Did I miss something?

[tlbowling]

OK...I've been a very active member here for awhile. I have done everything possible to prepare myself for my first season of breeding leopard geckos.

I've done tons of reading on this forum, researching breeding information online, I've read Ron Trempers book, and the Genetics for Herpers book.

I bought my pairs got them up to age and weight, I check them every few days for ovulation...but havent seen any pink dots:main_no:.

Did I miss it?

My two females weigh 73g and 61g, they were both born 6/2010 (almost a year old) so maybe they just arent QUITE old enough to ovulate yet?

And if I missed it...is it really true they ONLY ovulate ONCE per year???

 

[im faster]

They should be old enough. but ovulation can occur anytime of the year.. going off the tim ethey were born i would say with in the next couple months

 

[Theinfidel]

Yeah...all my females have ovulated except one. So it's pretty random

 

[Taquiq]

My females tend to ovulate late in the "season". Mine just ovulated a few days ago. You could try the paper towel trick, but your best bet is to just wait.

 

[tlbowling]

My females tend to ovulate late in the "season". Mine just ovulated a few days ago. You could try the paper towel trick, but your best bet is to just wait.

The paper towel trick... as in taking one with the scent of the male from his cage and using it in hers?
I thought it would work similarly if they were housed next to each other in the rack?


Im just so worried that Im going to miss it? I dont even know if I'd be able to tell...Ive seen pictures online...but never in real life, and the room that they are in only has fluorescent lighting. Im scared Im going to miss it, and it'll be too late, and I'll have to wait a whole nother year!

 

[Theinfidel]

Females will ovulate for several weeks you can't miss it...should of known that while doing research.

 

[gixxer3420]

Your geckos may be a little young. Give them another month or two.

 

[tlbowling]

Females will ovulate for several weeks you can't miss it...should of known that while doing research.

Are you getting fresh with me If I cant see it...I will miss it...no matter how long they ovulate for!




smart alec

 

[tlbowling]

Your geckos may be a little young. Give them another month or two.

Thank you Rob. Kinda what I was thinking...I'll give them some more time and keep checking:main_thumbsup:

 

[fl_orchidslave]

I have one girl that was slow to ovulate, though she was up to age and weight. So I went ahead and put her with the boyfriend in hopes that she would catch up. No eggs yet but it's not a big deal if she lays later than the others. It will happen when it happens. Be patient

 

[acharpenter]

I wish I was hoping mine would breed - I was not ready to deal with the eggs and sure enough I adoted a trio and they came with 6 eggs incubating. I am sure to get another couple clucthed yet.

Luckily I have a friend who wanted the eggs.....

Good Luck!

 

[im faster]

I still have 2 that haven't started ovulating

 

[roger]

OK...I've been a very active member here for awhile. I have done everything possible to prepare myself for my first season of breeding leopard geckos.

I've done tons of reading on this forum, researching breeding information online, I've read Ron Trempers book, and the Genetics for Herpers book.

I bought my pairs got them up to age and weight, I check them every few days for ovulation...but havent seen any pink dots:main_no:.

Did I miss it?

My two females weigh 73g and 61g, they were both born 6/2010 (almost a year old) so maybe they just arent QUITE old enough to ovulate yet?

And if I missed it...is it really true they ONLY ovulate ONCE per year???

They are definately old enough.Its still fairly early.some females ovulate during the summer.You wont miss the pink dot.it looks like a pencil eraser

 

[M_surinamensis]

And if I missed it...is it really true they ONLY ovulate ONCE per year???

The important thing to remember about seasonal breeding species is that all of the changes, the physiological shift, the behaviors seeking mates, ovulation, male competition, nest site selection... everything about the act of reproduction... is a result of external cues.

It's an evolutionary benefit in a few ways. Breed at time of the year X, gestate for Y days, hatched/born at time of the year Z, when there's plentiful food and water and warmth and whatever else a given species may need. Makes it easier on all the offspring, gives them a chance to grow before the rougher seasons. It also decreases the odds of being eaten by a predator for each individual offspring (though since it's graded pass/fail...) since there are so many other potential victims out and about at the same time. t's quality Darwinism at work. And last but not least, it gets all involved gametes ready at the same time, which is a savings in energy during non-breeding seasons. Eggs are produces when sperm is available and vise-versa. It means no calories and nutrients are being wasted at a time when they don't stand a good chance of being used; the entire species (or local population anyway) is receptive to similar cues.

Those cues... can be complicated. Not always, some are pretty simple, like "winter" followed by "spring" (it gets cold, it gets warm, SEXYTIME!). Some are a bit more involved to control or manipulate though. Especially among equatorial species who haven't evolved to meet the more extreme seasonal changes at the top and bottom of the planet. Duration of photoperiod, combined with light intensity and spectrum can be a trigger. Humidity, including periods of rain or drought, can be a trigger. The water chemistry of rain and standing water is also sometimes a trigger, though more so more often with amphibians, fish and inverts than it is with reptiles. Barometric pressure can be a trigger. The availability of certain foods is potentially a pretty important one, lots of predatory species breed in response to a change in their diet, availability of high-calorie, high-nutrient periods leads to rich, healthy eggs or readily available prey for the resultant offspring.

The whole point being... they can't read a calendar. They don't count days. They know what time of year it is based on the things they experience relative to the seasonal changes in the place they evolved. Some of the things that prompt them are outside of your control (or very involved and effort intensive for you to manipulate), things like local weather patterns where you live can cause a shift in what time of year your reptiles seem to think it is. Sometimes it happens earlier or later than you were expecting as a result of this.

Sometimes if you really want to, you can significantly alter their reproductive cycle by artificially cycling them through seasonal triggers (though this should usually be done with considered forethought given to the demands seasonal behaviors place on the animals' health; a lot of species can be tricked into breeding two or three times more than they normally would in a given calendar year, then they drop over dead after a year or two).

 

[tlbowling]

I was almost scared to open my thread when i saw your name Seamus. I thought you were going to rip me a new a$$ lol. No matter if you did or not, it's always good information but usually with a few "digs" thrown in

 

[prettyinpink]

If you keep looking at their bellies you'll know when you see it. Rose ovulated a few months ago, Fae is ovulating right now.

I don't check Amirah, so I'm not sure if she has yet.

Best of luck!

 

[roger]

:main_yes::main_laugh::main_yes::main_laugh:

I was almost scared to open my thread when i saw your name Seamus. I thought you were going to rip me a new a$$ lol. No matter if you did or not, it's always good information but usually with a few "digs" thrown in