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Tips for Breeding Leopard Geckos

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By Whitney05


Caring 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.


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.


Gravid Female
Gravid Female

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.


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.


Egg right before hatching
Egg right before hatching
Hatchling half way out.
Hatchling half way out.
Almost 100% hatched.
Almost 100% hatched.

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.


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.

Comments

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Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
3 weeks ago

Where you would normally put the humid hide.

GeckoWoW  says:
4 weeks ago

For a lay box, which side of the tank should I keep it on? Should I keep it close to the heat or on the cold side of the tank?

Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
5 weeks ago

I wouldn't recommend more than 2 or 3 (4 pushing it), but hatchligns grow quickly, so you'll find that the 10 gallon won't hold them for long.

Gaspar  says:
5 weeks ago

I am learning to breed leopard geckos, and i was wondering, how many baby leopard geckos should be in a 10 gallon tank?

Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
5 weeks ago

What are the temperatures? Don't lower them unless they're well over 90F. Check out the below link:

http://hubpages.com/_reptilehelp/hub/My_Leopard_Ge

Ashley  says:
5 weeks ago

My leo refuces to eat or drink. He is not going to shed so I dont know what it could be. Also he refuces to sun bathe, and is always in the shade. Ive even lowerd his cage temperature. Can you help?

Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
5 weeks ago

Just because you have a male and female, you are not guaranteed to hae eggs. Some males and some females can be infertile. Some females will not take to the male. Etc.

Any new reptile needs to be quarantined for at least a bare minimum of 30 days before introducing to an existing reptile. This gives you time to notice signs of illness in the new reptile before passing it to an existing one.

Remember that you'll need proper equipment and housing for hatchlings. As well as proper enclosures for both breeding adults.

Also keep in mind not all females are good to breed, as after first breeding, they can quickly decline in health even if perfectly healthy beforehand.

Try reading previous comments. You may find answers to some of your questions.

Ashley  says:
5 weeks ago

when i buy my female leo can i just put her in with the male and let them do there thing? Or do i have to slowly introduce them?

Ashley  says:
5 weeks ago

If i get a male and female Leo. Can I can be shure to have babies?

Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
5 weeks ago

kkbreedr, no you should quarantine for at least a bare minimum of 30 days.

Jim if they're old enough to know that one is male and one is female, then you should keep them separate as of right now.

Jim  says:
6 weeks ago

hey, i just bought two baby leopard gecko male and female,when should i seperate them?

kkbreeder  says:
6 weeks ago

can I introduce my leo's quickly?

Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
6 weeks ago

Hadley, if you're keeping them together, more than likely they mated. Take the male out to reduce stress on the female, and keep them housed separately. The pink ovals on each side of her stomach, are probably eggs forming. Get a laybox ready.

Charlie, the female will get plump and you'll see pink eggs forming on the sies of her belly. You won't see the eggs until further along though.

charlie  says:
6 weeks ago

how do you no if the leopard gecko is pregnat or not

Hadley  says:
6 weeks ago

Hey..

Ok so I think my Leo is prego. But I'm not sure. There's these 2 white ovals surrounded by pink, but their both on the same side. I'm confused..I didn't see her mate but I saw my male beside her licking his..er..ting ting. I've been counting and I saw this 25 days ago..help?

Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
2 months ago

No. I doesn't matter if the males are related, they don't care if they're related. All they know is male, and territorial protection. They will fight. Leopard geckos live best individually anyway, whether you're trying to house males with females (never a good idea longterm) or females with females. When it says to never house males together, never house males together.

Ashley  says:
2 months ago

Im breeding leopard geckos for the first time. If the males are related can i keep them together

Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
2 months ago

Whoever said that was wrong. under tank heaters are fine to use with glass aquariums as long as you ahve the tank propped up just enough to allow heat to escape and not build up underneath the tank, as it can cause cracks in the glass. Undertank heaters are designed for use on glass, not plastic though.

nikki  says:
2 months ago

i have seen it on other forms about the uth not being good for use of aquariums

Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
2 months ago

Who said that? What is not recommended is to use an under tank heater for plastic enclosures. When using an under tank heater with glass enclosures (which is necessary for some reptiles, especially those who require belly heat), you just want to make sure that you prop up the enclosure so that the heat doesn't build underneath and cause stress cracks in the glass.

Nikki  says:
2 months ago

Ok i have a question why is it not recommended to put an under heater on a fish tank if ur using it for geckos

Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
2 months ago

I'm not sure what you mean by they dig at her. Are you 100% they're all female? You may need to separate the one into her own enclosure. Typically, they are best housed individually.

Kiki  says:
2 months ago

I have 3 leopard geckos all females just 2 of the females always dig at the one female and just stands there. When they do dig at [Moon] the inesent one they 2 other gecks get really agressive so i dont know if thats a sign or not. But if any of you has a solution write back i need to know this. Thanks Kiki

Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
3 months ago

That happens sometimes. The eggs were duds, most likely not fertile.

maddy   says:
3 months ago

my gecko had a batch in spring but a week before they were going tohatch they started rotting

Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
3 months ago

Up to 12, sometimes more. Being it's her first time, it's hard to say. Most first time breeders will have less, but I've had many to have 12-16 the first year

Robert   says:
3 months ago

My female just mated, it's her first time.

How many eggs will she produce overall?

Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
4 months ago

Technically you can, but you need to be prepared for up to 10 or more hatchlings when bred just one time with a female. The older they are, the less productive they are. Most people retire leopard geckos from breeding at about 6-8, but there are some who don't care for the health and keep breeding past there.

