Tips for Breeding Leopard Geckos
90Caring for Leopard Geckos
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Breeding leopard geckos is relatively easy once you have the male and female geckos. If you decide to breed leopard geckos, do not house the male and female together; this can cause stress on the female. Letting the male and female mate all the time can cause health concerns with the female, so do not let them mate unless you have the full intent of incubating the eggs. Otherwise it just causes unnecessary stress on the female.
Just remember that even though it may be easy, breeding leopard geckos is NOT for everyone and not everyone with leopard geckos should try it. It can get expensive to breed leopard geckos, and it's not as easy to sell the babies as you may think. You can and will more than likely quickly become overrun with leopard gecko hatchlings. If you do not have proper experience with leopard geckos (IE you've only had yours for a few months), then it's suggest that you WAIT to have more experience before breeding.
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Sexing Leopard Geckos
Once you've decided to breed your leopard geckos, you must make sure that you have a male and a female, otherwise you will not any babies. Plus, putting two males together in hopes of breeding them, will only cause injury and possible death, so first, you must make sure that you have one male and at least one female. It is hard to determine the gender of leopard geckos until they are about six months old, so when checking a baby gecko for its gender, a male may resemble a female.
If you know at what temperature the gecko was incubated, it will give you a good idea as to what the gender is, but either way you should check the vent (base of the tail where it meets the body). Both genders will have a 'V' of femoral pores at the vent, but in females the femoral pores will appear much fainter than in males. Males also have two hemipenal bulges at the base of the tail, below the vent.
You must be certain of the gender of you gecko before you put two geckos together, so remember that the size of the head or the length of the gecko cannot determine the sex because there are always exceptions to the rules.
Appropriate Breeding Age
Leopard geckos should be fully grown before you think about breeding; make sure that they are at least one year old. If a female is too young, complications may arise, and the overall lifespan of the gecko can be shortened. The age is not the sole determining factor of breeding requirements. The female should also be in good conditions, not underweight or unhealthy. Female should be no less than 50 grams because the female will actually loose weight while being gravid, as the egg production takes calcium from her bones and body.
Mating and Egg Laying
Usually you will not see the mating process, but you will begin to notice bite marks on the female. The male will grab a hold of the female around her neck, but it is not uncommon to see marks on her body or tail.
If you begin to notice sores or bullying, you need to remove the male. Usually, you will only need to keep the male with the female for a few days to a week.
As the eggs develop within the female, you will begin to notice the female gaining weight. The skin will begin to stretch, and the eggs will become visible in her abdomen.
Occasionally, the first clutch will only consist of one egg, but usually they come in pairs. The female will lay her eggs about every four to six weeks. First time breeders will typically have fewer eggs the first year, but you will find that leopard geckos can lay up to 10 eggs a season.
Have a laying box, or humid hide, where the female can lay her eggs. Fill the laying box with about one to two inches of damp vermiculite or perlite, found at garden stores. The laying box allows you some time before the eggs dehydrate, but sometimes the female will not lay the eggs within the laying box, so you must remove them immediately, or else they will dehydrate.
Typically, if the female doesn't lay the eggs within the laybox, they are not going to be fertile, but if you do catch them in time, you should try to incubate them anyway, as that is not always the case.
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Hatch Rite
Incubating Leopard Gecko Eggs
You will need an incubator to ensure that the eggs stay at a constant temperature. Temperature fluctuations during incubation can cause deformities, if not potentially kill the embryo.
Types of Incubators:
Homeade:
- You can use old styrofoam coolers with heat tape attached to a thermostat.
- An aquarium with an under water heater set to a particular temperature. Have the eggs in a tupperware of some sort, partially sitting in the water.
Commercial:
- 1602-N Hovabator (DO NOT use a Hovabator with a turbo fan or with an automatic egg turner. The thermal fan will dry out hte eggs even if you have optimum humidity in the deli cups.)
- Nature's Spirit
Temperatures:
The sex of leopard geckos is determined by the temperature of the incubator. Usually if the egg is incubated for at 90º F, it will be a male, or if it is incubated at 80º F, it will be a female. If the eggs are incubated at 85º F, the chances your chances are 50/50 for either a male or a female, but you then run the chance of having "hot females" or "cold males," where they will not breed and are usually more aggressive.
