The gestation period in leopard geckos is between 16 to 22 days after mating. Females will continue to lay a clutch of eggs every two to three weeks over the four or five-month period. The female will lay the eggs in the egg-laying box you provided for her in the terrarium. Keep the design simple — a small plastic box with an entry hole in the lid and moist sphagnum moss or vermiculite inside is a great option.
When you notice that eggs are there, carefully take them out and put them in the already-prepared incubation tray. It is crucially important not to roll the eggs over and to place them on the incubation tray in their original position, with the upper side still facing up. Otherwise, the embryo will drown inside the egg. Step 1. Moisten the substrate vermiculite or other with dripping water, or by adding it little by little.
Step 2. There are two ways to go about it. Step 3. Put the eggs in the tray in their original position. This is crucial to avoid drowning the embryos inside the egg. Cover the dish with a lid in order to avoid excessive drying of the substrate.
Step 4. Where you will put the egg tray is up to your ambitions and possibilities. Certainly, the best option to fully control the temperature by getting a reptile incubator. As said before, you can also use an empty terrarium. Check the eggs every few days to check the humidity and to provide oxygen.
Mold or bacterial growth may take place on infertile or dead eggs — remove those immediately. If you feel like the vermiculite has dried out, add a tiny amount of water in the corners of the tray.
After about two months on average — or more precisely, 35 to 89 days depending on the temperature, baby leopard geckos will hatch from their eggs. This happens quietly and relatively quickly, so witnessing the actual moment of hatching is very rare. It is quite possible that you will just notice the brand new baby leos in the place of eggs.
They can be kept in sibling pairs, but separate them in case one is growing faster than the other. There is no need feed them before their first shedding, which will take place days after hatching. Some sources suggest feeding every other day, while others recommend everyday feeding. Remember that hatchling leos are a bit nervous and snappy — try not to handle them too much until they grow a bit older and stronger.
As you have just learned, breeding leopard geckos is quite different than just keeping them as pets. It takes time, special equipment and dedication, and it is not a right step for everyone. However, in the case you are ready for it, producing a new generation of leos can be a rewarding experience.
We covered all the important basics of leopard gecko breeding, but there are many more tricks and tips you may learn from experienced breeders who are kind enough to share their experiences. The more you know, the better results you will get, so never stop learning. How was your first gecko breeding experience? Let us know in the comments — after all, we are here to learn from each other, for the ultimate benefit of our leopard geckos.
Lower temps. Again no disrespect but wanted you to know. While taking care to not turn the eggs is true for most reptiles like snakes, I thought that this does not apply to leopard geckos. Is that true? To the best of my knowledge, nobody knows for sure. I just think the risk-reward algebra is best balanced by keeping them in the same orientation they were deposited in.
Let us know what happens! I have 2 spotted geckos and just about a week or two ago I got curious as to what their sex was. The kids just came in and thought the two were mating. So the big question now is what do I do?!?!? Hey I am currently breeding and getting eggs but every time I get the eggs they seem to die except once and I have produced like 18 eggs so only 1 out of 18 hatched. Hey, Tristin. Sorry about your incubation troubles.
Incubating eggs is certainly a tricky skill to master, and it is often a frustrating endeavor. Many first-time breeders err on the wet side, which can cause problems. Many entry-level commercial incubators have suspect thermostats.
Eggs can develop at different rates, and clutches can contain a combination of fertile and infertile eggs. That mutation must have popped up after I stopped breeding leopard geckos. Please help idk what to do. The denting sounds like the box you were incubating the eggs in is too dry. Breeding leopard geckos is an exciting, fascinating process from start to finish, but it requires a lot of research and preparation to keep your breeding pair safe and happy.
Although in captivity, leopard geckos will mate year-round, in the wild, their mating season starts in January and lasts until roughly September or October.
Leopard geckos typically mate at night since they are crepuscular animals that tend to be more active in the early morning and nighttime hours. The more important factor with leopard gecko breeding is the time of day or, rather, night you attempt to get your breeding pair to mate rather than the month or season.
Your geckos will most likely be more willing to mate during the evening or very early morning hours before the sun rises, as this is when they are most active and awake. To be on the safe side, your geckos should both be at least one year old, though it is common for both males and females to reach sexual maturity at 9 to 10 months of age.
This is especially important for your female gecko, as breeding and producing eggs is very stressful for her and consumes a lot of energy. Additionally, both geckos should be checked by a qualified reptile veterinarian beforehand for any potential health issues or risks. Ideally, each enclosure should be fully furnished with proper lighting, humidity, hides, etc.
The box should be large enough to comfortably house her and allow her to turn around and move freely yet small enough to feel cozy. In the wild, leopard geckos tend to lay their eggs in warm sand under rocks, but a cozy pile of a substrate like vermiculite or sphagnum moss is just fine in captivity.
Breeding is a stressful, energy-consuming process for both leopard geckos involved, particularly your female. To keep both geckos strong and healthy, increase the amount of calcium and protein-rich insects in their diet before breeding. This is especially important for your female gecko, as mating and producing eggs is stressful and uses up a significant amount of her time and energy.
After your geckos have been bred successfully, keep offering both geckos slightly more food and calcium! Again, this is especially important for your female gecko, as her body will be spending lots of time and energy producing her clutch of eggs over the next several weeks. Still, offer plenty of protein-rich insects like crickets and dubia roaches to keep her body strong and healthy. Some geckos might not immediately breed upon their first introduction, though some will be more eager.
Keep it on for 12 hours a day. Because leopard geckos are active at night, they do not need to bask under UVB lighting. Feed breeding leopard geckos crickets at least every other day, or keep a dish of mealworms Tenebrio molitor in the enclosure at all times. Gut load insects with chick or hog mash for 24 to 48 hours before feeding them to your geckos. It is important that you offer your leopard geckos extra calcium and vitamin D3. Instead of dusting feeder insects, place a jar lid filled with the supplement in the corner of the cage so the leopard geckos can decide how much they consume.
Use a shallow, sturdy water dish measuring 3 to 6 inches in diameter to keep fresh water available at all times. Typically leopard gecko females are not sexually mature until they weigh 45 grams and reach 9 to 10 months of age.
North of the equator, leopard geckos experience a breeding season running from January to September. Individuals hatched late in the year may not start laying eggs until April of the following season.
While we do cool down females prior to breeding, never cool down first-year females because they are still growing. Geckos such as this raptor morph require a hide box measuring 6 to 7 inches in diameter.
When introducing a female leopard gecko to a male leopard gecko, the first thing you may hear is the male going through his tail-vibration routine, which sounds like a very fast rattle. A receptive female stands perfectly still while the male grasps her neck skin in his mouth and engages in copulation. A male restraining a female in this way is normal.
A successful mating takes only two to three minutes from start to finish. Remove the female leopard gecko soon afterward. Leopard gecko females lay eggs 16 to 22 days after copulation. Once a breeding season begins, you can expect female leopard geckos to lay a clutch every 15 to 22 days over a four- to five-month period.
Female leopard geckos may lay one or two eggs for the first clutch of their lives, resulting in eight to 10 eggs for their first breeding year. Leopard geckos can produce 80 to eggs over a lifetime.
These two super giant albinos weigh grams each. Their size resulted from a random mutation. Provide an egg-laying box at least 6 to 7 inches in diameter and 4 inches tall. For cages housing three to five females, a plastic shoebox is ideal.
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