Mating leopard geckos can be easy for some, less so for others. In this article, the easiest way to do this is covered, which is often the best.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Prepare for Pairing
Step 1. Get a pair of leopard geckos, male and female
Males have sacs containing hemipenes under the cloaca, while females lack them. Entarmbi have a row of V-shaped scales above the cloaca, but only those of the male are hollow and produce wax. This substance serves them to mark their territory.
- It is better for you to check that you actually have a boy and a girl yourself, rather than rely on the clerks in large pet stores. Smaller store managers or reptile experts are generally more trustworthy.
- Never keep two males together or they will fight to the death.
Step 2. Get a cage large enough to accommodate the male and female together
Geckos can be kept together without needing to separate them, unless they violently attack each other. There can sometimes be a bit of a stir when they are put together, but they generally stop within a week.
- For a couple you will need a 75 liter container.
- You can also decide to introduce a male with 4-5 females; add 35 liters for each additional gecko.
Step 3. Prepare the egg incubator and collection container
You can also use a plastic container with a lid for this. Cut an entrance hole on one side and fill it with damp moss.
Step 4. Make sure you have customers who will purchase the puppies when they are ready
Method 2 of 4: Playback
Step 1. Introduce the female
You can do this directly in the same cage, usually - if the female is not healthy NOT try to mate it: it could die.
- Females must be at least one year old and of optimal weight. Place a shallow dish filled with calcium and vitamin D3 powder that the female can lick if needed. Females use the calcium supply to lay eggs and if these stores were to be depleted, they would die from metabolic bone disease.
- Provide generous feeding of insects sprinkled with calcium and make sure she always has access to water. Egg production causes a lot of strain on the female.
Step 2. Let nature take its course
Mating should take place within a week.
If you notice that they keep arguing, separate them. In this case it is better to verify that they are not both males. If it's actually a boy and a girl, you can bring them back together later
Step 3. Prepare the nesting container in the cage
Females dig to lay eggs, the container serves to ensure that we indeed have a place to do this.
Method 3 of 4: Caring for Eggs
Step 1. Within 4-5 weeks, the females will lay eggs
As a rule, you will see her burrowing into the container and laying eggs in pairs. It should be easy to tell if she has spawned, especially since she will be much leaner.
Step 2. Collect the eggs for incubation
Remove them from the container being careful not to twist or shake them. At 24 hours after deposition, the embryo begins to attach itself to the walls of the egg. Rotating or shaking an egg can cause the embryo to detach and drown, killing it.
- Take a 2-inch-high plastic cup and make a dent with your finger in the middle, right where you are going to put the egg.
- Carefully place the egg in this dent and mark the top with a marker or pencil so you know which is the top. In the event that the egg should move, you can put it back in the right direction hoping that it has not suffered any damage.
- If you want females, set the incubator at a temperature of 80-85 ° C, if you want males instead, set it at 90-95 ° C. To get a mix, set an intermediate temperature!
Step 3. Observe the development of the embryos
After a few weeks you will be able to "light up" the eggs with a small flashlight. It is not necessary to touch the eggs, just place them in a dark room and direct the light on the shell, as close as possible. You should be able to see the pink interior with the red blood vessels. The more the eggs are advancing, the better you will see the little ones inside, like a dark spot.
Step 4. After about 60 days, more or less depending on the incubation temperature, the eggs should hatch
Method 4 of 4: Taking care of the little ones
Step 1. Prepare the cages for the little ones
Before hatching, set up small individual cages. You can also use a 38-liter container with plastic separators so that each puppy has a space of its own. Each cage must have a small bowl of water.
Step 2. Prepare some small crickets
The pups will start eating within a day or two of hatching.
Step 3. The most important thing is to make sure that you have room for all of the cubs before breeding the leopard geckos
A female can lay 12 to 20 pairs of eggs per year, which means 24 to 40 cubs!
