor appetite, aggression, and biting when handled or keeping the mouth open.

As I’ve already explained, there are a variety of reasons why crested geckos can get stressed. Dive into those more thoroughly if your gecko shows signs of stress to prevent the situation from aggravating.

How to Keep Your Crested Gecko Happy?

It doesn’t take much to keep your crested gecko happy. The first thing to do is work with the fundamentals.

By that, I mean:

• Provide a fluctuating temperature between 72 and 76 during summer days
• Keep the humidity levels pretty much stable at around 70%, although some variation is sometimes necessary
• Increase the humidity to 80% for short periods of a time during shedding
• Offer your gecko a healthy and nutritious meal plan with one rich meal every 2-3 days
• Don’t handle your gecko too often to prevent it from getting stressed or losing its tail in the process
• Always monitor your gecko’s behavior to identify signs of stress or diagnose any health issue early

Other than that, the gecko needs peace, comfort, and a natural-looking environment, and it will thrive.

Conclusion

Geckos aren’t pretentious animals, and they don’t need each other’s company to be happy. They don’t need any tankmates at all since they enjoy their life of solitude.

So long as they live in optimal terrarium conditions, they will thrive for years to come.

Just remember to weigh and measure your crested gecko occasionally to make sure it sits between the ideal parameters.