Nest protection....

[Gregg M]

I guess this can fit into this forum...

Anyway, I read Wendys thread about the tang laying eggs and what she said about the male....

I had always thought that leos did not have parental instincts.... It just does not seem biologically fitting because of the fact that they lay clutches every two or so weeks.... If they guarded their eggs in the wild, it would be a very long time before they got to eat again... And as we all know, if a female does not eat in between clutches, it can be the start of a bad situation....

But on the flip side of that, you hear stories like the one Wendy told and it makes you think....

Any other opinions on this subject???

 

[CoolGeckos]

I had few female like that and usually after few hours and they leaves the nesting... I don't think they stay with nest till hatch--- based on my experience with some females who "protects" nest for sometime. If do then it is likely an FRESH laid. That is only occurs for a while.

 

[BalloonzForU]

Gregg, I had a female that laid duds, and she was very aggressive towards me when I went to take them out. I could tell they were mushy, so I let them be till she decided to move. She wouldn't leave them if I was in the room. Finally I took them out.

Then I have this other girl, that's ok with me taking her out of the lay box, but if I don't change the substrate in the box after she lays, she won't leave the box at all. She must smell the eggs. She won't leave and will poop in the box too. So every time she lays I have to scrub the lay box.

 

[RaiQuee]

All my females I generally find still in the lay box when I find eggs. However, I go and pluck them off their little bounty, and no one says different

 

[Jeanne]

I have a female Fat Tail that is the sweetest thing, until she lays eggs, once she does, she will bite me when I open her egg laying container. Once I remove the eggs, she is fine again.

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

I have always pondered this too

This is the only male that acts that way and he loves the be handled but when any of his 3 females lay he goes into guard and attack mode.

I would think that in the wild if they did attempt to guard the nest they would be soon run off or eaten.

 

[nwheat]

I just had a thought after reading Wendy's post. I agree that you would not expect to see parental instincts and that guarding the eggs probably doesn't happen in nature, but perhaps Wendy's male is guarding the female. They are probably a bit vulnerable during the actual laying process and it would be in the male's interest to protect her (if she survives she's storing sperm and will lay more eggs).

I've never caught one of my females in the process of laying, but I'll be paying attention to the behavior of the males as well now if I ever do get lucky!:main_cool3:

 

[Jeanne]

Nancy, that is a very good theory. I will have to try and catch some of mine in the process as well. I only keep 2 groups together though, so the odds are bad

 

[brandy101010]

I only have experience with one laying female so far... but she does not mind when I take her eggs from her. But if you guys think egg guarding is weird you are going to find this really weird.

I put a pinky in with one of my females and she would not eat it. so I left her alone with it for awhile when I came back in the room she was cuddling with it! no lie! I sware! she was cuddling with her food! so I moved the pinky away from her thinking maybe it just crawled next to her and she just diddn't mind it being there. again when I came into the room she was cuddling with the pinky. I took the pinky out and fed it to my bearded dragon. at this point she was running on the glass as if she wanted that pinky back! But it was too late Quagmire had scarfed it up!

This made no sence to me since I know leopard geckos do not "take care" of their young. Why would she have some type of attachment to a pinky? maybe she wanted to save it for later? lol

 

[nwheat]

I went into the gecko room today and saw this:

Nani was just finished laying eggs (her first and both are fertile!) - she'd already buried them well, but was in the process of trying to cover them with the plastic lid as well. She moved away when I opened up the door. Kekoa didn't attack me when I reached in, but Nani was already safely away..... I must admit that I'm relieved he didn't try to take a chunk out of my hand!