Kona  says:
4 months ago

Ive got a male leo off my mate. Just wondered if i can breed it cuz he said its about 8 years old.

Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
5 months ago

I'm sorry. You could take one of the geckos, if the friend is willing to separate. If you house together there's no way to prevent them from mating. The male will mate no matter whether they are related, the female is too young, or whatever.

Sounds like you've got a busy household anyway. Tortoises can be a lot of work, considering they need inside and outside enclosures and they need lots of room.

Windinherhair  says:
5 months ago

I'm afraid we're going to have a disappointed daughter.

She'll just have to make do with the whippet, Eclectus parrot, and 2 tortoises then!

Thanks for the help Whitney.

Good forum!

Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
5 months ago

You can keep them together, but they will breed. Two tanks is recommended as they will breed, causing stress on the females body.

Windinherhair  says:
5 months ago

Hi Whitney

My daughter's friend is looking to rehome his Geckos. He believes they are a male and a female.

Can we keep them together if we don't want them to breed?

We don't have the space for a second vivarium, so it's a matter of all or nothing I'm afraid.

Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
5 months ago

You should release the gecko, as it was from the wild. And more than likely the gecko had mated before you caught it.

AJ Pienaar  says:
5 months ago

I cought a gecko in pretoria now its got eggs in the cage, is this possible for one gecko?

Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
5 months ago

Well good luck breeding. Just remember that it can be VERY hard to find homes for the geckos. The economy has caused even more downfall in sales. Remember your reputation is non-existent and you'll probably have to keep them longer than most. Remember 15 grams is safe to ship, nothing less than that. But 10-15 depending on the health of the gecko can be ok to sell as long as it's not being shipped -IE take to the person, reptile show, etc.

Many people think this is a good project for school. The reptile market is flooded with leopard geckos. Jut remember that.

Genetics is also important.

If you rush into breeding by buying all adults, that's silly. Patience is a virtue. My adults should not be bred this year, as they were bred this year and need a cool down period. If you're looking for breeders for this year, it's not healthy to breed them more than once a year if they've already laid a full season of eggs. As for BF29, she retained all eggs from this season; I'm not guaranteeing her as a breeder.

Ryan  says:
5 months ago

I've been doing a whole lot more research about leopard geckos and breeding them. I've decided im going to attempt at breeding leopard geckos I already have a few people willing to purchase. This will hopefully also be my graduation project from high school, since my dream is to own a very successful exotic pet shop. Thank you for answering all of my questions. I was also looking at your gecko - BF29 I might buy her.

Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
5 months ago

Demand for online market for leopard geckos is not the best, especially if you don't know full genetics and if you don't have a reputation as a seller. Because everyone thinks they can breed and make money, they all try, which leads to surplus of geckos available and not enough people willing to buy. I can give you about 5 or 6 people off the top of my head who actually make money breeding, several of them are wholesellers and the others overprice (but because they've been breeding for decades, they have the reputation people will buy a $75 gecko for $300).

I've been breeding for about 5 years, and it's hard to sell online. My sales are solely online, and I've seen geckos at low price, high quality sit for months and months. I have never been able to sell for what I have purchased. I've bought a gecko for say $150, less than a year later decide it really doesn't fit in my projects, even though it's bettered in color and pattern, yet can't get maybe $75 for it. I've seen geckos with less quality than what I have for sale being sold for more because they have a much wider reputation.

Breeding reptiles is not a profitable adventure- see my link above about my journey.

Remember, you have to have housing, food, incubator(s), thermostats, incubation mediums, shipping supplies, housing supplies (bowls, hide), etc. it can get quite expensive, even with just a few breeding adults.

Ryan  says:
5 months ago

One more question. Do you know how demanding the online market is for leopard geckos? I know there are successful leo gecko breeders that sell only online.

Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
5 months ago

It is good that you are learning. Most people don't even try to do that. Just remember that if you opt to sell to pet stores, you need to talk to the pet stores beforehand. Not many actually take reptiles from people. They generally already have contracts with wholesalers (larger retail pet stores), or the smaller pet stores usually already have their local breeders they buy from and being smaller stores, don't need a surplus of animals. Keep that in mind.

Sometimes it is better to enjoy them as pets than it is to breed them.

In most cases, you will spend more than you will ever make.

Ryan  says:
5 months ago

I've had leopard geckos for a few years. I am still learning about breeding. I want to learn how. I don't know if i will. But i still want to learn. Sorry if it seems I'm not educated with geckos at all, I just want to make sure what i learned is correct.

Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
5 months ago

No. you have a lay box in the enclosure. She opts to get in as she needs to. You don't force her to stay in the box. Just keep it moist. Tips are above for breeding and caring for gravid geckos as well as incubation and so on.

How much experience do you have with leopard geckos?

Ryan  says:
5 months ago

So i mate them once a year, and from that the female can lay 10 eggs at a span of a season? So i would keep her in the laying box lots of the time. Right?

Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
5 months ago

You only introduce them once a year. The female will lay up to 10 eggs a season. First time breeders may not lay as many good eggs the first year, so don't promise the pet store a number. Also remember it's best to keep them until at least 10-15 grams (which can be 2-4 months) before giving them to anyone, even a pet store.

Ryan  says:
5 months ago

I'm planning on breeding leopard geckos for a local pet shop. I need to know 1)Are there laws about having all of your geckos inspected? 2)How long should i wait after the eggs are layed to breed the female again?

Whitney05 profile image

Whitney05  says:
6 months ago

10 gallon tank is best, upgrading to a 20 long.

Secret  says:
6 months ago

How big of a cage does a baby need?

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