Need help with purchasing leo pair

[J-Man]

Hi, I currently keep veiled chameleons but they're pretty tough and I think they'd be better off with anybody but me. So I'm thinking about getting a pair of Leo's... 1 male and 1 female. Can somebody please tell me what sort of enclosure I can use and if I can house them together? I will also be looking up care sheets but I don't really trust them. Thanks in advance.

[Rich]

Hello,
If you are going to get a new reptile, don't buy a pair of them. That could lead to offspring and you don't currently even know their care.
You can house the 2 together but they will mate if they are old enough. Not a good idea! You can't house 2 males together. they will fight.
I don't want to answer the other questions at this time because you should purchase a book and do some reading BEFORE you decide you want one.
These forums are great for asking advice but when it comes to basic care of a reptile, you should know that already if you are planning on purchasing one.
Leos are easy to care for. If you read some info and still have questions, I would be more than happy to help.

[Clownfishie]

I'd highly recommend buying the Leopard Gecko Manual -- great book with lots of info :)
I've got a caresheet on my website that I'd like to think is pretty decent ;) http://www.geocities.com/geckohaven

For a 1.1 pair, I'd recommend at least a 20 gallon long tank -- the more space the better, but a pair should be fine in that size of a tank as long as you've got a few hides in there.
Keep in mind that you shouldn't house males and females together until they're both of breeding age/weight -- males 10+ months, and females 1 year + -- both should be at least 40g -- especially for the female, bigger would be better. In general it's not a problem for males and females to be housed together as long as they get along ok, and you're prepared to deal with any babies that may be produced.

Hope that helps a bit :) Leos make great pets, and I'm sure you'll find them pleasantly easy to care for after keeping chams!

Jen

[J-Man]

Thanks for the quick responses.

Rich, I didn't mean to give the impression that I need to know about basic reptile care... because I really don't. I've even owned a leo before (a long time ago) I just want to make sure I get it right. My main question was how large should the enclosure to be to hold a pair and if a basic tank would be ok? I know about pretty much everything else. But thanks for your response.

[Rich]

Hello,
I too would say that a 20 long is sufficient. If you decide to get a single leo, then a 15 would work nice as well. Many will tell you that a ten gallon is fine for one leo but I don't agree. The larger the enclosure, the better. I personally use 40 gallon breeders for my trios and 20's for my duos. my hatchlings go into the breeding rack and the juveniles are seperated into 10 gallon aquariums and them moved or sold.
Sorry I misinterpreted your original post.

[J-Man]

Ok, I'll have to get a bigger one then. I'm pretty sure the one I have now is only 10... though it looks bigger than a 10 but smaller than a 20... dunno.

[Trace]

Hi, I currently keep veiled chameleons but they're pretty tough and I think they'd be better off with anybody but me.

That's sssoooo not true Jeremy! I'm still amazed at the commitment you have given your little chameleons from day one and you can't get down on yourself for that! You've done more for Duke than most people would have.

Now I understand if you do need to find a new home for them and you know that if I lived closer to you... I'd be happy to take Duke for you.

Anyways... back to our regularly scheduled thread about leos...

Trace

[J-Man]

I will give credit to myself for having determination... but also my lack of reliable vets should indicate that the easier the herp the better for me. I do plan on keeping my new female and doing EVERYTHING by the book and not neglecting it one bit (not that I did with Duke). But I think Duke would be better off with somebody else. I did make a contact at the reptile show I attended and he would be happy to take care of him for me. I will not be charging him anything in return, just that I can come and visit him once and a while.

Trace, you have been an ENORMOUS help to me and I'm sorry to sort of "let you down" by giving him up... I can understand how it might feel after all of the help that you've given me... but I think I have to do what's right and I'm not sure I will always be able to take care of him. Thank you so much for all of your help, your advice will not go unused... I'm sure I will be making up batches of your oh so delicious "Bug Juice" in the near future. :)

J-meister