Advice for the start?

[skully23]

I have a pair that will be ready to breed this year. I wanted to ask for advice and tips. Need basic care, introduction, incubation temps, substrate, etc.
I've read and researched some but would like some experienced breeders to fill me in.
I have one of those simple styrofoam incubators. What do I add to it?

I'd also like to know the "temp" needed to produce males and females.
Thanks!
-Skully-

 

[ForTozs]

I think you are off to a good start. Breeding the geckos is almost too easy. You might want to ask yourself first what you plan on doing with the babies. Taking care of all the babies is the hard part! To introduce the geckos, wait till you see the female is ovulating. You will see two eggs through her belly. You can google some images to help you there. Once you introduce them it shouldn't take long for them to breed if they are going to. Anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour is usually enough. Although I have housed them together in the past I find its healthier for the female the less time you keep them together. In 2-3 weeks she will lay her eggs in her moist hide (I use vermiculite). Carefully remove them and put them in an incubation container. KEEP DETAILED RECORDS OF EVERYTHING! Do not turn the egg over. You can even mark the top with an x if you like with a sharpie. I use damp perlite (50/50 by weight?) for the incubation substrate because I have had issues with vermiculite getting in the eyes of the babies. The most important thing is to keep the water reservoirs in the bottom of the incubator full. You don't want the eggs to dry out. Cook at 80 for females only, and 90 for males only. Somewhere around 85-86 should get you about 50/50. Don't be discouraged if the first clutch is bad, this is fairly normal and she will continue to lay clutches every 2-3 weeks for several months. Hope this helps.

 

[Simply]

So, she will be laying clutches for several months, but the male only mated once? Should they breed again after the first cluthes are layed?!

 

[ForTozs]

They only need to breed once. I've even had a female carry sperm into the next breeding season. I don't want to sound rude because I got started just like you are getting started. I still have much to learn myself. But I want to stress my point about knowing what you are getting into. Are you prepared to lose your favorite female due to her becoming egg bound? Are you prepared to kill baby geckos with health problems? How long have you kept geckos? Are you responsible in their care and maintenance? Are you supplementing? Really the best advice I can give you is DO YOUR RESEARCH and START SMALL. Breeding a single female is not a difficult undertaking, and it will give you a better idea of what to expect. I don't want to discourage you. It just seems with as many questions as you have, you might be served by doing more in-depth research. Maybe you should watch some youtube videos. Here is a good start from a respected breeder. Once again, I hope I don't come off rude. I'm just trying to give the best advice I can give.

Before You Start Breeding Leopard Geckos.

 

[Simply]

Thank you for the reply. I haven't had a reptile before. I understand the difficulty and resposibility of breeding any creature. Of course I have a lot to learn, that's why my asking questions, but a person can learn only part by reading and the rest is by doing. I still don't have geckos and am researching before I do.

 

[ForTozs]

Well I think you are making a good choice with leopard geckos. They are hardy reptiles. With the internet, there is a wealth of knowledge. Just go to the respected breeders and most have care sheets that you can read. Also, there are some good books. My first was The Leopard Gecko Manual by Philippe De Vosjoli. It was written a long time ago, but I'm pretty sure they have updated it since my last copy. A cheap, decent resource anyway. Apparently, you can even get it on iTunes now for $5.99. Nice!

The Leopard Gecko Manual

 

[acpart]

Plan to get your leopard geckos this year and keep them for a year. If you like how it's going and you are thinking about breeding, consider doing that in a year. For now, keep reading the forums, read multiple care sheets. Copy and paste anything that seems relevant into a new document and you'll have a collection of useful info at your fingertips.

Aliza

 

[skully23]

Guys...I am not asking those questions. Simply hi-jacked my thread, I am Skully. I already have geckos and years of experiencing in keeping reptiles. I'm thinking about breeding my Leo's but I have ball pythons to deal with. So I don't know yet but thanks for the info. I'll still be considering and researching.
-Skully-