Under Weight Females..

[mynewturtle]

Hi there,

Some of my females just won't grow. They are all 13 months and 39-41 grams. They are eating mealworms every day, waxies once a week, crickets 2 times a week. My question is what do you do with those females who just won't pass 40? She is not ovulating and eats 12 mealies a day 4 waxies a week, 15 crickets a week. I don't know what to do breeding wise with these females. There soon going to be ovulating on there own. What would YOU do?

 

[liljenn]

Very curious about this question too....

BTW - What morph are they?

 

[mynewturtle]

Snow het raptor, Snow het tremper(no its not the snow gene I have some snows above 100) . They honestly have been at 40 for 2 months.

 

[david13]

Try putting a dish of mealworms in their cages so they can eat anytime, make sure they are housed seperately

 

[liljenn]

Mack snow or LB snow?? I ask because I have read that generally, leopard geckos (US captive breed) are a mutt of sub-species. I have read that some characteristics of the m. e. fasciolatus are smaller and lankier looking. Maybe they have some of these traits??

I have read in another post that some of the other sub-species were breed at the weight of ~40-45 grams (full grown over a year old, of course!)
Here's one recent thread that I read:
http://www.geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=15732&referrerid=6657

If you do a search of "fasciolatus" there is more info from breeders working with this wild caught sub-species.

Just a thought.... I am new at all this still, so if some one has any other thoughts???

 

[mynewturtle]

I have a dish of mealworms. They are NOT line bred. One looks like it but the breeder bought his stock from kelli and stated in his email yesterday that he is NOT dealing with linebred.

If in two months she is not ready I might try breeding her she has a good body size.. just 40 grams.

 

[liljenn]

Experienced breeder opinion, please??

So it is definately a Mack Snow? hmmm. I know Kelli also worked with Gem Snows and my gems are on the small side too. BUT it could be just a smaller gecko! 40 grams is not that small, I don't think. I know Marcia from GGG has said to wait until 50 grams.

I would like to hear some opinions from experienced breeders too because my gem is small also. :main_huh:

 

[The Sunset Gang]

I would go by rule of thumb of 50 grams or more. Personally I like 60, but I am always cautious. They are definitely old enough to breed, so its weird that neither of them are heavy enough or ovulating. Good Luck!

 

[mynewturtle]

I KNOW it's spose to be 50. I'm asking what do you do breeding wise if the female will not PASS 40.

 

[dprince]

If the female won't get past 40 grams, I wouldn't breed her.

 

[mynewturtle]

Ok thanks Debbie. Hopefully year 2, or 3 I'll be able to breed her.

 

[strigoii]

one of my female's weight was 35 and 2 years of age when I first breed her, now she is 3 years and her weight is 45