Breading Leopard Geckos
Leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius) are some of the most popular pet lizards in the world due to their docility and ease of care. In addition, they are also very easy to breed, regardless of whether you are an experienced breeder or first-time owner.
Preparing for Breeding
Before you decide to breed your leopard geckos, you need to consider certain items:
- Housing: You will need to provide your leopard geckos with separate housing, as males can be aggressive with each other.
- Temperature: Leopard geckos need to be kept at a range of 79-86°F (26-30°C).
- Humidity: Leopard geckos need to be kept in a humidity of 20-50%, depending on the temperature.
- Nutrition: Feed the geckos with a varied diet of crickets, gut-loaded mealworms, waxworms, and pinky mice.
The Breeding Process
Now that you have a correctly prepared environment, you can begin the breeding process.
- Introduce one male and two females into the enclosure.
- The male will follow the females and attempt to mate with them.
- The mating process can take up to 10 minutes, and can occur over a few days.
- Once mating is complete, the females will lay eggs, usually around 2-3 weeks after mating.
- The female will then bury the eggs in the substrate and seal them with her tail.
Incubation
After the eggs have been laid, you need to put them in an incubator. The recommended incubation temperature is 80-84°F (27-29°C) with a relative humidity of 70-80%. The eggs should hatch after 8-10 weeks.
Conclusion
Breeding leopard geckos is a relatively straightforward and rewarding process. With correct set up, keeping, and incubation, you can produce beautiful and healthy baby leopard geckos.
