New Steno owner really needs help!

[salasie]

Friday just gone I purchased 4 geckos from a family who'd brought them for her son about a year back and he'd got bored. There's a male and female and two captive bred unsexed juvis. But I have a few problems and questions I really need answering.

1. I've read that the stenos need dry and hot yet the tank that the mother and children are in is very damp, infact on what I've read I don't even understand how they managed to have kids. I ordered some new sand that should come today and I've going to dry and sort it out, but I wanted confirmation that this is the right thing.
2. The previous owners seperated the male and female when the children where born so now my boy, salasie, is on his own but whenever I try to re-introduce the male and female together they "fight". I've heard their mating rituals can be quite violent, I don't mind them mating but I don't want them to kill eachother! Can anyone offer me some more in-depth behavioural tips to better understand whats going on. He's jumping on her and biting her legs, head and body but after they stop fighting they avoid eachother for a bit and then I get nervous or have to leave and can't watch them so I split them up.
3. The mother (Rosie) also worries me alot because she has this huge belly, they where all quite thin when I got them and Im gradually trying to bulk them out a bit but she just has like this sack on her belly that means she walks much higher than the others. The previous owners said, quote "she always looks pregnant but she's not". There's also like a little black spot on her belly, that looks like a scar or discolouration. I'm really concerned whether this is normal or not?

I feel bad on them for not being an expert in helping them but I think I'm taking better care of them then they had before and I'm really trying to look into it as much as I can, I just need some help really

Thanks, Tasha x

 

[mariex4]

hi if your refering to sand geckos ,

1) males and females can be kept together ive had no problems with this
2) there temp is around 80 degrees mine have lived happy with that temp .
3) sand do not soak it as these come from sanded areas and dont require lots of water ,just give there viv a spray at night as they dont see still water only running ,so once they see it running down leaves ,caves they will drink.
4) if your gonna breed all you need is a poly box with 2 small peices of wood ,2" over the heat mat. . then get some tubs fill it with sand bout 1 inch deep then carefully place the eggs on it , DO NOT MOISTEN . just leave them on the sand at about 80 deg in the home made incuvbater .

 

[mariex4]

o as for mating yes there kinda like leos the male will grab her neck or tail and he will do his bit . the male will churp allot and even the females when there ready this is the mating call . just keep a check on the females but allways make sure you have more females than males . as this will stress the females out . i had 4 females to 1 male but then had 5 females to 3 males and all did fine and had allot of babys lol