Crested Gecko Breeding & Reproductiong
Gender Distinction:
In Crested Geckos sex can be determined reasonably well by sight. For example, men have a wider tail root than women with two distinct thickenings on the ventral side in which the hemipenes lie. Males also have clear pre-anal pores in an inverted V shape just above the tail root and femoral pores on the inner thighs. In females it is much less developed and there is hardly any bulge on the ventral side at the tail root. Crested Geckos reach sexual maturity for a year between 6 months. However, it is better to maintain that a female must weigh 35 grams or more before breeding. The animals are then large enough and have sufficient body mass to produce eggs responsibly.
Winter rest:
Before breeding, give the animals a two-month hibernation. You can do this at a temperature of 16 to 20 degrees Celsius. This is by no means necessary for all animals, but it can have a beneficial effect on mating behavior if you experience problems with this.
Mating:
The mating of Crested Geckos is generally not gentle. The male will bite the female on the neck and hold her tight during the actual mating. Although this does not look very pleasant, it usually will not injure the female and this is natural behavior for the geckos. In some cases it happens that a male does not want to leave his female alone, this is especially seen in couples. A man living with several women will divide his attention between all females. This way the females have more rest. If the male is too pushy, it is advisable to set it apart from the females.
Laying eggs:
After successful mating, the female will produce eggs. The eggs are generally laid between 4 and 6 weeks after mating. Crested Gecko females lay two eggs (never more than two, and in some cases only one) about four to six times a year. These are deposited in moist substrate, so make sure that the soil substrate is moist so that the animals can deposit their eggs properly. It is recommended to incubate the eggs in an incubator with, for example, moist vermiculite as substrate. The incubation period depends on the temperature, at lower temperatures it takes longer for the eggs to hatch, while at a higher temperature the eggs will hatch faster. At a temperature between 26 and 29 degrees Celsius, it takes about 65 to 80 days for the eggs to hatch.
ATTENTION !!!
Never just throw away eggs that have been in your terrarium for a while. Crested Gecko eggs can be hatched at room temperature! You won’t be the first to have the eggs hatcht in your trash. Only throw eggs away if they are moldy!
Taking care of the hatchlings:
Once the eggs hatch, you will of course have to take care of the young. Hatched young are best housed separately from the parents. This is because otherwise you run the risk that the parent will try to eat the young and in many cases at least the tail of the young will be lost. Place the fry in a separate container and provide a container with moist substrate so that the humidity remains at an arrow. Young Crested Geckos have a greater need for animal food than the parent animals. You can therefore safely feed the animals with, for example, small crickets. The animals also receive the same powders as the parent animals.
We ourselves raise our young animals up to about 3 months in separate curved containers in which we keep 1 animal per container. this way we can keep a close eye on what the animals eat and how they grow. The trays are provided with moist substrate and artificial plants so that the animals have enough moisture and can hide. After about 3 months, we put the young together in a terrarium so that the animals can grow up as a group.
Gender Distinction:
In Crested Geckos sex can be determined reasonably well by sight. For example, men have a wider tail root than women with two distinct thickenings on the ventral side in which the hemipenes lie. Males also have clear pre-anal pores in an inverted V shape just above the tail root and femoral pores on the inner thighs. In females it is much less developed and there is hardly any bulge on the ventral side at the tail root. Crested Geckos reach sexual maturity for a year between 6 months. However, it is better to maintain that a female must weigh 35 grams or more before breeding. The animals are then large enough and have sufficient body mass to produce eggs responsibly.
Winter rest:
Before breeding, give the animals a two-month hibernation. You can do this at a temperature of 16 to 20 degrees Celsius. This is by no means necessary for all animals, but it can have a beneficial effect on mating behavior if you experience problems with this.
Mating:
The mating of Crested Geckos is generally not gentle. The male will bite the female on the neck and hold her tight during the actual mating. Although this does not look very pleasant, it usually will not injure the female and this is natural behavior for the geckos. In some cases it happens that a male does not want to leave his female alone, this is especially seen in couples. A man living with several women will divide his attention between all females. This way the females have more rest. If the male is too pushy, it is advisable to set it apart from the females.
Laying eggs:
After successful mating, the female will produce eggs. The eggs are generally laid between 4 and 6 weeks after mating. Crested Gecko females lay two eggs (never more than two, and in some cases only one) about four to six times a year. These are deposited in moist substrate, so make sure that the soil substrate is moist so that the animals can deposit their eggs properly. It is recommended to incubate the eggs in an incubator with, for example, moist vermiculite as substrate. The incubation period depends on the temperature, at lower temperatures it takes longer for the eggs to hatch, while at a higher temperature the eggs will hatch faster. At a temperature between 26 and 29 degrees Celsius, it takes about 65 to 80 days for the eggs to hatch.
ATTENTION !!!
Never just throw away eggs that have been in your terrarium for a while. Crested Gecko eggs can be hatched at room temperature! You won’t be the first to have the eggs hatcht in your trash. Only throw eggs away if they are moldy!
Taking care of the hatchlings:
Once the eggs hatch, you will of course have to take care of the young. Hatched young are best housed separately from the parents. This is because otherwise you run the risk that the parent will try to eat the young and in many cases at least the tail of the young will be lost. Place the fry in a separate container and provide a container with moist substrate so that the humidity remains at an arrow. Young Crested Geckos have a greater need for animal food than the parent animals. You can therefore safely feed the animals with, for example, small crickets. The animals also receive the same powders as the parent animals.
We ourselves raise our young animals up to about 3 months in separate curved containers in which we keep 1 animal per container. this way we can keep a close eye on what the animals eat and how they grow. The trays are provided with moist substrate and artificial plants so that the animals have enough moisture and can hide. After about 3 months, we put the young together in a terrarium so that the animals can grow up as a group.