Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello!

Last night we put in one male with two of our females; all are proven breeders. This is my first time breeding leopard geckos, and I had a few questions:

1) One of the females has eggs that are already developed. Is it too late to breed her? Should we do the breeding before we can see her eggs?
2) This morning, we did see a small bite mark on the back of her neck, so we think the breeding was successful. Should we now take the female out of the cage and put her back in her own cage to lay the eggs in the vermiculite-filled deli cup? (They live in their own cages; we are planning on just putting them together to breed).
3) How long will/should it take for her to lay the eggs?
4) We don't really see the eggs in the other female but she was doing some tail wagging. Again, I've read this is breeding season, so it is appropriate to put the males and females together before we see egg development?

Thank you so much! I appreciate all of the help we've received from this forum.

1) If you see visible, formed eggs it is too late for that clutch. The mating must take place prior to ovulation. If she mates now she will still produce viable eggs the rest of the season. I would keep this first clutch anyway because they may be fertilized from last year. That's a big maybe but it does happen.
2) If they bred successfully you can seperate them but it is a good idea to repeat the intro several times. In my experience the females are most receptive approx. 24-48 hours after egg laying and I place them with the male at that time. This is not entirely neccessary though as I have had several females lay fertile eggs all season from one mating.
3) After ovulation it takes anywhere from 2-4 weeks to lay the eggs. My records show an average of 18.5 days. Each female is different and usually very predictable if you keep good records and maintain steady temperatures.
4) Raised tail wagging by the female is a warning to stay away. She is telling the male to back off. She probably isn't ready yet. Keep introducing them until you witness a successful breeding.
Good Luck!
John Yezbak

North Coast Geckos

Hi!

I just wanted to let you know we had our first egg show up on Monday! I think I see some other eggs developing in at least two other females, so we are hoping for the best. I'll keep you updated as the hatching happens.

Thanks again for your help!

Susan
Voodoo Magic Reptiles
Link