Humidity:
You should keep a cup or two of water within the incubator if you are using a bought incubator. This will raise the humidity levels. You can also pour water in the bottom of some bought incubators to accomplish the same thing.
Incubation Medium:
When in the incubator the egg needs to be in some sort of container with a moistened bedding. Vermiculite and perlite work great. Hatch-rite is a new incubation medium that has great results as well; with Hatch-rite, you do not need to add water. Super Hatch is another good option that is now available.
Hatching Leopard Geckos
The eggs will incubate for about 40- 60 days. The higher the temperature, the faster the embryo will develop, and in turn the sooner it will hatch.
About a week before the baby hatches, the egg will swell, becoming noticeably larger. A few hours before the baby hatches, you will notice deformation of the egg.
Baby geckos have a hatching tooth that allows it to break out of the egg, but they soon loose the tooth after its purpose is served.
During the hatching process, the baby will take breaks, retreating back inside the egg, so if you are watching the baby hatch, do not worry. The overall process is fairly quick. The yolk sac will still be attached to the baby, so it is a good idea to leave the baby in its container for a little while so that the yolk sac can be rubbed off.
Leopard Gecko Breeders
- goReptiles
Small hobby breeder of select leopard gecko morphs, african fat tails, and crested geckos. - Bright Albino
Breeder of various leopard gecko morph. Paul is a high quality breeder for a great price. - HISSS
HISSS raises and breeds top quality leopard geckos. You can find various morphs such as Enigmas, Bells, Trempers, Jungles, and more.
Caring for Leopard Gecko Hatchlings
Housing
Leopard gecko hatchlings must be housed with geckos of their size. If they are placed with larger geckos, they may be bullied and become stressed. This is the only time that you can house male leopard geckos, but as they age, you will have to separate them. Just remember to house the geckos with others similar to them in size, reducing any problems that may occur.
Reptile carpet and paper towels are both great when housing young leopard geckos. Remember to place a small bowl of water in with the hatchlings. Make sure that it is not filled too deep to prevent the baby from falling into the water bowl. Overall, the hatchlings should be given the same treatment as an adult, receiving the same heat and overall care as an adult.
Diet
Hatchling leopard geckos will not eat until their first shed, which is usually about three to five days after hatching. You should have small crickets or mealworms ready to provide the hatchlings. Remember to appropriately size the feeder insects to no more than than the width of the space between its eyes.
Handling
Handing the hatchlings should be as minimal as possible because to the baby, you are gigantic, and handling the babies will frighten them, possibly stressing them out. You should allow the hatchling time to grow a little. Wait about a month before handling the babies, and when you thing the babies are ready to be handled, start slow, just as you would the adults.
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More Info About Breeding Reptiles
- Things to Think About Before Breeding Reptiles
Make sure that you're prepared for breeding reptiles. You don't want to harm any innocent reptile while you're trying to get your kicks. - Investing in High Quality Reptiles
When breeding reptiles, you want to invest in a high quality reptile versus plain-jane reptile from the pet store. - My Investment: The Cost of Breeding Reptiles
How much does it really cost to breed reptiles. The expenses from goReptiles. - goReptiles
About my personal hobby business.
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CommentsLoading...
I wasn't planning on breeding but I guess it just kinda happened. My female layed 2 eggs the other day. I was told u can't change how they lay or the eggs can die is this true? Also should the eggs keep their shape or will they look dented way before they're ready to hatch?
it's not kissing. biting is normal. breeding can sometimes get aggressive
i just recently bought a male to breed my 2 females when i read up and learn more on it. well, i got the male out 2nite and one of the females and had em on the couch sittin together just to see how they would act towards each other. at first he started licking her like he was kissing her.. (which i thought was cute lol). then he started biting her back! so i put him up. is that normal, or do u think maybe the ppl told me wrong and ive looked wrong and they are both males?
It is normal, but it's not healthy or good. Impaction can occur
Alright thanks you and I looked in the talk tonight and say the smaller one just licking the sand and eating it. Is that normal?
