Gecko Time: Breeding Basics

[acpart]

Here is another installment in our "Readers' Questions Answered" series with responses to basic questions about gecko breeding. Though many of the questions are about leopard geckos, the responses can apply to most other gecko species as well: http://www.geckotime.com/readers-questions-answered-breeding-basics/

Aliza

 

[PaPaya]

How old should the geckos be? Should you use the same kind of vitamin/calcium powder while she's gravid? Should you increase her food intake? I'm not gonna breed geckos just yet, might wait till my sophmore year of high school. Just for future reference.

 

[Pinky81]

from what Ive read and learned its not so much of age as it is health and weight of the female and male. While the female is creating the eggs it takes a lot out of her..then she goes off eating just prior to laying so she will live off her stores during this. The first round with Bonnie she lost 10grams (I was fairly distressed by the time the first clutch was laid)but once the clutch was laid she would eat eat eat!! She gained all that weight back plus 2 grams. Ive taken to feeding her only feeders such as hornworms/silkworms/butterworms with some of my gutloaded Crix for sport...she just loves the chase!!! inbetween clutches to make sure she stays as healthy as possible.

I know that Ive seen things from others on how they dust with vitamins and have only calcium without D in the viv. I keep a container of ReptiCal (cal+D) in the viv and I dust her feeders with replashy Gecko Vit. everyother. Thus far I have not had any issues or calcium pockets. My motto is let her eat till she's full..offer daily a variety of the three worms. She is as of today 60grams she just laid a week ago her third clutch. and currently has two more eggs developing.

Bonnie and Clyde were together in one 20L but after hearing the storys on GF of those that has injuries or increased stress on the female from the male ALWAYS wanting to mate mate mate. I decided to get a second tank so now they are on a wrought Iron double stand!!!!

Hope this helps!! This was my first time breeding and thus far 3 clutches with 2 eggs NOT fertile...and 4 fertile looking good! Im incubating at 80-82 for females.

The hardest part is the waiting!!!!