Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have had this female leopard gecko for almost a year now. She always seemed to be very aggresive so I have always housed her alone. Plus she is just a normal highyellow leo so I never planned on breeding her. I was going to sell her a while back but I guess I just grew fond of her personality. She would bark and lunge at my hand evrytime I put it in her cage. But the times that I would hold a mealworm or waxworm up to her she would have perfect accuracy in getting them. I can only think of 2 times that she got my hand out of over 100 feedings. Anyways she just layed eggs yesterday and she hasnt been with a male for at least 1 year for sure if ever. I have them incubating and was just wondering if this is a clone? I was reading about how some leos can have clones. Any info would be greatly appriciated. Thanks

Most likely her biological clock is just ticking and the eggs are infertile. But to put your mind at ease you can hold them up to a light. If they are all yellow and have no pink veins then they are infertile.

Emily
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2.4.7 leopard geckos (Nelson, Zander, Zoe, Baby, Houdini, Munch, & lots of babies)
1.1 ferrets (Oliver and Delilah)
1. budgie (Max)
0.0.1 Ring neck Parakeet (Kiwi)
1.1 German Shepards (Jake and Abigail)

www.freewebs.com/thespottedgecko

It is hard to tell if there are veins or not. I do see some pink though. They look just like the other leo eggs I have gotten from my other females though. Has anyone ever had or heard of a leo laying fertile eggs with no male present ever? It says in the book that this could be to help save the species from dying off in hard times to help the species to survive.

I have heard of this in a lot of reptiles, anphibians, and even fish. I have also heard of some anphibians and fish going through sex changes when there was a lack or the opposite sex around. Weird stuff huh?

Emily
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2.4.7 leopard geckos (Nelson, Zander, Zoe, Baby, Houdini, Munch, & lots of babies)
1.1 ferrets (Oliver and Delilah)
1. budgie (Max)
0.0.1 Ring neck Parakeet (Kiwi)
1.1 German Shepards (Jake and Abigail)

www.freewebs.com/thespottedgecko

you won't get fertile eggs unless she's mated
Leo females are sometimes known to throw infertile eggs, they do requiure the same attention as fertile mothers though

No is the obvious answer, but there are flukes in the animal kingdom. Many females can and have been known to produce young with the absense of a male. This has been thought to occur as a single that the species may be depleted to a point that no male may be found. What I have read is that all the babies will be female and identical "clones" of the mother. I am not sure how in terms of existence of a species this helps....having more females but no males. Within the last 5-7 years a female burmese in the London zoo laid about 30 eggs that all hatched out female when she had never in her life been with a male. So it is possible, but most likely not the case.

Matt

Well, I can tell you WHY the clones would be Only female. It's a chromosomal thing.

Women have the XX chromosomes. Men have XY. It's the guy who determines the sex (randomly, of course), since he can contribute either an X or a Y. The female can contribute Only an X. So if the guy throws an X, you've got a girl, and if he throws a Y, you've got a boy. Make sense?

So, what happens if a woman manages to make a clone of herself? Well, for the gender chromosomes, you've gotta have those 2 slots filled. If a woman can only contribute X, then you're gonna 2 Xs - XX. It is impossible for her to throw a Y because she doesn't have a Y in her genetic make-up. So no boys.

Sorry, guys. As usual, we women win.

~~Dusty
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So Many Alleles, So Little Time...!
@
~~The Gecko Barn~~