I would separate them. I'm not sure what you mean by impacted guts.
They always seem to get along though and there hasnt been any fighting. So do i have to remove them? And that pretty much means that the smaller one is has imapcted guts? What should i do about this
It looks like both are males, but the pictures are dark. I see bulges and femoral pores on both. The one with the slightly skinnier tail definitely has the 'V', and the one with the bigger tail definitely has bulges. I assume the one with the bigger tail is older.
http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m575/quinn1221
http://i1132.photobucket.com/albums/m575/quinn1221
The smaller mack snow is the "female" and the bigger one (that is orangish-yellow, with a bigger tail) is the "male"!!
You can upload te pictures to photobucket, and post a direct link here.
Is there anyway I could upload a picture of oach of them so you could sex them? Because now I am having my doubts if the one really is a female. The both have two bulges at the start of the tail and they also have pore lines. Could i email or upload them? If so, how do I? Thank you so much!
Quinn, Females can produce eggs without being introduced to a male. The eggs are going to be infertile. If the gecko is egg bound, you will need to see a vet for a shot of oxytocin.These eggs will be infertile. By introducing the male, she will possibly lay fertile eggs. If she does become gravid, be prepared for many eggs.
Stocky, separate the two. In some cases, the male will not eat,a s he's more interested in mating, but I would recommend separating them.
Hi i have had my leopard gecko a year now and have recently got a female for him but he has seemed to have gone off his food. if i filled his meal worm dish he would eat every last one within a night but there is still the same amount in there is this normal once introducing a female?
Okay so I got a leopard gecko going on two years ago. I alway thought that it was a male but then i started feeling a ball on each side of its stomach. I waited about 3 months and the realized that it might have impacted intestines. So i called that fish place that pet place and talked to someone in the reptile room. She said that the gecko is a girl and that it is pregnant. That was a shock. But i only had her and no female. so I dont understand how she produced aggs. She said that she might be "egg-bound" and could possibly die. She then told me how to make a place for her to lay the eggs but they would be infertile and to just throw them out. But she still didnt lay them and i got worried. So a couple days later I bought an adult male from a friend and put them in the tenk. They are fine and dont fight. Do you think that she will lay the eggs? and if she does do you think that they will be fertile? I really need to know soon. Please help!
My gecko is pregnant! what do i need to buy to be successful as its my first time breeding?
It's a first generation Cremesicle, which is the direct offspring of a super hypo tangerine and a snow. These will vary greatly.
Whats an F1 creamsicle and how can i get one?
At four months old, both geckos are not nearly old enough. YOu do not want to breed yoru female until she is at least a year old and over 50 grams. You will want to keep the two geckos separated, as the male will become sexually active before the female should be bred.
One more question. I got two of the same leapard geckos in the same place at the same time and one has turned out to be twice the size of the other. What do you think on that.
I am new to all of this breeding stuff. Mine are about four months old. When should I expect to make or prepair an incubator for the babies?
It is possible that the female can become egg bound. It's not because of sticky eggs but because of calcium concerns. The male will stress out the female, and potentially bully her. THere will be biting associated, as well.
im thinking about breeding my leopard gecko's but i dont know if they will get injured in any way laying the egg i have heard from someone that the female may have trouble in laying the egg because the egg is sticky and will not come out and the female will get injured please answer :(
They do not eat until they have had their first shed.
Ok I put it in a tank. Should I feed my hatchling now? It hatched two days ago. I tried to feed it but it doesn't seem to be interested. Is my gecko hungry?
If the hatchlings have hatched, set them in their enclosure.
My Leopard gecko just hatched today..Im wondering when i should take it out of the incubator...Is it too soon to do so?
Yes, that is what I'm saying.
Hey there so Whitney, you're sayin that if I have a male and a female together they will mate no matter what?!
When bringing the two together to mate do i put the male in the females tank or bring the female to the males tank?
Hiya Whitney.
Would it be ok 2 hav 2 24"inch tanks for the male & female & when im ready to breed them, would it be ok to pop the male in with the female in her 24" inch tank or wud it be best to get her a bigger tank for mating?
