Leos "lay eggs like chickens"

[Kat&Rin]

Ok so, this is an epically random question but its been bugging me for a while so I'm gonna ask it.

We were talking to the reptile department guy at our local petstore about getting a second leo a while back and when talking about females the guy said something to the affect of; "Female leos lay eggs like chickens" so basically, that female leos will lay infertile eggs all the time.....so basically my question is this:

Do ALL female leos lay infertile eggs (like actually lay them even if they're infertile) or does it depend on the female or what? Because Rin is almost two years old and she's never laid an egg.....does that mean she's a he? lol just a random question

Thanks everyone.

 

[Adinar]

They don't always do it, but they can. They can lay infertile eggs once they've been with a male tho too. Just tally that statement up as one of the many myths of petstores. Recently I got to hear the old "mealworms eatting through a reptiles stomach" bit. 2 years of feeding mealies and not one fatality, hm...

 

[SDCowboy]

Unless she got knocked up by a male at some point at the pet store (within about a year or so) she is not going to lay eggs. They can store the sperm for use later.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Unless she got knocked up by a male at some point at the pet store (within about a year or so) she is not going to lay eggs.

This is not correct... sorry! Female leopard geckos ovulate from around January/February through September/October every year, and can produce a pair of follicles as often as every two weeks for the duration. In most cases where a male is not present to fertilize them, these ovum are usually reabsorbed into the female's body. However, they can and do, occasionally form into eggs that are passed just like any other fertile egg. These eggs are full of yolk, but usually do not form a firm shell.

 

[Kat&Rin]

okay well thats good to know lol, silly petstore people XD I was pretty sure it was a petstore myth but I wanted to make sure. Hmmm swordtail fish store the sperm too, very interesting, I think its a pretty sweet adaptation, being able to prevent pregnancy until conditions are optimal.

 

[Kat&Rin]

This is not correct... sorry! Female leopard geckos ovulate from around January/February through September/October every year, and can produce a pair of follicles as often as every two weeks for the duration. In most cases where a male is not present to fertilize them, these ovum are usually reabsorbed into the female's body. However, they can and do, occasionally form into eggs that are passed just like any other fertile egg. These eggs are full of yolk, but usually do not form a firm shell.

ah ok, so its possible that she has just absorbed them before? Do they eat during this absorbing period or no? Because that would explain her occasional lack of interest in food.....hmmm, so if I haven't noticed this before does it mean she's a he? Or is it just not that obvious?

 

[M_surinamensis]

Just tally that statement up as one of the many myths of petstores.

I think I am instead going to tally it as an imperfect but still apt analogy to explain moderately complicated biology to a layperson. The employee did good, making a conscious attempt to present subject matter in a way that his intended audience would comprehend.

 

[Tony C]

hmmm, so if I haven't noticed this before does it mean she's a he? Or is it just not that obvious?

Leopard geckos are easily sexed, just flip it over and look for the presence or absence of preanal pores and hemipenal bulges.

Pictures for comparison.

 

[Adinar]

I think I am instead going to tally it as an imperfect but still apt analogy to explain moderately complicated biology to a layperson. The employee did good, making a conscious attempt to present subject matter in a way that his intended audience would comprehend.

True, I should've worded it differently. It's true in a sense but not completly.

 

[Kat&Rin]

haha no its fine, loooong before I got her I'd learned how to sex them, And I'm about 99% sure.....I just don't like flipping her over since she isn't overly fond of handling anyways.....but no, I haven't seen any hemipenal bulges or anything obvious so I'm sticking with the fact that Rin's a female. It was mainly that the leos were all at least 8 months old and there were five females and about twenty males all in one tank so I wasn't sure whether to take this guy at face value (should have clarified, sorry)

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Do they eat during this absorbing period or no? Because that would explain her occasional lack of interest in food.

Ovulation can be problematic for females, and some will go off food completely either until they are bred or laid a clutch. This is especially worrisome for young and small geckos that do not have a good fat reserve. Remember that laying infertile eggs is just as taxing on their bodies as laying fertile ones, so make sure she has plenty of calcium and perhaps even vary her diet to increase her feeding response.

 

[panthergecko]

Ovulation can be problematic for females, and some will go off food completely either until they are bred or laid a clutch. This is especially worrisome for young and small geckos that do not have a good fat reserve. Remember that laying infertile eggs is just as taxing on their bodies as laying fertile ones, so make sure she has plenty of calcium and perhaps even vary her diet to increase her feeding response.

damn my small 7 inch gecko probably female will do this?
geez i did not want to worry about this

 

[Kat&Rin]

Yah, she started refusing to eat her mealworms but after giving her crickets her appetite dramatically improved. I leave calcium in the tank at all times so I think I'm good there too....well, thanks so much for answering my question, I really appreciate it everyone

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

my small 7 inch gecko probably female will do this?

Not necessarily. The majority of my females will eat through breeding season. Some will be less interested in food, and a few will stop eating altogether until they have either bred, or laid a clutch of eggs.