Breeding Leopard Geckos
When it comes to lizards, leopard geckos are one of the easiest geckos to breed in captivity. They are admired for their gorgeous, unique patterns and their outward appearances can be changed easily through breeding creating even more unique and sought after specimens.
Breeding first begins by making sure that you have a sexually matured male and female leopard gecko. So, how can you tell the difference between the two sexes? When it comes to leopard geckos, it is easy to tell which ones are male and which ones are female. Turn the gecko over and look at the under side.
Male geckos will have two pronounced hemipenal bulges behind the vent on the tail side. You can also tell if it is a male because it will also have pre-anal pores that will be in a “V” shape just above the vent between the hind legs. Females will not have the hemipenal bulges behind the vent but they may have pre-anal pits rather than enlarged pores. Be careful when sexing a female that is obese she may appear to have bulges but it’s just fat.
Before leopard gecko can breed, they should be full grown adults of the right ages and they should be healthy. Male geckos should be at least 8 months old and should weigh a minimum of 45 grams. Females on the other hand, should be at least 1 year old and weigh a minimum of 50 grams. The actual mating for a breeder is as easy as just putting the pair within the same enclosure. They may mate right away or it could take some time. The best thing to do is to leave them together for a couple of days.
Once they are placed together, the male will become aggressive toward the female. He will start biting her and if she is not receptive to mating she will bite him back. Although it might look like they are fighting, it is actually normal behavior for leopard geckos. The male will also shake the tip of his tail back and forth very quickly which might be loud at times. If the pair still have not mated after a couple of days that they are together, separate them and try again in a few days.
Breeders need to supply their female with a suitable container for her to lay her eggs in. You can use a humid hide that is filled with moist but not saturated bed-a-beast. Within four weeks of a successful mating, the female will lay the first clutch of eggs. One clutch normally consists of one to two white oval eggs. Leopard geckos have been known to lay about eight clutches a year with each clutch being laid in two to four week intervals. After the eggs are laid they should be removed and placed in an incubator.
Amazingly, the sex of leopard gecko babies depends on the temperature that the eggs are incubated at. Of the eggs are incubated at a lower temperature, about 80 degrees, the clutch will be female. If the temperature in the incubator is higher, around 90 degrees, the clutch will be male. Incubating leopard gecko eggs at around 85 degrees will result in a clutch that is a mix of both sexes.
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