Really love this website & find it very useful.
Kind regards
Michelle.
They are dehydrating if they are denting. They could be infertile.
My female has laid eggs recently this is her first clutch and when she laid them they were stuck together a little bit at the end of the egg and they also have fell in what does that mean?
Hrm...I always wonder one thing: the people say they will keep all the hatchlings, do they realise they might need 16 tanks and heaters? That aside, I now know why they were so eager to give me a gecko...
To anyone buying a gecko: check the Recues first.
John, It may be dehydrating or infertile. Just depends.
Randolph, Just keep watch. If it's her first time, she may retain them and reabsorb them. She may become egg bound, or she may not be on schedule. They don't all lay at the exact same time or on a by the day exact calendar appointment.
Hi there ive alreayd asked a few questions about leopard geckos eggs. I have a leopard gecko, she id definately gravid but she isnt laying... they lay 4 weeks after mating i belive and so she should have laid about the 2nd of feburary and now its the 26th. any ideas? thanks
Hey there,
When a Geckos egg has a bump in it, does it necessarily mean that its infertile or just needs more humidity thankyou
Not really. Not under most captive bred circumstances.
Is there any way to let the gecko mate and lay the eggs and hatch them on there own without human help and still have a healthy cluthch
The gray color more than likely meant that the gecko was going into shed. THey eat their shed, so you wouldn't really see it unless you caught the gecko in action or if some got left over.
They need to be kept separate, as you won't always see them breed,and trust me, they have.
They sleep all the time because they are nocturnal and are awake during the night.
I gotten a male and female from my teacher and they never shown the signs of breeding but they did like once during the spring but the female wasn't interested so the male stopped and then the ended up sleeping in the same area. All they do is sleep now. I dont even know the age. when i got them they were all gray but now the female is turing yellow and the male is slowly turning a yellowish color but still a little bit gray. So i dont know the age of them.
The tail wag has nothing to do with breeding.
You should not have them housed together because you haven't quarantined the new male for up to 60 days to ensure health.
hi i have got 6 leopard geckos i have 2 males and 4 females, my oldest gecko (gordon) is 17 and is as nearly as old as me hes a really good friend i have had him since i was a kid and i was hoping he will be breeding but then i found out hes to old but i have one female who is old enough all the rest are juvinales and i have bought a new male (sunny) he is 4 years old and bought him a few days ago this morning before i went out i had them toghther and he started wagging his tail but i fought im not ready at the moment but later or now i diecided im going to be breeding and he wont do the wiggley tail any more hes just not interested in her anymore should i be housing them toghther or does it not really matter ok guys thanks
Leopard geckos:
males:
gordon (17 years)
sunny (4 years)
females:
luna (1 years)
minty (1 year)
squirt (5 months)
lily (3 years)
thanks everyone
im geting my lepord gecko on the 19th i cant wait
Nope. Male will breed with a female no matter what. Separate them. It will be better for both geckos.
Is there a way to prevent breeding? besides seperating my male and female. My female keeps laying eggs and I feel bad not taking care of the eggs but what I keep reading is it involves alot of work and is difficult.
If they've started laying even 1 or 2 eggs, then they are gravid and breeding.
If this is their first year breeding, the likelihood that the majority of the eggs will be infertile is going to be high. I've had first time breeders lay consistently infertile eggs the first full year of breeding.
No way to increase odds of fertile.
Separate the male once first eggs are laid. No reason to keep him in there. He won't be lonely by himself.
i have currently 2 females and 1 male leopard gecko housed together... one of them has laid 4 eggs in about 2-3 weeks and the other one has laid 2 eggs.. do yout hink they are in season which means they will lay two egg every2-4 weeks? also the 6 eggs ive had all seem to be infertile... any idea how to increase my chances of making the eggs acctually fertile? and one last thing.. what shoudl id o to my geckos to make sure they arnt seriously hurt during breeding? thanks
Nick4 6 weeks ago
Okay so I just put my female and male together, it's been about 2 days. When will I know she is pregnant. I'm just a teen and I really want some babies.