Breeding season already?!!?

Hi Everyone:

As a newbee with 15 beautiful geckos, I would like to ask the group about the breeding season. I live in San Diego, CA and I was under the impression that geckos start to lay eggs in March-Septober/October. Based upon recent posts, I am seeing leopard geckos lay eggs now. Marcia (Gloden Gate) I would love to read your response since we are both from CA.

Shuld I buy my incubator and get ready or do I have time? :main_huh:

Thanks!
B

I live in CT and I am getting eggs to. Actually I have hatched out babies. So they have been laying for about 2 months. I have 4 females that have been laying and probably about 6 more ovulating. So I guess the season has begun. I’m pretty sure though that you can get them to breed any time of the year just most of them lay march-September.

Leopard geckos will lay eggs anytime of the year. really its up to the breeder when they want to have their season start. My leo's started laying about 15 days ago, so far 6 eggs in the cooker with dozens more ready to be laid any day. I chose to have my season start in the late fall early winter because its the best time for me, plus when the warm weather comes around the babies should be a pretty good size.

As stated you can have your leos breeding when ever you like, I haven't really be breeding long enough to say this from experince but I have heard that once a season has been established females will typically start having follicles the same time each year.

ExcessiveHerps said:

I have heard that once a season has been established females will typically start having follicles the same time each year.

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This is probably true, especially for groups of females. Normally, Leopard Gecko breeding season starts around Jan-Feb and ends around Sept-Oct. Breeders can manipulate the photocycle and temperatures in order to produce offspring year-round. I do not do this, nor do I cool my geckos... they just seem to know when to stop breeding and start again based on the length of the days.

I would recommend getting an incubator set up and calibrated now to save any anxiety that you may have if for some reason yours begin breeding sooner. The Hovabator is the most popular and commonly used incubator, but they can require up to several days and some patience to get them 'dialed in' to hold a steady temperature. LLL Reptile has the best deals on them, and they are in Oceanside and Escondido so that could save you shipping costs. If you really want the best incubator for the money, I recommend and use the Nature's Spirit incubators.

What Marcia said, i do not cool my leopard geckos either. i just put the male with them during the fall and they always start laying eggs towards the end of fall early part of winter.

Thanks for the informtion. As of today, I don't have "egg laying chambers" in the cages. Should I add them?

Thanks!
B

Yeah it doesn't hurt even if they are not ovulating. They are also good as a humid hide. will not hurt anything if you add them to your enclosures.