1. General
The breeding season extends from late February/early March until September. In nature it is triggered by rising temperatures after hibernation geckos.
That is why some breeders recommend practicing a period of hibernation of 1 to 2 months (November-December), during which the duration of lighting, temperature and food are gradually reduced. Personally I do not practice hibernation and prefers to use this time to rest well fed and give them a maximum of energy and nutrient reserves (including their tail) for future breeding season. They ensure good health, is certainly a factor for success in the reproduction of leopard geckos.
2. Sexing leopard gecko It is relatively simple sexing leopard gecko adult.
Here are three hallmarks of male to distinguish it from the female:
* The preanal pores (small colored dots) that form a V just before the bulges hémipéniens. * The two bulges hémipéniens (balls covering hemipenis) just before the cloaca (beginning of tail). * The male is usually wider at the base of the neck than the female.
The female exhibits no preanal pores, or bulges hémipéniens.
The first 2 comments are reliable and sufficient to determine the sex of a leopard gecko. For the third criterion, in some cases, the difference at the base of the neck is not hollowing between male and female. Finally it should be noted that incubation plays an essential role in determining the sex of the leopard gecko.
3. Age of breeding
For successful reproduction it is important that breeders are healthy and sexually mature. For if the male can be ready to play without problem from 10 months, this is not the case of the female. A female too young might monopolize the calcium for egg formation at the expense of its frame, which could halt its growth, making it more fragile and even reduce its life expectancy.
It is therefore strongly advised to wait until a female has completed its growth and is sufficiently robust (15-18 months) to bring together a breeding male.
4. Coupling
On the evening, minutes before extinguishing the lights in the terrarium, a male runner before showing signs of his intentions.
It will then be wagging his tail in the sweeping right to left at an astonishing speed. I am always amused to attend these parades because according to your substrate, then the noise is quite striking and the substrate spins a little in all directions.
Since the male gets the message and began to chase the female. It will then attempt to repeatedly bite the female on the neck to immobilize. This made successful, the female and male inflorescence seized his chance. Mating usually lasts one to two minutes.
Once completed, the two partners make a careful toilet of their genitalia. Mating leopard gecko is relatively fleeting and it is not necessarily obvious to observe. But with the usual observation, and the sound of this parade so special “helicopter tail” of the male, it becomes easier to detect and attend this coupling.
5. Clutch
After mating, the gestation. The eggs will then be formed in the oviduct of the female that we calls’ pregnant. Approximately 2-4 weeks later, it lay. It consists of 2 eggs large enough relative to the size of the female. Several observations lead to the provision:
* In As you can see the eggs, two white masses, through the abdomen. Although gradually ceasing to feed, the female then takes the volume but its tail, constituting its energy reserve, thinning somewhat. * It will seek to benefit from exposure to UV rays before lights out.
The eggs will be deposited overnight in a humid chamber consisting of moist vermiculite. The female takes care to cover before leaving the wet box. After graduating she has suddenly lost weight and continue to scratch around the box as if trying to cover a few more eggs. In the evening it will have a big appetite and we should then not hesitate to eat it at will to immediately resume strengths and reserves in its tail, the interval between each spawning was relatively short (2-4 weeks). Note that the male will not hesitate to cover the female on the night of spawning.
6. Incubation
Once the female has laid her eggs in the humid chamber, it is necessary to let her out of herself before attempting to remove. This allows the female to cover them, it will also feel that their eggs are protected.
Once the female release, the vermiculite was removed with a soft brush to collect the eggs. To find them most easily in the humid chamber, it is convenient to use a translucent box.
Then the eggs are retrieved gently using a small spoon, for example, ensuring that it does not return and are transferred to the incubator by placing them in boxes lined with moist vermiculite. As stated just above, the rempérature incubation plays an essential role in sex determination in the leopard gecko.
This is what we call T.S.D. (Temperature Sex Determination).
Incubation temperatures: Temperature (° C) Sex Incubation 26 ° to 28 ° Female 55 to 65 days 29 ° to 31 ° Male or Female 45 to 55 days 32 ° to 33 ° Male 35 to 45 days
We must ensure that the temperature does not drop below 26 degrees and does not exceed 33 °, otherwise the life of the embryo will be greatly compromised. The incubation period is longer or shorter depending on the temperature (see above).
Tip: It is essential to regularly monitor the eggs placed in the incubator. If an egg takes on a dubious (mold growth, drooping of the shells…), it is best to remove it from the incubator after first “admire” when in doubt.
Mirer an egg is to be carried across by a light beam (preferably in black) to verify the presence or absence of embryo in the egg.
7. Hatching
Depending on the temperature of incubation, it is relatively easy to plan hatching eggs. Provided and record the dates of each egg.
Furthermore the appearance of an egg to hatch will change suddenly. It will take a whiter color and swelling more towards a more rounded. The outbreak is so close and with any luck it is possible to attend. It takes about two hours from the time the little gecko pierces the shell.
If there is a little longer in its shell, does not seek to remove, because it is possible he still uses his reserve “viteline.
The outbreak ended, the little leopard gecko, striped black and white/yellow (for the common phase) will be placed in a small terrarium (20 x 30 cm) lined with paper towel. It is advisable to place a juvenile in the terrarium to avoid stress mutual.
It was after 2 or 3 days (first molt) the gecko took his first meal. Do not try to propose live insects during these few days which could cause unnecessary stress. To start the diet, small crickets can be used.
Personally I use flavored crickets (can’O’cricket) for my juveniles nutritious and adapted to the size of juveniles, it allows me to distribute the food better now for all of them.
Then as small leopard gecko grow, it is preferable to opt for live crickets of appropriate size.